Even as recently as the beginning of this century most people would avoid talking about mental health issues. For some reason it was taboo, even though a significant proportion of the population would suffer with mental health during their lives, especially at times of great stress or grief. People occasionally turned to private counselling, more for the anonymity than the benefits of working 1 to 1 with an expert.
Of course there are now many well meaning trained professionals who like anybody would want to help others. Yet mental health issues are difficult and are often linked with pain, or feelings of disconnection or loneliness. But in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. But there are some other psychological issues not being treated that are, potentially dangerous in themselves.
Often people experiencing depression or anxiety or even other psychological issues would turn to spiritual advice, to either try a spiritual remedy, or to reduce the emotional impact of the issue. That is something that should be encouraged. I would encourage people to try to try spiritual help, in the right circumstances. However, I would not encourage people to turn to a spiritual healer to deal with their emotional issue, just for the spiritual benefit.
However, if someone, for whatever reason, wished to seek spiritual advice for their emotional problem, there are some steps to take. They are as follows:
1. The person needs to decide what they are trying to achieve. For example they might want to feel connected to something larger than themselves, they might want to release emotional blockages, or they might want to become more balanced or wise. They might not know what they are trying to achieve, nor who would benefit from their journey.
2. They need to know who is available to provide spiritual advice. In my practice, I might recommend to someone that they try contacting a psychologist. Although someone could easily contact a Christian counselor, and then make that person a regular client.
3. If the person decides that they wish to seek spiritual advice from a Christian, they should check that the Christian counselor is in alignment with the Christian counselor ethics. They might want to look at the Christian counselor website to make sure that the therapist is aligned with the ethical principles that the counselor subscribes to.
4. Once they have checked the religious affiliation, they can decide whether or not they wish to continue with the contact. If they are not aligned, they should try contacting another Christian therapist.
5. If they are not aligned, they could try contacting a Guru or New Thought therapist, or spiritual advisor or spiritual advisor.
There are many spiritual options available to help people to heal. This is something I would encourage people to explore. But it is not something I would encourage people to seek spiritual advice from, as spiritual advice alone is not something that a trained counselor could offer. Although it is a way for someone to try to help themselves.
The Spiritual Advisor
These people work with a spiritual guide that they call upon when they need assistance. For example, there is a spiritual guide that you can call upon to help you determine what to do next. When you are seeking spiritual advice, it is better to consult with a spiritual advisor, than to do it on your own. It is best to consult with a spiritual advisor because they are more trained to discern what is going on in a person’s mind and heart, when they are seeking spiritual guidance. There is a fine line between seeking spiritual advice and seeking spiritual praise. If the spiritual advisor can discern the two, then they will be able to help the client distinguish the difference.
For example, they will be able to help them determine what they really need, so that they can be mindful of it. And if they need help in spirituality, they will be able to show them how to get started. A Spiritual Advisor can be helpful to help people understand what they need to get started. They can also guide the person through the first steps they need to take in order to remove the hindrances to spiritual growth.
If the spiritual advisor is not experienced enough to discern what hindrance they are experiencing, then a spiritual mentor could be used. There are spiritual mentors that you can find by searching online and through word of mouth.
Avoid looking for praise by using the Spiritual Advisor too
Avoid seeking guidance in spirituality by needing someone to follow blindly when it comes to finding your way to spiritual growth. Seek people that are willing to help you identify what hindering factors are and help you remove them before you become addicted. Seek support by referring people you trust. It is best to refer people you trust because they will be able to help you and their help will be really helpful.
Seek guidance by consulting a Spiritual Advisor or Spiritual Mentor
Avoid looking for spiritual guidance by needing someone to follow blindly when it comes to finding your way to spiritual growth. Seek people that are willing to help you identify what hindering factors are and help you remove them before you become addicted.
