PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL THERAPY: THEORY AND PRACTICE

By Joyzy EGUNJOBI

As a psychotherapist and spiritual director who has witnessed the limitations of purely psychological interventions and spiritual direction, I am deeply excited to engage in this project of exploring the potential of this paradigm shift. By integrating spiritual exploration into the therapeutic process, we can empower individuals to connect with their deepest selves, find meaning in their suffering, and access untapped sources of resilience and well-being.
This book provides a comprehensive map for both seasoned psycho-spiritual therapists and those new to the field. It delves into the theoretical underpinnings of psycho-spiritual therapy, offers practical tools and techniques, and showcases the transformative power of this approach through real-life practical experiences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 3, 2024
• ISBN: 9781304645906

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PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL THERAPY

THEORY AND PRACTICE

JOYZY PIUS EGUNJOBI

Lulu Press Incorporation,

627 Davis Drive Suite 300

Morrisville,

NC 27560

United States

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

© Joyzy Pius Egunjobi, 2024

ISBN: 978-1-304-64590-6

Lulu Press Inc.

First Edition:  February 2024

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to:

Very Rev. Fr. Dr. George Ehusani,

Missio Achen,

Aid to Church in Need,

Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Dominic Adeiza,

The Pioneer TOT Group: Fr George Maina, Sr Maria Goretti Shihule, Sr. Lucy Gakere, Rev Dr. Joyzy Pius Egunjobi, Sr Margaret Yusuf, Sr. Mariaogochukwu Manu, Sr. Dr. Okechi Bernardine Njoku, Fr James Shimbala, Sr. Olivia Nakayenze, Fr. Dr. John Baptist Masayi, and Sr. Marilyn Atimango.

All Past and Present Academic and Non-Academic Staff of the Psycho-Spiritual Institute of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation

And

All Alumni, Current, and Future Students of the Psycho-Spiritual Institute of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For the creation of my being, for the treasure, for the talent, for the time, and for the opportunities, I say THANK YOU, LORD.

To my wonderful parents and siblings: Late Chief Emmanuel Olayiwola Egunjobi, Late Chief Mrs Mary Fade’ Egunjobi, Late Joseph Olusegun Egunjobi, Catherine Olufunmilayo Oriajoye, Felix Babatunde Egunjobi and their families, thank you for your continuous prayers and supports.

To my Bishops, Most Rev Dr Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo, and Most Rev Dr Julius Babatunde Adelakun (Emeritus), the priests, religious and laity of Catholic Diocese of Oyo, I appreciate your constant prayers and encouragement.

To the proprietor of the Psycho-Spiritual Institute of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Very Rev Fr. George Omaku Ehusani and all his collaborators, my wonderful colleagues and students at the Psycho-Spiritual Institute, Nairobi, Kenya, Marist International University College, Nairobi, Kenya, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, AOSK ChemChemi, and IHM Psycho-Spiritual Counseling Center, Kenya where I lecture, supervise, and practice psycho-spiritual therapy and counseling among others, thank you for your discussions and shared knowledge.

I am most grateful for the efforts of Sr. Dr. Antoniette Opara and Rev Fr. Peter Ajayi Wojuaye DeoGratias5 for taking time to proofread the work. Thank you very much.

Finally, to all who will read and reflect on the content of this book – I say thank you and Be Blessed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication                                    iii

Acknowledgements                              iv

Table of Contents                              vi

Forewords                                    viii

Chapter One

The Birth of Psycho-Spiritual Therapy            1

Chapter Two

The View of Human Nature                        22

Chapter Three

Psycho-Spiritual Healing                        35

Chapter Four

Psychotherapies, Spirituality and Culture            45

Chapter Five

The Fundamentals of Spiritual Direction            108

Chapter Six

The Spirit of Integration                        142

Chapter Seven

African indigenous Psychotherapy                  163

Chapter Eight

Psycho-Spiritual Therapy – Theoretical Overview      174

Chapter Nine

Distinctiveness of Psycho-Spiritual Therapist      190

Chapter Ten

The Psycho-Spiritual Therapy Process            207

Chapter Eleven

Psycho-Spiritual Skills                        218

Chapter Twelve

Psycho-Spiritual Techniques                        230

Chapter Thirteen

Cultural Bias, Values, and Counselling            286

Chapter Fourteen

Ethical Issues in Psycho-Spiritual Therapy Practice      292

References                                    313

Index                                          338

FOREWORDS

For years, traditional psychotherapy has focused on the psychological aspects of human experience, leaving a vast and potent dimension unexplored: the spiritual. In the process of spiritual direction too, rarely are psychological issues addressed, rather, referrals are made to psychologists or psychotherapists. This book, Psycho-Spiritual Therapy: Theory and Practice, takes a bold step forward, bridging the gap between these two realms and offering a holistic approach to healing and growth.

As a psychotherapist and spiritual director who has witnessed the limitations of purely psychological interventions and spiritual direction, I am deeply excited to engage in this project of exploring the potential of this paradigm shift. By integrating spiritual exploration into the therapeutic process, we can empower individuals to connect with their deepest selves, find meaning in their suffering, and access untapped sources of resilience and well-being.

This book provides a comprehensive map for both seasoned psycho-spiritual therapists and those new to the field. It delves into the theoretical underpinnings of psycho-spiritual therapy, offers practical tools and techniques, and showcases the transformative power of this approach from real-life practical experiences.

Whether you are a psycho-spiritual therapist/ psychotherapist/ counselor seeking to expand your repertoire or an individual searching for a more profound path to healing, Psycho-Spiritual Therapy: Theory and Practice is an invaluable resource. It is an invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery, integration, and spiritual awakening, both for yourself and for those you guide.

This book also presents psycho-spiritual therapy as a theory like any other theories of psychotherapy or spiritual direction. The psycho-spiritual therapy as a theory thus proposed that a person displays maladjustment when there is disintegration in the person total wellbeing. Healing is thus achieved with the person’s personal integration. It is the goal of psycho-spiritual therapist to support the clients to achieve this integration.

If you are a client, you may have been living in two separate worlds: the external world of daily life and the internal world of your deepest questions and longings. Traditional therapy may have helped you to address some of the challenges in the external world, but you are feeling that this therapy is not touching the core of who you are, the part that yearned for something more.

Encountering or engaging in psycho-spiritual therapy may be the path you need to wholeness. In addition to exploring your mental health challenges, you will also be able to freely explore the spiritual dimension of your being. This will allow you to safely examine your beliefs, values, and sense of purpose in life. This exploration is not about pushing any religious agenda, rather, it is about creating a space for authentic inquiry and personal growth.

Through this process, you will discover a reservoir of strength and resilience you may never know you have. You will be able to connect with a sense of meaning and purpose that transcends everyday struggles. In this way psycho-spiritual therapy will become a journey of self-discovery, and a means to overcome life challenges of a biopsychosocio-techno spiritual nature.

This book, Psycho-Spiritual Therapy: Theory and Practice, offers a roadmap for those who are seeking similar answers. It provides insights, tools, and practical guidance for navigating this transformative path. If you are ready to explore the depths of your being and awaken to your fullest potential, this book is your invitation.

Whether you are a psycho-spiritual therapist, a psycho-spiritual therapist in trainee, psychotherapists, student counselor, or a person seeking deeper exploration of your holistic healing, this book is a mind-blowing guide. Enjoy the reading and be blessed.

CHAPTER ONE

THE BIRTH OF PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL THERAPY

Out of the darkness comes the light, and within a disorder is the order. The birth of psycho-spiritual therapy is the emergence of a wellbeing out of wars in the understanding of world disciplines such as philosophy, religion, science, spirituality, medicine, psychology, etc. The different disciplines have viewed and described human beings and behaviors from a fragmented, disunified, and partitioned model of understanding. Yet, they all are describing the same reality from different myopic perspectives. Hence the debates, disagreements, and the inter-wars.

THE INTER-WARS

Francis Collins

It can occasionally seem as though science and religion are at odds because of the objections of a small number of religious organizations against the teaching of scientific ideas like evolution and the Big Bang in public schools, as well as the equally declarations of a few scientists who have personal, anti-religious philosophies (Understanding Science, 2022).

There are a lot of discussions and, in many cases, divisions between spiritual and psychological practitioners. On the one hand, most mainstream psychology rejects anything that science cannot verify and shows little interest in matters of consciousness and spirit. Conversely, Caplan (2011) notes that many modern spiritual traditions see psychology as an indulgent reinforcement of the story of the false self and regard the psyche as an unreal construct. Some Christians scholars believe that there is an irreconcilable gulf separating faith and reason. They believe that one picks up where the other ends (Lisle, 2010). That is, where reason stops, faith begins. Yet, reason and faith combine perfectly to enable us to recognize and love our Creator, and to understand the creatures.

In all these, Tan (2003) contends that because there are risks associated with professionally abusing or misusing spirituality, care should be taken when discussing religion and spirituality in clinical settings. Others go too far and claim that the only people with whom counsellors should discuss religion are clergy and theologians because otherwise, they may be at risk of exceeding their boundaries of professional competence (Stifoss-Hanssen, 1999).

FAITH vs REASONING

Faith and reason have historically been seen as sources of support for religious conviction. The relationship between the two and how the rational agent should handle claims derived from either source has been a topic of great interest to philosophers and theologians because both can ostensibly fulfil the same epistemic function. Some have maintained that faith and reason can (or even must) be in genuine conflict over specific propositions or methodologies, while others have held that there can never be a conflict between the two—that reason properly applied, and faith properly understood will never produce contradictory or competing claims.

Sherry (1996) expressed that someone operating under the epistemology of faith is

able to ignore contradictions, contrary evidence, and logical implications.  Indeed, one test of faith is its capacity to resist the blandishments of rationality; the stronger the rational arguments against a belief, the more faith is needed to adhere to it. (p. 482). 

As against this, she stressed that, secular science and liberal politics, both committed to the primacy of reason, necessarily deny that any truth is incontestable (p. 479). Some believe that faith and reason are in conflict, divided by some unbridgeable chasm. They think that one takes over where the other leaves off.  For where reasoning stops, faith begins.

According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (n.d.), There are two types of religious faith: evidence-insensitive and evidence-sensitive. While the latter sees faith more strictly as an act of the religious believer's own volition, the former sees faith as closely correlated with verifiable truths. The former contains proof gathered from other believers' works and testimonies. Nonetheless, one can maintain a religious belief based only on reason or faith alone. Furthermore, a person can reject God or have no faith at all and yet find comfort in religious practice.

God tells us to reason (Isaiah 1:18). We are to have a good reason for what we believe, and we are to be always ready to share that reason with other people (1 Peter 3:15). Yet, we are supposed to have faith and to trust God and not lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). We live by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

FAITH = blind acceptance of unquestionable propositions (religion) – Hebrews. 11:1

REASONING = careful, skeptical, and critical rational reflection (science) – Cf. John 20:25 – related to the scientific Videre est Credere (seeing is believing).

COMBINED = a reasonable faith and faith justified reason. As Nietzsche (1967) posited, worship the question mark itself as God (p. 156). Both aimed at the Truth. Reason aims at empirical truth; religion aims at divine truths. Thus, no rivalry exists between them.

Pope John Paul II explores the intricate and long-lasting relationship between faith and reason in his 1998 encyclical Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason). He expressed his position by stating that,

Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth-in a word, to know himself-so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women, maya also come to the fulness of truth about themselves (cf. Ex 33:18; Ps 27:8-9; 63:2-3; Jn14:8; 1 Jn 3:2)

In the following ways, he contends that these two facets of the human experience are not antagonistic but rather complimentary and mutually enriching:

1. Harmony rather than conflict: John Paul II disagrees with the idea that reason and faith are inherently at odds. He contends that both are divine gifts and essential resources for comprehending the universe and us. While reason aids in our understanding and expression of those truths, faith opens doors to truths that are not accessible through reason alone.

2. Primacy of Revelation: John Paul II does, however, stress the significance of revelation's primacy—that is, the idea that God reveals himself and his truths to humankind. Thus, accepting these revealed truths is what it means to have faith. Then, to comprehend these facts more fully, reason evaluates and interprets them.

3. Philosophy's Role: He highlights philosophy's function as a guardian angel of faith, essential in elucidating and upholding religious convictions. Philosophical investigation helps us to bolster our faith and make it more compelling.

4. The Human Person: John Paul II emphasizes the human person as the center of faith and reason throughout the entire encyclical. He contends that the roots of both are found in our search for love, truth, and meaning.

5. Difficulties and Solutions: John Paul II recognizes the difficulties caused by modern relativism and secularism, which undercut faith and reason. He suggests resuming the conversation between faith and reason, highlighting each of their distinct contributions to a comprehensive comprehension of reality.

"Fides et Ratio" has greatly influenced Catholic philosophy and theology by promoting interaction with modern intellectual and cultural movements. It has also spurred broader conversations about the interplay between reason and faith, encouraging interaction between various secular and religious viewpoints.

SCIENCE vs RELIGION

There are discussions among academics about whether philosophy and theology are compatible, which follows the discussions about the compatibility of faith and reason. Is this compatibility conducive if they are? Do they present a challenge to one another? Understanding the relationship between philosophy and theology also create discussions between science and religion.

According to De Cruz (2022), the relationship between science and religion has been studied since the 1960s by academics in the fields of philosophy, theology, history, and science. Authors from the late 1980s to the early 2000s developed contextual approaches, including in-depth historical analyses of the relationship between science and religion. Although the early research on science and religion concentrated on methodological issues, contemporary authors embrace contextual approaches to understanding the interaction between science and religion.

After all, science and religion are not eternally unchanging terms with unambiguous meanings. By quick definitions:

Science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentation.

Religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious belief.

Science = natural phenomenon

Religion = natural and supernatural phenomena

Most studies on the relationship between science and religion have focused on science and Christianity, with only a small number of publications devoted to other religious traditions. Relatively few monographs pay attention to the relationship between science and religion in non-Christian milieus (De Cruz 2022)

From a Christian perspective, De Cruz (2022) posited that, God revealed Godself through the Book of Nature, with its orderly laws, and the Book of Scripture, with its historical narratives and accounts of miracles. Augustine (354–430) contended that the book of nature was the more approachable of the two because it could be read by both literate and illiterate people, whereas scripture requires literacy. Scripture and natural law are like two layers of clothing that surround the Incarnated Logos, according to Maximus Confessor (c. 580–662) in his Ambigua where he stated that nature reveals Jesus' humanity, while scripture reveals his divinity.

Several Christian authors have attempted to integrate science and religion. They tend to interpret findings from the sciences, such as evolutionary theory or chaos theory, in a theological light, using established theological models, e.g., classical theism, kenosis, and the doctrine of creation. John Haught argues that the theological view of kenosis (self-emptying) anticipates scientific findings such as evolutionary theory: a self-emptying God (i.e., who limits Godself), who creates a distinct and autonomous world, makes a world with internal self-coherence, with a self-organizing universe as the result. 

Hooykaas also argued that Christianity was instrumental to the development of western science. According to Andrade and Radhakrishnan (2009, p. 247), 

Religious traditions across the world display beliefs in healing through prayer. Prayer has been reported to improve outcomes in human as well as nonhuman species, to have no effect on outcomes, to worsen outcomes and to have retrospective healing effects. For a multitude of reasons, research on the healing effects of prayer is riddled with assumptions, challenges and contradictions that make the subject a scientific and religious minefield. We believe that the research has led nowhere, and that future research, if any, will forever be constrained by the scientific limitations that we outline.

However, in a quote credited to Alfred, Lord Tennyson, More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of and Faith can move mountains (cf. Matthew 21:21).

Meditation is a form of prayer. Meditation results in psychological and biological changes and improves health. According to Levy (2017), it produces a clinically significant reduction in resting as well as ambulatory blood pressure; it reduces heart rate to result in cardiorespiratory synchronization; it alters levels of melatonin and serotonin; it suppresses corticostriatal glutamatergic neurotransmission; it boosts the immune response, it decreases the levels of reactive oxygen species as measured by ultraweak photon emission; it reduces stress and promotes positive mood states; it reduces anxiety and pain and enhances self-esteem; it favorably influences an overall and spiritual quality of life in late-stage disease.

Interestingly, spiritual meditation has been found to be superior to secular meditation and relaxation in terms of decrease in anxiety and improvement in positive mood, spiritual health, spiritual experiences and tolerance to pain (Wachholtz & Pargament, 2005). According to Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) as cited in Guillermo (2010), If a sense of disease produces suffering, and a sense of ease antidotes it, disease is mental. Hence, in Christian Science, the human mind alone suffers, and the divine mind alone heals it.

PSYCHOLOGY VS SPIRITUALITY

At the beginning, there was no reason to separate spirituality from psychology. From William James to G. Stanley Hall, the psyche in Psychology could mean ‘soul’, and logy means ‘study of’. There seemed to be no problem with religious phenomena such as conversion and mysticism. A shift began in the 20th Century especially with religion when psychology started struggling to identify with natural science. Religion was then seen as an impediment to scientific discoveries. Spirituality was seen then as a cause of the problem more than a source of the solution. As Wulff (1997) noted, Only the new social sciences, in concert with the physical and biological sciences, might hope to deliver humankind from the fears and suffering that some say inspired the first prayers and magical incantations.

Is psychology more practical than spirituality?

Nothing is more practical than spirituality. What can the poor psychologist do? He can only relieve the pressure. I’m a psychologist myself, and I practice psychotherapy, and I have this great conflict within me when I have to choose sometimes between psychology and spirituality. I wonder if that makes sense to anybody here. It didn’t make sense to me for many years. (Anthony de Mello as cited by Meurisse, 2015)

To find Anthony de Mello, a Catholic priest, struggling to choose between psychology and spirituality in his practice of psychotherapy attests to what many psychologists or psychotherapists like him may face in a world where people are more and more seeing psychology as incompatible with spirituality. This is simply because some conceive spirituality to belong strictly to the realm of religion.  Yet, modern humans don’t seem to see spirituality from religious perspective that spirituality is seen as personal while religion is a thing of an organized group of people.

Meurisse also narrated his experience to show the difference between religion and spirituality when he stated,

When I was a kid, I went through all the compulsory teaching that devoted Christians have to go through. It lasted 5 years (from 7 to 12). However, I realize now that there was absolutely nothing spiritual in that teaching. In fact, we can say that most religious people are not spiritual people. Why? Because they aren’t trying to find who or what they really are, but they are simply following a set of beliefs dictated by institutions that have distorted the meaning of spirituality over time. Religion turns spirituality or god into a belief, but spirituality is not a belief, it is an experience. Going to the church every Sunday and praying mechanically doesn’t make you more spiritual; direct experience of who you are through profound self-enquiries does. For that reason, I don’t consider myself as a religious person, but rather as a spiritual person.

While one cannot say Meurisse’s experience is right or wrong, it will equally not be true for everyone that their religious experiences have nothing spiritual. The truth is that every religion has its own spirituality which is lived out personally. Hence, in Christianity for example, salvation