The Straight Path to Healing: Using Motivational Interviewing to Address Spiritual Bypass

Abstract

Spiritual bypass is the avoidance of underlying emotional issues by focusing solely on spiritual beliefs, practices, and experiences. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client‐centered, compassionate approach to effectively addressing resistance among those who present with spiritual bypass. In this article, the authors provide background information on spiritual bypass and a rationale for adopting an MI approach to working with these clients. A case presentation illustrates 1 example of using MI with spiritual bypass.

The Spiritual Bypass Scale-Brazilian Adaptation: How Religious Affiliation, Age, and Gender Can Predict Levels of Psychological Avoidance and Spiritualizing

“…Within the MI framework, results of assessments are presented tentatively to clients with an emphasis on empowering clients to give voice to their reactions to findings and possible interpretations. In this way, the therapist can best avoid imposing values or belief systems on the clients and better support clients struggling with spiritual bypass to move from resistance to ambivalence and from ambivalence to change (Clarke, Giordano, Cashwell, & Lewis, 2013).…”

“…This is somewhat surprising since experts have argued that clinicians' being conversant with the nuances of spiritual bypass to be vitally important as many people's pursuit of a spiritual path or being religiously committed to both Eastern and Western traditions is a common experiene (Cashwell, et al 2004;Masters, 2010;Welwood, 1984). Moreover, clinicians have attested to the serious problems that spiritual bypass poses for social, psychological, and spiritual health; among the complications it could pose include depression, anxiety, addiction, stagnated emotional maturity or alexithymia, isolation, and spiritual narcissism (Cashwell et al, 2007;Cashwell et al, 2010;Clarke, Giordano, Cashwell, & Lewis, 2013;Welwood, 2000;Whitfield, 2003). Given such postulations and its supposed widespread prevalence, research on spiritual bypass is sorely needed.…”

Entering the Sacred: Using Motivational Interviewing to Address Spirituality in Counseling

“…MI has been conceptually linked to elements of spirituality in counseling, such as spiritual bypass (Clarke, Giordano, Cashwell, & Lewis, 2013), spiritual evocation (Miller, 2004), spiritual aspects of addictions treatment (Delaney, Forcehimes, Campbell, & Smith, 2009), and specific belief systems such as Christian therapy (Martin & Sihn, 2009). Although direct empirical support is scarce, the utility of the approach with regard to topics related to spirituality is clear.…”

Expanding Intake Assessment to Incorporate Spirituality Using Five Functional Tasks

“…The third task of spiritual intake involves assessing for motivations and purposes surrounding spiritual behaviors, which are critical to assessing spiritual bypass (Clarke et al, ). A counselor might ask, “What motivates you to continue practicing your spiritual tradition?” or “What does it mean to you to practice your spiritual tradition?” Moreover, assessing for mindfulness as a present‐moment indicator in relation to spiritual beliefs and behaviors may reveal clients in spiritual bypass (Cashwell et al, ).…”

“…Cashwell, Bentley, and Yarborough (2007) explained, "Spiritual bypass occurs when a person attempts to heal psychological wounds at the spiritual level only and avoids the important (albeit often difficult and painful) work at the other levels, including the cognitive, physical, emotional, and interpersonal" (p. 140). Spiritual bypass threatens clients' ability to flourish by avoiding each additional domain of functioning (Clarke, Giordano, Cashwell, & Lewis, 2013). Clients in spiritual bypass may solely be interested in discussing spiritual matters and problems related to spiritual beliefs and practices (Clarke et al, 2013).…”