Spiritual Bypassing and Psychotherapy

Spiritual bypassing (Welwood, 1984) refers to the use of spirituality to avoid dealing with psychological factors important to psychological wellbeing. The phenomenon was known to psychotherapists who observed people using their religiosity or spirituality to avoid doing the hard work needed to deal with their mental health issues. Research (Fox et Al., 217) suggests two dimensions: psychological avoidance of issues and over spiritualizing experience (Sutton, 20023, September, 4).

The construct was operationally defined by Fox and others (2017) in the Spiritual Bypass Scale. Two factors appear to represent the construct: One is Psychological Avoidance and the other is Spiritualizing.

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A spiritual bypass is analogous to a drug that temporarily reduces distress without offering a long-lasting cure.

A spiritual bypass may be evident in sayings that distract a patient from their symptoms or getting the treatment they need.

A few examples:

"When God closes a door, He opens a window."

"All things happen for a reason."

"God doesn't give you more than you can handle."

"God will protect you."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

"God has you in the palm of his hand."

"I'll pray about it."

"God works in mysterious ways."

Although some find the foregoing sayings comforting, the expressions may interfere with health or mental health if they are used to avoid treatment or end treatment too soon. Thus the examples are not about a particular saying or belief, but rather cues to think about any spiritual message that is a barrier to improved functioning.

Hypothesis: Patients prone to using a spiritual bypass may benefit from faith-based counseling or pastoral counseling.

Related post

See the Spiritual Bypass Scale

Spiritual Bypass Scale-13

Post Author

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. His website is https://suttong.com You can find Dr. Sutton's books on AMAZON and GOOGLE. Many publications are free to download at ResearchGate and Academia

Fox, J., Cashwell, C. S., & Picciotto, G. (2017). The opiate of the masses: Measuring spiritual bypass and its relationship to spirituality, religion, mindfulness, psychological distress, and personality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 4(4), 274-287. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/scp0000141

Sutton, G. W. (2023, September 4). Spiritual bypassing and psychotherapy. PSYCHOLOGY Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2023/09/spiritual-bypassing-and-psychotherapy.html

Welwood, J. (1984). Principles of inner work: Psychological and spiritual. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 16, 63–73.

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

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