Spiritual Distress

For many people, their spiritual beliefs and religious practices are significant coping resources in dealing with loss.  At the same time, severe life stressors, such as the loss of a treasured loved one, can severely challenge a person’s faith, both in terms of their relationship with God or the universe, and with their spiritual community. 

Both my research and clinical work with patients has shown me that the spiritual distress that some individuals experience during bereavement is not only very real but also can be intense, uncomfortable, and overwhelming as they search and seek to make spiritual sense of their loss.  My comfort level in exploring spiritual issues with my patients, no matter their faith tradition, means that I have had substantial success in helping many of them find their way back to a place of spiritual stability.