Faith & Spirituality

Whether you have a religious affiliation or not, your faith identity belongs in the therapy room. For some individuals, “faith” may refer to religion (i.e. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism) whereas “spirituality” might refer to one’s personal relationship with God and/or others. In my own identity as an Orthodox Christian, faith and spirituality are interconnected, not necessarily separate concepts.

You tell me! During our first few sessions, I’ll initiate a conversation for us to discuss your present experience, personal history, or challenges specific to your faith as well as how your faith relates to your therapy goals. How much or how little we talk about faith each week will depend on your preferences and goals.

With my Christian clients, I may reference scripture or quotes to support your therapeutic processing during session. We’ll also explore your personal relationship with God (whatever the current state of that relationship might be).

With my clients of different faith identities, I’ll support you in exploring your personal experience of God and hold a respectful space for you to identify texts or practices that may support your goals.

Your continued self-reflection between sessions will ensure that your healing journey continues beyond our therapy session. For Christian clients, I may offer a passage of scripture as a starting point. For all clients, I encourage you to take your therapeutic processing back to God through the context of your existing faith practices (i.e. prayer, study, meditation). I won’t tell you how to do this—I’ll leave that decision to you, but I will bring your attention to these opportunities for you to continue working between appointments.

You can also trust that I engage in ongoing research between sessions for all my clients. This includes learning more about different faiths, studying and being mentored in my own faith, and consulting with other experts. I also offer all my clients the option to consult with your spiritual guide (see below).

Absolutely! All I need from you is signed consent that gives me legal permission to disclose your confidential information (i.e. your participation and progress in therapy) to your spiritual guide for the purposes of coordinating your ongoing care. We can discuss this form in more detail after we get started working together.

Typically, consultations will be a 20-minute phone call that occurs every 2-3 months. That frequency can be adjusted based on individual needs. My goal in consultation is to coordinate my role in your life (caring for your mental health through the lens of clinical practice) with your spiritual guide’s role in your life (caring for your soul through the lens of theology).

There’s no shame in that. Your authenticity about this struggle will lead to a better experience in therapy. My role is to provide you with relational support in exploring your faith wherever it might be—no judgment, no expectations. Whether you’re feeling distant from God, angry at God, or that God has abandoned you, we will walk through that confusing space at your own pace, together.

Welcome! I enjoy working with diverse clients and would be happy to work with you. While I may not have first-hand knowledge of your faith, I am familiar with some of the basic tenets of other religions, especially those that are prevalent in South Asian cultures. I do my best to research between sessions because I don’t want you to feel burdened to explain your cultural/religious norms to me during your therapy session.

I would be willing to consult with your spiritual guide/faith leader at your request (see previous). I have also participated in Safa Institute’s Cultural Responsiveness Training to enhance my competency in working with Muslim clients in therapy.

No worries! This is not a requirement for working with me in therapy. I’ve found that most of my non-religious clients have some degree of personal history with exploring the idea of God at some point in their life. If you were formerly religious or raised religious, I may ask you about life experiences with your faith or current beliefs about the existence of God so I can understand your story.

You can also trust that I’m not here to convert you. Whether you’re casually curious about God or if you identify as an atheist, I’d love to work with you according to your preferences.