“In many cases, as part of successful treatment, you need to recognize that you cannot control every aspect of your life; that there is some power greater than you,” says Chaplain Jawad Bayat, MA, ACPE Certified Educator, Associate Director for Clinical Pastoral Education at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health. “People may immediately jump to the conclusion that what I am talking about is religion, but I am talking about spirituality, and that may or may not involve religion. Engaging spirituality is a personal experience.”
Defining Your Spirituality
At Princeton House, inpatients are offered the opportunity to participate in a weekly spirituality group designed to help them identify and embrace their own personal spirituality. That spirituality can be just about anything — from following the beliefs of an organized religion to finding the joy in taking a walk in nature or sharing time with family — that feels larger than the self and produces a sense of peace.
During the group session, patients have the opportunity to share and connect, allowing them to gain an even deeper appreciation for the part spirituality plays in their lives and how they can use its power to help them cope with mental health issues.
“Exploring and embracing what we find spiritual power in grounds us, and allows us to put things in perspective and give things a sense of meaning,” says Bayat. “It helps us transform our pain and suffering in a way that is liberating, and because it allows us to stop focusing on control, our perspective improves and we gain a sense of hope.”
A Dozen Ways to Tap Into Your Spirituality |
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