Throughout history, humans have engaged in religion through its structure, customs, and rituals to access spirituality. This is explicit spirituality, according to Imam Jawad Bayat, MA, ACPE, Certified Educator and Associate Director for Clinical Pastoral Education at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health. Implicit spirituality, however, is something more personal that relates to the human experience – and it’s worth exploring as part of the healing process.
“At its core, spirituality is something beyond your physical reach that conveys a sense of meaning, connection, or purpose in your life,” explains Bayat. “I tell patients that if they’ve felt seen or heard, had a sense of warmth, or felt a connection to themselves, others, or something greater than themselves – that’s the texture of spirituality.”
“Implicit spirituality looks different for everyone,” he adds. “You don’t have to be somewhere specific to experience it, because the common denominator in every space and setting is yourself.” Through a Spirituality Group and more in-depth individual sessions, Bayat helps patients understand that spirituality is accessible to them. He empowers patients to recognize how they can use spirituality and interconnectedness in their journeys of recovery, helping them uncover resources within themselves to transform pain and suffering.
“These explorations help patients reveal their own sense of agency to know that they can change,” says Bayat. “Once people understand this, they don’t have to suffer in the same way they once did, which can be very liberating.”
Opening the Door to Spirituality
When behavioral health providers open the door to exploring spirituality, the result can be more enriching discussions with a broader view of the whole person. Here’s how, according to Bayat.
- Start with your own self-inventory about spirituality. What brings meaning to your life?
- Establish a safe space for discussion by including an intake question such as, “Do you see yourself as a spiritual or religious person?”
- Maintain a curious approach in future sessions. Questions might include: What sustains you? When have you felt a sense of connection? Where do you find peace or hope?
- Check out resources such as Spirit in Session: Working with Your Client’s Spirituality (and Your Own) in Psychotherapy by Russell Siler Jones.
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