by L. Merlino

Created on: December 14, 2009   Last Updated: December 19, 2009

It is not the nature of mainstream psychiatry to focus on the spiritual, yet it can't afford to do otherwise. While not all patients are consciously and intentionally spiritual, an overview of their conditions will often reveal a spiritual cause - if the healer in question has eyes to see.

When it comes to mental health care, the very definitions of "psychiatrist" and "psychologist" come into play. Both have their root in the Greek word "psyche" which is another word for "soul" ... you can't separate soul from spirit. You can't be a healer of souls if you don't have a grasp on "spirit". I would say that this is true of all forms of medicine whether they be that of mental or physical health, as the condition of the body always reflects the condition of mind to some extent.

Unfortunately, the medical profession allows for both "healers" and "doctors" and they are NOT created equal. A "healer" seeks to make one "whole" (again, a reference to word etymology), while by contrast, a "doctor" tinkers with a set of symptoms and reputed cures to effect a change (often with dreadful side effects). It's like putting a Band-aid on a festering wound that needs to breathe - wholeness, or healing is not achieved that way. When one set of symptoms is subdued, a whole other set crops up. The spirit of the matter simply won't be denied.

Spirit is "essence" ... it is also likened to "energy" or "pneumo" another Greek word that means "breath." No breath, no life. In the realm of mind, the concept of being integrated with "life" is all important. What is mental illness but a significant gap one experiences between consciousness-of-being and life itself? Perhaps I've oversimplified, but usually people are referred to or seek out a psychiatrist due to a struggle to match their inner world with the demands of life in the outer world. Yes, religious or not - we all have an inner world - the world of mind, of thoughts - or as many would say: the world of spirit.

A true healer in any of the medical professions would be one who can tap into that life-force on behalf of the patient - a bridge of sorts between mind and perceived physical circumstances. The psychiatrist or psychologist without eyes to see had better mind the biblical proverb "Doctor, heal thyself." Again, one does not have to be religious at all to see the wisdom of this simple yet powerful concept. Nor does one need to be perfect to help bring another to wholeness. Mighty works, such as healing the infirm, do not usually flourish in an environment of unbelief. Belief is a matter of the mind more than the administering of routine therapy as if the patient's wellness depended on that alone.

Most often, the road to any form of healing is embarked upon when one is connected with those who truly believe in the essence of the person seeking to be healed. This is the realm of spirit. The best thing any doctor can do - in any branch of medicine - is to honor and implement that fact, and then to watch the miracle or essence of true healing unfold.

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