Spirituality in Therapy: Exploring Meaning, Connection, and Healing

You may have noticed that the word spirituality can bring up mixed reactions. For some, it feels deeply grounding or meaningful. For others, it feels vague, uncomfortable, or tangled up with religious experiences they no longer identify with. Many people aren’t quite sure what it means for them, or whether it belongs in therapy at all. And yet, many of the questions people bring into therapy touch on something deeper than symptom relief alone. Questions like “Why do I feel so disconnected?”, “What’s missing?”, or “How do I make sense of this stage of my life?”, often point toward a longing for understanding yourself, your relationships, and what gives your life meaning.

What Spirituality Means in Therapy (And What It Doesn’t)

In psychotherapy, spirituality does not mean religion, belief systems, or subscribing to any particular worldview. Instead, it refers to how you experience connection, meaning, and what matters most in your life. This might show up as a sense of connection to nature, relationships, creativity, community, or something larger than yourself. It can also include your values, intuition, or an inner sense of grounding and direction.

Many people are surprised to learn that spirituality is increasingly understood as a natural part of being human. Research suggests that humans are wired for this kind of meaning-making and connection. In “The Awakened Brain” Psychologist and researcher Dr. Lisa Miller describes spirituality as “a capacity linked with resilience, lower rates of depression, and a greater ability to cope with stress and adversity”.

From this perspective, spirituality isn’t something extra that needs to be added into counselling sessions. For many people, it’s already there, even if it hasn’t had words, space, or permission to be explored.

The Role of Spirituality in Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

Most people don’t come to therapy planning to talk about spirituality. Instead, it often shows up quietly and indirectly. You might notice it in moments of grief, burnout, or transition, or when familiar coping strategies stop working. It can emerge in a sense of emptiness, restlessness, or disconnection, even when things look “fine” on the outside.

In counselling sessions, these moments often arise during reflection, emotional depth, or uncertainty. Rather than rushing to explain them away or fix them, therapists can offer space to stay with the experience and explore what it might be pointing toward. Often, these experiences relate to unmet needs for connection, belonging, or meaning.

When this dimension of experience is welcomed gently and without pressure, many clients describe a sense of relief. They feel more seen, less alone, and less as though something is “wrong” with them for asking these kinds of questions.

What Is Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy?

Spiritually integrated psychotherapy simply means that your therapist is open to exploring spirituality, if and when it feels relevant to you. It does not involve introducing spiritual ideas where they are not wanted, and it does not assume any shared beliefs between therapist and client.

Instead, your therapist follows your lead. If questions of meaning, values, or spirituality feel important to you, therapy can make room for them in a way that feels respectful and grounded. If they don’t, therapy stays focused on what feels most supportive and useful for you. This approach fits naturally within relational and non-pathologizing therapeutic approaches. It views distress as a meaningful response to life circumstances rather than a personal failure, and it recognizes that healing often involves reconnecting with what matters most to you.

By acknowledging spirituality as one possible dimension of wellbeing, therapy can support you as a whole person. Spiritually integrated psychotherapy does not replace evidence-based practice. It complements it, offering space for depth, meaning, and connection alongside practical therapeutic work. If this resonates, you’re welcome to book a virtual or in-person consultation session with me in Toronto to explore these themes at your own pace, in a grounded and supportive space.