Some folks think attending a religious service (like confessing your sins and burdens to a priest) is similar to therapy. After all, they both are designed to help you come to terms with what is most essential in life. But while these two activities might sound similar in theory, what they offer people is very different.
There is a unique nexus between religion and psychology because both help you expand your quality of life, one way or another. Therapy encourages you to explore your feelings and, at its best, helps guide you to your core needs. The most astute religious leaders will encourage you to remain curious — about life, about the world, about the universe itself. This humble curiosity, this drive for mystery, and the questions you ask can help you look at the world in a new and different light.
For a religious teacher, leading their congregation toward loving their brothers and sisters is also a part of their vocation. As Robert explores in this episode of The Missing Conversation, mindfulness, compassion, and generosity are critical teachings in almost every religion in the world. The other side of the coin, therapy, can help people come to terms with their emotions and feelings by unpacking their emotional and behavior patterns to act as a guide to find their needs.
This, in turn, will help individuals reconnect with the world at large, and for some, this might be the motivation needed to expand how we contribute to society in a much broader sense. Both therapy and religion put together can help a person holistically improve themselves, allowing them to develop a deeper connection — with themselves and the world around them.
In his practice, Robert combines inquiry, tone of voice, and awareness of specific essential needs to learn the art of personal development for an individual's heart and wisdom, and helps the individual stay true to their authentic beliefs.
Read the transcription and listen to this episode on The Global Bridge Foundation website.
