Health & Healing
Spiritual Practices
Spiritual practices can support mental health by helping people connect with meaning, values, and a sense of something larger than themselves. These practices may be religious, non-religious, or deeply personal. Participation is always optional, self-directed, and meant to align with an individual’s beliefs, background, and comfort level.
For some people, spiritual practices are central to their identity and worldview. For others, they are occasional supports during times of stress, loss, or transition. There is no single way to engage with spirituality, and there is no requirement to adopt beliefs or traditions in order to benefit from meaning-based practices.
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What Makes a Practice “Spiritual”?
Spiritual practices tend to focus on meaning, purpose, connection, and values, rather than on symptom management or cognitive skills alone. They may involve questions such as:
- What matters most to me?
- How do I make sense of suffering or change?
- What gives me a sense of hope, grounding, or direction?
Unlike reflective practices, which center on self-understanding and insight, spiritual practices often orient the individual toward something beyond the self– whether that is a faith tradition, a moral framework, nature, humanity, or a sense of the sacred.
How Spiritual Practices Can Support Mental Health
For many people, spiritual practices provide:
- Comfort during distress or grief
- A sense of continuity or stability during life changes
- Hope and meaning when circumstances feel overwhelming
- Moral or values-based grounding
- A sense of belonging or connection, whether personal or communal
Research and clinical experience suggest that meaning-making and values alignment can play an important role in resilience, especially during prolonged stress, illness, or uncertainty.
Examples of Spiritual Practices
Spiritual practices take many forms and may include:
- Prayer or spoken intention
- Contemplation or sacred reading
- Rituals connected to personal or cultural traditions
- Faith-based meditation or chanting
- Gratitude or forgiveness practices rooted in belief systems
- Movement-based practices with spiritual meaning
- Community or congregational participation
These practices may be quiet or expressive, solitary or communal, structured or flexible. What matters most is that they feel meaningful and supportive to the individual.
Choice, Consent, and Personal Fit
Engaging in spiritual practices should always be a choice. Not all spiritual experiences are positive, and some people may have complicated or painful histories with religion or belief systems. If a practice brings discomfort, distress, or conflict, it is appropriate to pause, adapt, or choose a different approach.
Integrating Spiritual Practices Into a Broader Healing Approach
You can explore spiritual practices at your own pace. Spiritual practices often work best when integrated with other supports, such as reflective practices, mindfulness, therapy, healthy routines, and social connection. Healing is rarely one-dimensional, and different approaches may be helpful at different times.
Spirituality & Mental Health
This video features two integrative psychiatrists discussing spirituality and how spiritual beliefs and practices can enhance webeing.
Learn More
- Related, But Not Exactly the Same: Meditation, Mindfulness, Breathing Spiritual Practices, & Grounding Exercises