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Cindy L. McGinley, MS, CHt, CCTP

shamanic counseling

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A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice – Part 6

Soul Loss and Soul Retrieval

            As an unconventional psychospiritual intervention, shamanic healing has been reported to heal all kinds of grief and depression, even depression that has lived within the client for years. Soul retrieval is of special interest. Soul retrieval is a spiritual technique in which the shaman journeys on behalf of the client to the Spirit World to retrieve parts of the client’s soul or spirit that fled the person when a trauma occurred. When the shaman returns the essence of the client’s soul part to him or her, healing takes place. This sort of traumatic intervention has been performed for centuries in indigenous cultures the world over, and is reported very effective by those who have experienced it (Ingerman, 1991). The description of soul loss “shows remarkable similarities to what contemporary psychology calls ‘dissociation’…in that human beings can split off parts their psyche in response to trauma” (McKinnon, 2012, p. 189-190).

The Shamanic Journey

            “The ability to enter altered states appears to be a learnable skill,” and with practice becomes easier and easier. Indeed, shamans have developed a “technology of the sacred for modifying consciousness” (Scotton, 1996), which actually seems to be what the human brain is designed to do — easily enter altered states. We do it all the time: while driving, reading a book, watching television, or daydreaming. It is the human ability to enter an altered state of consciousness with ease that allows hypnotherapy to be so successful with most clients.

            The shamanic journey may be a mystery to some, but, as McKinnon relates, most “therapists are familiar with creative and guided visualization, and the shamanic journey begins as a visualization, but, in my experience and the experience of many clients, it leads us deeper and is more profound” (MacKinnon, 2012, p. 171). The client also journeys with spirit helpers, which are animal guides or other spirits. Very often the first journey a practitioner might recommend is a journey to meet a power animal or other helping spirit. We lead the brain through altered states through the use of percussion or repetitive sounds (usually drums and/or rattles) that encourage the theta state. The therapist could also use a simple trance induction to start the client off.

            Journeying can be used for so many things. It’s a way to tap into the personal unconscious to learn about “our task in this world, our shadows, our spiritual selves, our connection with our ancestors, our essence qualities, and so on” (McKinnon, 2012, p. 173). The client can journey to find something that needs to be released or let go of, retrieve soul parts, discover solutions to an issue, find a power animal, heal an emotional wounding…the list is endless.

            One caveat: the therapist should not teach journeying to a client with dissociative disorder, PTSD, or other severe trauma in the early stages of therapy. Care should be taken with a client diagnosed with bipolar disorder as well. These clients may not have a strong enough sense of Self to withstand the altered state of consciousness necessary to journey into what dream shaman Robert Moss terms “the imaginal realms.”

A Word About Dismemberment

            The client may experience a particularly powerful form of healing while on the shamanic journey, a healing event referred to as dismemberment. The person who journeys is taken apart in the Otherworld (sometimes down to the bone) by the helping spirits, and then re-membered, or put back together again. It is a sign of initiation and can be a profoundly healing experience.

            Interestingly enough, therapist and shamanic teacher Sandra Ingerman considers depression a rite of passage, an initiation into the shamanic mysteries that requires ego dissolution (also known as dismemberment), entering the void, finding illumination or the reconstruction of the self, and at last the re-emerging from the darkness transformed and stronger, having released old parts of our stories that no longer serve us (Simon, 2014, pp. 152-153). The person then becomes the “wounded healer,” her own wound making her more compassionate and empathic and able to better help those with a similar wound.

Conclusion

            Because of space constraints, this discussion only touched on some elements of shamanic practice and a few ways that shamanic methods could be integrated into transpersonal psychotherapy. Although shamanic practice may seem simple and straightforward on the surface, it takes many years of training to reach a level of mastery. As with any therapeutic modality, it is crucial that the therapist have more than a superficial understanding of shamanic practice before utilizing shamanism in the therapeutic relationship.

            While existentialism was born of the human boundary situations of aloneness, meaninglessness, responsibility, and death, transpersonal psychology seeks to draw from the wisdom of each of the great spiritual traditions to answer and even go beyond the existential questions. The transpersonal field delves into stages of development and states of consciousness that take us beyond the individual into a greater whole. Shamanism, as one of those great spiritual traditions, can help our clients understand their connection to all of life and the universe; in effect, finding that the answers to those existential questions are to be found in the balance of mind, body, and spirit. Shamanic methods can foster successful completion and integration of spiritual emergency, which can ultimately move the individual into a higher level of consciousness.

(Excerpt from “A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice” (graduate paper)
© 2016 – Cindy L. McGinley. All rights reserved. )

References:

Ingerman, S. (1991). Soul retrieval: Mending the fragmented self. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

MacKinnon, C. (2012). Shamanism and spirituality in therapeutic practice: An introduction. Philadelphia, PA: Singing Dragon.

Scotton, B. W., Chinen, A. B., & Battista, J. R. (1996). Textbook of transpersonal psychiatry and psychology. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Simon, T. (Ed.). (2015). Darkness before dawn: Redefining the journey through depression. Boulder, CO: Sounds True, Inc.

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A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice – Part 5

The Shamanic Therapist: A Trained Psychospiritual Guide

            Many therapists today are training or have been trained in shamanic practice. Often the shamanic therapist can help the client to either find meaning within the framework of his or her specific religion, or at least reframe beliefs to integrate the new truth that the existential crisis brings to the fore.  With the non-religious but spiritual person, the therapist might help and encourage the client to construct the new normal around some kind of metaphysical belief. Because shamanism is not a religious practice, there is no conflict between a person’s religion (or lack thereof) and the practice of shamanic technique and methods.

            Broad goals for longer-term existentialist or psychospiritual therapy might include “exploring and reclaiming a sense of purpose in life; exploring one’s experience of divinity and what it means personally; living in the mystery of life in a world that values fact and reason; finding peace amid external pressure to perform; and experiencing life more fully” (Cashwell & Young, 2011, p. 173). Shamanic counseling can help the client do all these things and more through healing practices specific to shamanism: ritual/ceremony, soul retrieval, reconnection with nature, and the shamanic journey.

Ritual/Ceremony

            The use of rituals in healing work can help clients “express and experience their private spiritual journey in the counseling process” (Cashwell & Young, 2011, p. 209).

Rituals may be as simple as planting a tree on a grave or as formal as a church ceremony. In contrast to religious rituals, personal spiritual rituals are “unique to the identity and needs of the client.” The symbolism of the personal ritual is extremely powerful in that “it is a representation of the client’s deep needs or experience” (Cashwell & Young, 2011, p. 212). The symbolic aspect of ritual may be the only way for the client to release feelings that are so deep that they can’t be put into words. Alan Basham cautions that “if you choose to explore ritual with a client, be mindful that symbols and the deep issues they represent are to be considered sacred and powerful in their capacity to alter the client’s personal myth” (Cashwell & Young, 2011, p. 221).

Psychologist and shamanic practitioner Karl Schlotterbeck (personal communication, 2014) sometimes suggests certain rituals and ceremonies for his bereaved clients, such as the simple act of creating a “spirit house” for the deceased loved one from a stone and moss and twigs; a Mongolian practice that essentially provides the loved one’s spirit its own place to dwell and a place the living can visit with the spirit of the deceased. These small rituals and ceremonies can help the client make meaning from an otherwise painful experience, providing closure and healing. Similarly, a fire ceremony can take a representation of that which no longer serves us and symbolically transform it into something more useful. The human psyche needs ceremony and ritual as a container and a bridge between the worlds (or the conscious and the unconscious). The best kinds of ceremonies take us out into nature.

Reconnecting with Nature

            I believe Llamazares says it best when remarking on the human condition: “By losing the connection with our environment and a feeling of belonging to a Whole that embraces us, we have fallen into the illusion of believing we are alone in the world, and as a natural consequence, life has lost its value, and we seem to have forgotten what the meaning of our existence is” (2015). The shaman lives in harmony with nature and sees everything as alive and imbued with spirit. The Western world could use a little of that worldview at this point in time.

            Indeed, there is a complex connection between nature and humans, especially in regard to spirituality. Overall, “nature positively influences people to experience awe; wonderment; feelings of connectedness to nature and others; a Higher Power; heightened external awareness of surroundings; and a tendency to express positive feelings of self, love, peace, and increases in emotional well-being” (Reese & Myers, 2011, p.402).

            Experiences in nature also help to foster feelings of interconnectedness with other beings. Community gardens and other outdoor community spaces have been shown to decrease feelings of isolation (Reese & Myers, 2011, p. 403). It seems that three inter-related components contribute to wellness in ecotherapy: “exposure to natural environments (access to nature) contributes to the development of one’s sense of self (environmental identity) and to both spiritual well-being and community connectedness (transcendence)” (Reese & Myers, 2011, p. 403).

            Green therapy, such as gardening or walking in the park, can have a dramatic effect on mood. Research conducted by MIND, a mental health charity in the UK, examined the benefits of “green” exercise for people with mental health issues. They compared a walk in the park with a walk at a shopping mall. “Nearly three-quarters of the subjects reported decreased levels of depression after the green walk, while 22 percent said their depression increased after walking through the shopping mall” (Allen, 2007, p. 5). MIND sees ecotherapy as a valid option for treatment of depression, especially when “access to treatments other than antidepressants is extremely limited” (Allen, 2007, p. 5).

            Integrating the respect for and relationship with nature that is inherent in shamanism can help to ameliorate the symptoms of depression, grief, and PTSD as the client begins to understand that they aren’t really alone in the world. This can help the client feel supported by the natural world. Sometimes the moments that ultimately restore resilience and faith are moments of creativity in the embrace of the natural world.

Next time: Soul Loss, Soul Retrieval, and the Shamanic Journey.

(Excerpt from “A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice” (graduate paper)
© 2016 – Cindy L. McGinley. All rights reserved. )

References:

Allen, D. (2007). A walk in the park. Mental Health Practice, 2007, 10 (9); 5.

Cashwell, C., & J. Young, 2011. Integrating spirituality and religion into counseling: a guide to competent practice (2nd edition). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association

Llamazares, A. M. (2015). The wounded west: The healing potential of shamanism in the contemporary world. ReVision, 32 (283), 7-23.

Reese, R.F. & Myers, J. E. (2011). EcoWellness: The missing factor in holistic wellness models.  Journal of Counseling & Development 2012, 90: 400-406.

     

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A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice – Part 4

(Part 3 is here.)

Making Meaning through Spirituality

            It must be understood that many people cope with crisis in what is considered a healthy way. Some people are obviously more resilient than others, and there is growing evidence that spiritual factors may be the cause.

            Initially, the religious/spiritual struggle may result in a loss of faith. However, “resolving the discrepancy may involve religious/spiritual growth,” and “more research is needed on how and when meaning systems provide comfort and a source of stability versus how and when they change in response to stressors like bereavement” (Wortmann & Park, 2009).

            Often the client must come to terms with a new way to find meaning, especially if a tragedy has befallen them. “Spiritual emergence” is defined by Bray as an “integration of spiritual and transpersonal experiences triggered either by the psyche’s readiness to transform or by highly stressful emotional or physical events …” (2010). Traumatic events cause many people to draw on their spirituality to make meaning of the world. Studies have shown that people who have a spiritual belief system, no matter the kind, recover from trauma faster and realize a positive adjustment in mental health and well-being.

            In a study incorporating spirituality into cognitive-behavioral therapy in an acute psychiatric setting, Rosmarin reports that patients are “encouraged to harness spiritual resources and address spiritual concerns with the hope of ameliorating symptoms and enhancing motivation and treatment compliance” (Rosmarin, et al, 2011).  Nearly half the patients found efforts to integrate spirituality into their treatment desirable, and another third enjoyed exploring their spirituality within the larger program.

            Clearly there is a need and a desire for psychospiritual intervention, and a need for therapists with skills in this area. Hodge discusses four guidelines “to assist practitioners in using spiritual interventions in an ethical, professional manner that fosters client well-being: client preference, evaluation of relevant research, clinical expertise, and cultural competency (which should be understood as including spiritual competency)” (Hodge, 2011).

            Still, therapists often find themselves walking the precarious line between the psychological and the spiritual. Many fear crossing that line, for various reasons. Many therapists are not trained for spiritual intervention, and Hodge makes a good point when he states: “Lack of training on the proper use of spiritual interventions is a problem” (Hodge, 2011).  Also, many clients are reluctant to discuss spirituality in a therapeutic setting, and so counselors respect their right to decline psychospiritual intervention. Additionally, “clients have a right to expect that mental health professionals have some degree of expertise in the interventions they implement” (Hodge, 2011); therefore, in order to implement psychospiritual intervention, it is imperative that the therapist be trained, or at the very least, consult with someone who is expert in such matters, such as clergy.

            The qualified therapist’s sensitivity to the client’s experience and human desire to make some kind of meaning out of life can lead to psychospiritual modes of intervention and therapy that can actually help the client attain post-traumatic growth from a spiritual and existential crisis. Spirituality and religion have been shown to be important tools to help people develop resilience and healing from a life-changing event. It is crucial for therapists to be trained in psychospiritual intervention before attempting to incorporate religion/spirituality into therapy. However, spiritual intervention can be a mitigating practice in the treatment of bereavement, depression, and PTSD, especially if the client indicates either a strong faith or a “dark night of the soul.”  Furthermore, both conventional and unconventional techniques may be utilized to help the client extract meaning from the crisis event, thereby developing peace and experiencing healing. Timely intervention could reduce instances of long-term psychological disorder created by a crisis of meaning.

            When considering how to help those who are in the throes of existential crisis, the therapist will do well to remember the words of Peter Bray: “Those who survive stressful life events may need to explain their posttraumatic experiences in spiritual terms that are centrally positioned in a broader framework than is currently available” (Bray, 2010). This means new and innovative ways to assist in the existential conflict resolution that plagues so many must often be devised by the therapist trained in transpersonal intervention. Knowing how to work within the client’s religious beliefs is imperative if the client is religious. “Communicating effectively about spiritual and religious perceptions requires ‘a multidimensional frame of reference that is inclusive, holistic, and integrated’” (Cashwell & Young, 2011, p. 135). This is where shamanic practice can be helpful.

Shamanism and Shamanic Practice

            Shamans have thrived in indigenous cultures for centuries, and act as a bridge between the unseen world of spirit and the material reality of humanity. “Shamanism can be defined as a family of traditions whose practitioners focus on voluntarily entering altered states of consciousness in which they experience themselves or their spirits traveling to other realms at will and interacting with other entities to heal others or help their community” (Scotton, 1996). The practice is found in cultures all over the world, with the focus on spirit travel, or soul flights – altered states of consciousness that distinguish shamans from other healers.

            Shamanism has great healing potential for the Western world, which may be why it has enjoyed resurgence in recent years among Westerners. Modernization, with its trend toward the belief in the absolute “truth” of science, seems to have stripped Western culture of the deeper meaning that can be found in indigenous spirituality. “The West has suffered severe fragmentations that led it to lose its connection with nature, with all that is vital, with human subjectivity, and, in general, with all the subtle, sensitive and intangible dimensions of existence” (Llamazares, 2015).

            “Shamanism is a transformational ordeal of dismemberment and rebirth recorded for centuries among tribal peoples around the world,” Downton claims, and likens the shaman’s process to Jungian individuation, or the process of attaining wholeness. He goes on to say that shamanism provides a “mythic structure for understanding those periods of dramatic transformation…in consciousness” (Downton, 1989). When the collective unconsciousness breaks through into consciousness, the individual is transported across the barrier into a new reality. This is a spiritual emergency, but the shamanic initiation can make sense of it.

            Shamanic healing is transpersonal in that it treats any disharmony of the whole being (body, mind, and spirit), and attempts to restore a natural state of health. It also involves contact with supernatural beings or compassionate helping spirits that carry out the healing.

(Next Time: The Shamanic Therapist: A Trained Psychospiritual Guide)

(Excerpt from “A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice” [graduate paper]
© 2016 – Cindy L. McGinley. All rights reserved. )

References:

Bray, Peter. (2010, April). A broader framework for exploring the influence of spiritual experience in the wake of stressful life events: Examining connections between post-traumatic growth and psycho-spiritual transformation. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture, 13(3), 293-308.

Cashwell, C., & J. Young, 2011. Integrating spirituality and religion into counseling: a guide to competent practice (2nd edition). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Downton, J.V. (1989). Individuation and shamanism. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 34, 73-88.

Hodge, David R. (2011, April). Using spiritual interventions in practice: Developing some guidelines from evidence-based practice. Social Work: 56( 2), 149 – 158.

Llamazares, A. M. (2015). The wounded west: The healing potential of shamanism in the contemporary world. ReVision, 32 (283), 7-23.

Rosmarin, David H., Randy P. Auerbach, Joseph S. Bigda-Peyton, Thröstur Björgvinsson, & Philip G. Levendusky. (2011). Integrating spirituality into cognitive behavioral therapy in an acute psychiatric setting: A pilot study. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, Volume 25, Number 4, 254.

Scotton, B. W., Chinen, A. B., & Battista, J. R. (1996). Textbook of transpersonal psychiatry and psychology. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Wortmann, Jennifer H. & Crystal L. Park (2009). Religion/spirituality and change in meaning after bereavement: Qualitative evidence for the meaning making model. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 14:17_34.

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A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice – Part 3

(Part 1 is here if you need to catch up.)

Common Catalysts of Existential Crisis (cont’d)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

            Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by a cluster of symptoms following exposure to death, threat of death, or sexual violence which include intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event, related distressing dreams, flashbacks, and dissociative reactions (DSM-5, 2013). But it can also be the result of compound stressors that build up over time, or repeated exposure to traumatic events with little relief, as in the case of spousal abuse or child abuse. While the label of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was developed in 1980 in response to the Vietnam war veterans (it was called shell shock or combat fatigue prior), it was also the result of the feminist movement on behalf of rape and domestic violence survivors. Some people also develop PTSD from living through the trauma of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

Incidentally, about 25% of people exposed to severe trauma will also develop substance-related problems, and there are high rates of relapse among women with PTSD in substance abuse treatment upon release (Van Wormer & Davis, 2018).

            With veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder is often the result of something going wrong in the post-war adjustment. Karl Schlotterbeck remarked that “our culture sends young people out to violate our basic moral values and then expects them to return home and adjust perfectly” (personal communication, April 17, 2012). There is insufficient reintegration into society, and often a lack of expressed spiritual values for them to fall back on. Young people returning from war have lost friends in sometimes gruesome ways, and it can be difficult to reconcile the act of war with religious beliefs or spiritual values. It can be difficult to find meaning in the death, destruction, and disregard for human life that is demonstrated in war. It should be noted here that meaning making can be destructive, and that negative meaning can be derived from traumatic experience as well. It is no wonder that so many soldiers return home with post-traumatic stress disorder, often as a direct result of traumatic bereavement. At least 1 in 6 veterans of the war in Iraq returned home with PTSD. Female soldiers, in addition to the trauma of war, sometimes seek help for rape trauma, having been attacked by fellow soldiers: 15%, according to Van Wormer & Davis (2018). Perhaps timely crisis intervention strategies and methods on the part of the armed services could prevent much post-war PTSD, as well as the utilization of integrated treatment specialists for co-occurring conditions such as PTSD and substance use disorder.

            In any event, PTSD is a real outcome of war for many soldiers who have seen combat, people who have witnessed or experienced traumatic events like 9/11, or someone who has been repeatedly exposed to violence or abuse of any kind. Psychospiritual intervention may be very helpful in ameliorating symptoms in this population, with shamanic methods especially recommended for the dissociative reactions, detachment, intrusive dreams, and uncontrollable feelings common to PTSD.

Depression

            Progressive therapists are starting to assert that depression is not a disease, but an indication that something is out of balance in one’s life. Depression may in fact be viewed as an existential crisis, a call to change one’s life circumstances. Depression is well-recognized as a condition that seems to be on the rise and can sometimes become chronic. In fact, James S. Gordon, MD observes that “depression is the defining disorder of our time” and “has become the most disabling of non-fatal conditions in the United States and around the world” (Gordon, 2008, p. 5). Indeed, “the prevalence of depression appears to have increased over the past three decades,” and Sarris, O’Neil, Coulson, Schweitzer, & Berk consider that certain factors of urban living are contributing to this rise, such as sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and chemical pollution, among other things (2014, p. 107).

            While antidepressant medications, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interpersonal therapy are at the forefront of the evidence-based methods of treatment, there is growing evidence that an integrated approach is far more effective and long-lasting, if not curative, for depression (2014). “The time has come for a more integrated approach for depression, and an acknowledgment of the potential applicability of lifestyle modification” (Sarris et al, 2014, p. 120).

            There is some evidence that certain people are vulnerable to depression. If a child experiences insecure attachment, for instance, this may make them less resilient when risk factors (stressors) enter their lives. “Disruptions in early interactions with parents are indeed linked to a greater likelihood of experiencing depression” (Ingram, Atchley, & Segal, 2011, p. 103). That doesn’t mean it’s hopeless, however. Coping skills can be improved with training and effort, as well the development of a secure relationship later in life.

            Depression can also be a complicating factor of post-traumatic stress disorder.

            Current best practices for treatment of depression include antidepressant drugs, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interpersonal therapy. Billions of dollars are spent for medically-prescribed antidepressants each year, which is understandable, as depression is a major cause for sick leave and work disability. And yet, it has been shown that medication isn’t the answer; more often, antidepressant drugs “seem to blunt emotions and to push people toward passivity” (Gordon, 2008, p. 20), rather than getting to the heart of the matter. It should be noted that in many studies, improvement was only partial, not complete, remission. Gordon goes on to say that the “actual benefits of antidepressant drugs are significantly less than is generally believed, and indeed, only slightly greater than placebo” (2008, p. 22). Evidence-based arguments have been made for a combination of antidepressants and cognitive-behavior therapy or interpersonal therapy; however, while cognitive-behavior therapy and interpersonal therapy have been positioned as first-line short-term treatments for depression, there is some criticism that these treatments are no more efficacious than any other therapeutic method (Parker & Fletcher, 2007, p. 352).

            In fact, it is the therapeutic alliance (the relationship between therapist and client) that “is one of the most frequently cited non-specific therapeutic factors contributing to successful psychotherapy” (Parker & Fletcher, 2007, p. 355). It is the feeling of being more than oneself and having a significant connection outside of oneself that is most healing. A shamanic counselor can help the client recognize that s/he is part of a larger whole, and not as alone in the world as Western culture may have led him/her to believe.

(Next time: Making Meaning Through Spirituality)

(Excerpt from “A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice” (graduate paper)
© 2016 – Cindy L. McGinley. All rights reserved. )

References:

American Psychiatric Association, (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

Gordon, J. S. (2008). Unstuck: your guide to the seven-stage journey out of depression. London, England: Penguin Books Ltd.

Ingram, R. E., Atchley, R. A., & Segal, Z. V. (2011). Vulnerability to depression: From cognitive neuroscience to prevention and treatment. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Parker, G. & Fletcher, K. (2007). Treating depression with the evidence-based psychotherapies: A critique of the evidence. ACTA Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2007;115:352-359. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2007.01007.x

Sarris, J., O’Neil, A., Coulson, C. E., Schweitzer, I., & Berk, M. (2014). Lifestyle medicine for depression. MBC Psychiatry 2014, 14: 107. DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-14-107

Van Wormer, K. & Davis, D. R. (2018). Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective (4th edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Part Four: Making Meaning through Spirituality; Shamanism and Shamanic Practice

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A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice – Part 2

(In case you missed Part 1: A Brief Introduction to Existential Crisis )

Common Catalysts of Existential Crisis

Bereavement

            The loss of a loved one is often one of the most personal and difficult events an individual has to face. Losing that loved one traumatically, however, such as by murder, suicide, or accident, can compound the tragedy. Often referred to as complicated bereavement, it comes with additional symptoms and considerations, which can involve acute stress or even post-traumatic stress disorder. The sudden, traumatic end of the relationship often leaves survivors struggling to make meaning from the crisis event. If the survivor fails to find meaning or reconcile the death, this can lead to depression and despair, somatic complaints, and even premature death. Psychospiritual intervention on the part of the therapist can help clients experiencing traumatic bereavement eventually develop meaning from the crisis and, in this way, foster post-traumatic growth and transformation.

            Death of a loved one causes the survivor to have to adjust and develop a new paradigm for a future that suddenly doesn’t include the loved one. “In the wake of stressful events, the individual is confronted with powerful forces of change, and the life, as it was, becomes difficult to maintain” (Bray, 2010).

            Considered in a spiritual framework, “Traumatic events disrupt three metaphysical assumptions relevant to theological discourse: (a) that humans are worthy, (b) that the world is benevolent, and (c) that events in life have meaning” (Stroebe, et al, 2008, p. 328).

Gockel refers to these challenging events as “‘boundary situations’ that take us to the limits of our ability to understand and cope…” (Gockel, 2009).  Certainly the loss of the physical person is difficult to cope with. But there is also a disruption of underlying assumptions about the world and the relationship that can give rise to much of the phenomenon of grief. But of most interest to this discussion are the frequent changes or disruption in spiritual or religious beliefs. Strada-Russo remarks:

“After the death of a loved one, often individuals attempt to find meaning for the death of the loved one, as well as a general meaning for their existence. As a result, bereaved individuals may experience increased conflicts in faith beliefs, an over-reliance on spirituality, experiences of hopelessness and anger at one’s higher power, and a desire to redefine ones relationship with the deceased.” (Strada-Russo, 2006, p. 30)

            Bereavement is a significant stressor, and the stress of unresolved grief can certainly create physical illness. In fact, people who experience loss under traumatic circumstances like suicide, homicide, natural disaster, or accident are among individuals who exhibit intense distress shortly after the death of their loved one.  Psychospiritual crisis intervention for the traumatically bereaved should be a matter of course, in order to prevent long-term psychological imbalance.

Of course, some of the bereavement crisis has to do with the social expectations surrounding death, or the fabric of the world as the bereaved perceives it. For instance, many people (two-thirds of his bereaved clients, according to one practitioner) report having some contact with the deceased in spirit form after the death, and yet this is not something that is discussed openly in most social circles of mainstream American culture. The bereaved can consequently be left feeling like s/he is “going crazy,” unless s/he can make some sense of this phenomenon and have it validated by others. In addition, with the death of a loved one, there is a hole, a kind of energy vacuum, which needs to be filled with something. To do so, it is likely that a new balance needs to be established. “It is suggested that at the fundamental levels of the psyche, individuals are challenged to rebalance themselves in order to relieve intense psychic and physical pain by the integration of this new knowledge and the incorporation of new behaviors, beliefs, and goals” (Bray, 2010).

            From the shamanic perspective, the true cause of illness is a loss of balance. The existential crisis or energetic imbalance created by traumatic bereavement could cause illness in the survivor. Both psychotherapy and shamanic healing can help to restore balance in the client’s life after trauma.

            Bereavement “can be an opportunity for spiritual and existential transformation, if the bereaved accepts and understands the process.” Psychospiritual intervention often leads people to much more than spiritual recovery: often it leads them to “a deeper and more satisfying understanding of place and purpose in the world” (Bray, 2010). From a strengths-based perspective, the ability to create meaning from an otherwise tragic event is certainly a skill to foster.

Next time: post-traumatic stress and depression as catalysts of existential crisis.

(Excerpt from “A Transpersonal Approach to Existential Crisis: Shamanic Methods in Therapeutic Practice” (graduate paper)
© 2016 – Cindy L. McGinley. All rights reserved. )

References:

Bray, Peter. (2010, April). A broader framework for exploring the influence of spiritual experience in the wake of stressful life events: Examining connections between post-traumatic growth and psycho-spiritual transformation. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture, 13(3), 293-308.

Gockel, Annamarie. (2009). Spirituality and the process of healing: A narrative study. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 19:217-230, DOI 10/1080/10508610903143248.

Strada-Russo, Elisabetta Alessandra, PhD. (2006). Spirituality as a protective factor in complicated bereavement (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest. (AAT 3221032)

Stroebe, M.S., R. Hansson, H. Schut, & W. Stroebe, 2008. Handbook of bereavement research and practice: Advances in theory and intervention. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

Part Three: Common Catalysts of Existential Crisis (cont’d): Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression