Anxiety, depression, and other conditions that are labeled as psychiatric disorders often accompany a loss in the belief that life has meaning. When we continue along this line of thinking, things often get worse before they get better. It's also a bad cliché which it often true.

Part of the healing process in therapy involves being open to a continually changing view of the world and how we fit in it. People often discover things about themselves that they don't like during therapy. Because you talk about things which have hurt you, it is common for wounds to be opened up in the therapy process. This is part of the healing, but it hurts at first. Bringing up painful events in therapy often brings the pain with it, but it also provides the opportunity for healing.

The Dark Night of the Soul has become a prominent theme in many of the contemplative approaches to spirituality. It comes from the writings of St. John of the Cross, who originally wrote the essay titled The Dark Night of the Soul. The story is often greatly misunderstood and many believe that the "dark night" is any difficult spiritual period. In actuality, St. John was talking about something completely different.

According to the story, the dark night is a normal period which occurs during a person's spiritual journey. It's a period which tends to associated with growth, although it may not feel like it. I've heard it compared to passing through the eye of a needle. Many people fear that they are losing themselves at this point and they attempt to escape from the feeling. Therapy can help with support and encouragement to embrace this period as a natural part of spiritual growth.

The process of deep work in therapy may initiate a dark night experience. If this occurs, it could easily be misinterpreted as therapy having a negative impact on spirituality or faith. Most, if not all, major world religions emphasize that growth is associated with some degree of suffering. Unfortunately, our culture today has forgotten this important piece of wisdom and we do everything we can to find pleasure and thwart pain. While we don't want to intentionally cause pain and suffering in therapy, or any other venue for that matter, it is a part of the human experience.

It's important is to keep in mind that growth and working through spiritual wounds is not always comfortable. Expecting the process to be easy often leads to disappointment and discouragement. Keep in mind that growth often comes with complications, and that persevering when things become difficult can yield remarkable results along with feelings of pure joy.

References
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