A holistic approach naturally involves body, mind, and spirit. This website wouldn’t be complete without some discussion of spirit and spirituality. Many holistic clinicians pay lip service to being “holistic,” without really elaborating on what that means. For me, spirituality is central. It is the "S" at the heart of The Healing Triad. This "S" represents soul or spirit, but it also stands for love, gratitude, and a sense of purpose. It’s the glue that holds together the mind, the body, and the mind-body connection as one unit. Without this, healing is incomplete.
After much reflection, I define spirituality as Sacred Awareness—a deep connection to the unity of all life. From that awareness comes sacred thoughts, feelings, and actions. This sense of purpose, love, and connection is essential for long-lasting healing. It brings cohesion and direction to the rest of the healing process.
My Experience
I spent six years writing the book Are You Getting Enlightened or Losing Your Mind? - A Psychiatrist's Guide for Mastering Spiritual and Paranormal Experience. The book, which was published in 1997, explored these themes deeply. Dr. Larry Dossey, a pioneer in integrative medicine, wrote the foreword. In this work, I explore the question of how we integrate spiritual experiences into our lives and how we know when these experiences are guiding us versus leading us astray.
The Science of Spirituality in Healing
Why do people turn to alternative medicine? In 1991, Dr. Daniel Eisenberg from Harvard studied the spending habits of Americans and found that they spent $100 million more on alternative medicine than on conventional doctors. In a follow-up study, he asked why people were choosing alternative therapies. The top reason? Spirituality.
Many people feel that their doctors don't understand or respect their spiritual beliefs. This leads to an incomplete healing process. In fact, a 2023 Gallup poll revealed that while 47% of Americans consider themselves religious, 33% identify as spiritual. Moreover, nearly half of all Americans have had an unusual spiritual experience, with 15 million reporting near-death experiences.
My Approach to Spirituality in Treatment
My intake form includes questions about spirituality, such as:
What religion were you raised in?
What is your current religion or spiritual orientation?
Do you believe in God or a Higher Power?
Do you feel as if you are in control of your life?
Do you usually feel grateful?
Do you consider yourself religious or spiritual?
I have worked with people from every major religion and spiritual tradition, including rabbis, ministers, and priests. I don’t promote any particular belief system. Instead, I offer a space where patients can share their spiritual concerns without fear of judgment.
Key Questions of Spirituality
Spirituality, at its core, is about exploring life’s big questions:
1.Where was I before I was born?
2.What is my purpose here on Earth?
3.What is my relationship with God or a Higher Power?
4.What happens when I die?
These questions aren’t just philosophical. They impact our mental and emotional health, and, ultimately, our ability to heal.
Spiritual Issues in Clinical Practice
In my practice, I help patients navigate a variety of spiritual challenges:
Crisis of faith: When someone is struggling with their beliefs.
Dark night of the soul: A time of spiritual desolation or depression.
Visitation from a deceased relative versus hallucination.
Kundalini crisis: A spiritual awakening that can mimic psychiatric symptoms.
My role is to help people discern between spiritual phenomena and clinical symptoms. For example, I distinguish between clinical depression and the Dark Night of the Soul or between mania and a Kundalini awakening. I often reassure patients, “You’re not going crazy.”
I also use practical tools like mental imagery techniques to help people connect to their Higher Power. Trying to connect only through thoughts can be challenging, but mental imagery provides a direct, powerful way to access that deeper connection.
The Importance of Purpose
Purpose or meaning is a critical part of spirituality. I often tell patients, “Life is like a horse and carriage. Your sense of purpose is the horse that pulls everything forward. Without it, the carriage struggles to move and life can feel more challenging.”
If someone has lost their sense of purpose due to illness or other challenges, my goal is to help them reconnect to that purpose. This is essential to their recovery and their overall journey toward health and well-being.
