Psychotherapy cannot take the place of spirituality, nor can spirituality take the place of psychotherapy. They are two distinct paths to personal growth. And each contributes something unique to a person’s quest to become fully alive.

People who have emotional problems often try to heal themselves through spirituality. I have seen this too many times to count. These efforts often fail, because the tools needed to heal the soul, do not always work to heal the psyche. Emotional healing and growth, as I have tried to demonstrate, is in a special way, the realm of psychotherapy. It can also be found in the world of spirituality, but not always. In fact, emotional pain is sometimes masked by one’s involvement in spirituality. At worst, spirituality becomes a refuge where a person tries to escape from deep emotional problems and pain. A person can be very spiritual in his or her actions and still carry tremendous emotional pain inside. Ultimately, those who wish to reach their full spiritual potential and experience the joy of feeling fully alive may need psychotherapy to help them heal and permanently resolve their emotional problems. In this context, psychotherapy becomes a beautiful partner to spiritual growth.