____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Subject PSYCHOLOGY

Paper No and Title PAPER No.15. Clinical Psychology

Module No and Title MODULE No.35. Faith-based Treatments

Module Tag PSY_P15_M35

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Learning Outcomes
2. Introduction
3. Religion & Spirituality – the core of all faith based treatments
3.1. Spirit/Religion related to prosocial behaviour
3.2. Spirit/Religion related to positive emotions
3.3. Spirit/Religion related to psychological disorders
3.4. Implications – faith, emotions, behavior & psychotherapy
3.5. Spirit/Religion incorporated to bio psychosocial model
4. Faith based organizations – the concept of west
4.1 Biblical Framework Counseling – applied by FBOs
4.2 Christian Therapy – applied by FBOs
5. Faith based treatments in east
5.1 India – it’s about tradition
5.2 Nepal – it’s about tantra mantra
PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology
MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5.3 Malaysia – the teachings of Islam

5.4 Philippines – focus on spirituality
7. Summary

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Learning Outcomes
After studying this module, you shall be able to

 Know about the meaning of faith & treatment.

 Learn the role of religion & spirituality in faith based treatments.
 Identify the relation between religion/spirituality & psychological disorders.
 Evaluate the Faith Based Organizations & their methods.
 Analyze the traditional faith based treatments of East.

2. Introduction
In United States of America, from 19991 to 2001, various faiths based & community initiatives
along with charitable choice legislation made faith based treatments amenable to federal funds.
Nowadays there has been an increasing amount of debates on whether these treatments based on
religion & spirituality is of any benefit or not. In India the increasing amount of crimes related to
tantarikas & sadhus makes one skeptical of whether to use such methods or not. But there are
indeed several faith based organizations that work with or without the support of government to
treat people in case of both mental & physical disorders. Despite of having a very little
knowledge on the effectiveness of such treatments they are widely being used by many, most of
them either being poor/uneducated or having been attaining a failure in secular treatments.

Faith can be referred to as the belief in the existence, living/non-living object, divine god, idea or
in the dogmas of a religion. Faith can be defined as a hope or assurance for things that have not
happened yet, that are necessarily true but are difficult to define, & are ultimately related to one’s
spiritual growth. According to Buddhism, faith or sraddha refers to a belief in something, a will
to fulfill the basic motives of life & a feeling of intense joy being derived from the first two.
There are 3 jewels which demand faith in Buddhism viz. dharma (doctrines of the Gautama
Buddha), Buddha (awakened person) & sangha (community of the already awakened followers
of Buddhism). In Christianity, faith is based on the doctrines of Jesus Christ, leading to an active
life of learning more & more about god. In Hinduism, faith refers to the belief that every living
creature is a creation of bhagwan (god). Pureness, harmony with atman, conscience, karma,
ahimsa etc. are the attributes that lead one to the closeness with god. However Hinduism is the
only school which relies on the various forms of god – Bramha (the creator of universe), shiva
(highest lord), Vishnu (creator of Bramha) being the highest lords; Lakshmi (wealth), sarasvati
(education), durga (greatest goddess), indra (clouds) etc. being the other forms of lord. In Islam,
faith is being regarded as iman, i.e. a complete surrender to the god’s will, which may involve
one’s profession, values or functions of the body. In Judaism, faith is being referred to as emunah,
but however a more emphasis is being paid on accurate understanding, accurate prognostication,
& actions. In Sikhism, kakaars are being described as the 5 articles of faith – kes (not cut mane),
kangi (wooden comb), kada (iron bangle), kirpan (sword) & kachera (undergarment).

Thus treatment of a particular illness, both physical and mental, using faith as its base involve
these various definitions of god or spirit according to the religious background of the person &
that of the community/organization using it. Here our main focus will be on the use of various

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

exercises, medication etc., based on some form of faith (either

in religion or in one’s spirit), in the treatment of patients with
psychological problems or even severe mental disorders.

3. Religion & Spirituality – the core of all faith based treatments

No matter what is the country or what is the religion, mental health professionals daily encounter
people with religious beliefs or issues. Trying to become more scientific, generally clinical
psychologists & psychiatrists ignore the religious or spiritual aspect of a person, focusing only on
the observable & measurable behaviours or physical ailments. Sigmund Freud viewed religion as
a neurosis of humanity universally obsessive by nature. Being on the path of Freud, today most of
the mental health professionals regard one’s religion & spirituality as something illogical,
traditional & dependent, or even as ‘psychiatry’s last taboo’. Some studies had found that the
common people & people with mental disorders are more religious & striving for spiritual growth
than the mental health professionals dealing with them. In 1990, Fretz & Keating claimed that the
patients of psychological illness are generally more satisfied with the religious or/& spiritual
clinicians than with the non-religious/non-spiritual ones. Faith based treatments are most sought
after by patients with some form of emotional problems. Thus religion & spirituality can even
heal a patient with serious, consistent or even death susceptible diseases. In a newspaper poll in
U.S.A., 75% of people were found saying that a spiritual faith or god intervenes & help people in
dealing with their illnesses & daily problems. In a study that took place from 1994 to 1999,
Conlin found that there was an overwhelming increase of people, from 20% to 78%, who crave
for their spiritual & religious growth. Thus, this sudden flood of evidences of role of religious &
spiritual faith in one’s mental illness, asks for a need to consider these aspects rather than just
ignoring them, during treatment. Ignoring such motives, goals or meanings that are the ultimate
can end a psychologist or psychiatrist at ineffective treatment of psychological disorders.

Spirituality can be defined as a superior relation between a human & his higher being. It is a set
of ideas, values & actions that tends to represent something bigger than the self. Some
philosophers define spirituality as an intense, deep, personal reaction to god which does not
depend on a ritual or ceremony for its expression. Pelletier defined spirituality as the knowledge
of one’s purpose in life & the meaning of one’s existence. Some regard it as a reduced attention
on self leading to deep love which ultimately ends at compassion, humility, empathy & serenity.
While religion can be defined as the values & activities of a religious institution & adherence to
these practices. According to Cnaan, “It is a communal institution with a tenacious complex
system of activities, rituals & beliefs that a certain community of people follows”. National
Centre on Addiction & Substance Abuse define religion as a system of ideas, & values regarding
god, or highest energy, adopted by a society of people, & expressed via certain practices &
rituals. Figure 1. depicts the basic differences between religion & spirituality.

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 1. Difference between religion & spirituality

Source:https://books.google.co.in/books?id=lFsNR3mRPiMC&pg=PA10&dq=faith+based+trea
tment&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Ci-ZVLTGCoWSuASvxoDoBA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=
faith%20based%20treatment&f=false

Although the definition of faith based treatment is not clear & practitioners are more or less
confused about it, but in general ‘faith based treatment’ can be defined as the practices or
activities regarding the treatment of a patient with illness (physical or mental), which incorporate
some form of religious scriptures, devotion to god, rituals, ceremonies and/or encourage patient to
achieve a level of spiritual growth which may also involve meditation or yoga.

3.1 Spirit/religion related to prosocial behaviour

Nowadays, there has been an increasing interest in the behavioural dimension of religion or
spirituality which takes into account the behavioural consequences of a religious/spiritual
commitment by the believer. Various social scientists have drawn their attention towards the
positive correlation between faith & prosocial behaviour & the negative correlation between faith
& health-risky behaviour. Thus one’s faith can be applied usefully, as prosocial behaviour has
been found in earlier studies as related to optimal human functioning & good mental & physical
health. Here prosocial behaviour can be defined as any constructive, pleasing, supportive,
encouraging & affirmative behaviour which aims to be of worth for people & enhance the
practitioner’s level of acceptance & positive relationships. Various scriptures of numerous
religions support & promote prosocial behaviour amongst its followers. Love, kindness, goodness
& forgiveness towards other people are being promoted by The Christian New Testament.
Prosocial practices like charitable behaviours & forgiveness towards the weak are supported by
The Ahadeeth of Islam. Buddhism promotes forbearance & loving-kindness meditation to
develop love & forgiveness for others as well as for oneself, among its practitioners. In 2011,
Slattery & Park reviewed various religions of the world, suggesting that prosocial behaviours like
forgiveness, altruism & ethical behaviours are highly associated with Hinduism & Judaism. Now
let us examine relationship between faith & some of the prosocial behaviours.

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.1.1 Altruism

Many studies conducted around the world shows a weak but consistent relation between the
practice of a religion/spirituality & helping the needy. In 1984, in a survey Gallup reported that
people who were highly spiritually committed were more devoted to serve for the elderly, poor &
needy than those who were highly spiritually uncommitted. Data was collected from around 53
countries by the World Values Survey, to find that the rate of attendance to a religious service
was directly correlated to the rate of volunteering activity in both secular & religious
organizations. In a self report measure which included participants of various religions (Jews,
Christians, Muslims & Buddhists), religious participants were more likely to report as having
various aspects of altruism like benevolence, justice, care, compassion & empathy than the non-
religious participants. There is also evidence that positive spiritual/religious words or phrases &
images tends to increase one’s helping tendencies.

3.1.2 Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be defined as a decrease of negative thinking, feelings & actions of the victim,
towards the offender along with an increase in positive thinking, feelings & actions towards him
(Worthington et. al. 2012). Worthington further divided forgiveness to 2 types – decisional
forgiveness (decisional efforts by the victim to reduce negative emotions, thinking & motivation
towards the offender & to promote the positive ones; & emotional forgiveness (cultivation of
positive emotions towards the offender). In 2002, in a Gallup poll, Winseman found 84% people
agreeing to the statement – “faith led me to forgive people who have had hurt me in past”. In
another study, Wuthnow (2000) reported that people who were the participant of a Bible study or
a prayer group were more likely to forgive others than the non-participant ones. A review of the
past studies by McCullough in 2005, found that amongst various religions of Christian, Jewish &
Muslim a religious/spiritual growth, activity & promise leads to more forgiving nature.

3.1.3 Ethical behaviour

Ten Commandments, developed by Christians & Jews, give an account of moral & ethical rules
that should be followed by a person of faith. In addition to righteousness & sanity it prompts one
to avoid such unethical behaviours of theft, lying & murder. Hood proposed that every religion
has a basic system containing ethical & moral set of behaviours that guide the people following
them & uplifts the standard of world, by preventing such people from harmful behaviours. In
2006, Stack & Kposowa using data from the World Values Survey found an inverse correlation
between faith variables like religious/spiritual bonding, presence in a religious/spiritual activity,
spiritual/religious education, religious/spiritual growth, religious/spiritual comfort,
religious/spiritual strength, religious/spiritual trust etc. & honest, authentic or integrated
behaviour. In 2012, in Handbook of Religion & Health, Koenig reviewed 39 studies that studied
the relation between antisocial, irresponsible & criminal acts; & religious/spiritual faith. He found
that almost all of them reported a decrease in these behaviours with increased faith on one’s
religion or spirit. Many researchers agree to the relation between a spiritual experience & more
caring of oneself & the other people of the society.

3.2 Spirit/Religion related to positive emotions

An increasing amount of researches by various psychologists indicates a direct correlation

between religious/spiritual experiences & positive emotions like sense of well being, quality of
PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology
MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

life, hope, optimism, purpose of life, self esteem etc. Broaden-

and-Build theory of positive emotions suggests that positive
emotions are important in humans life as they tends to broaden a person’s thought-action
response mechanism & strengthen their inner resources (social, physiological & mental). Now let
us examine the relation between faith & these positive emotions.

3.2.1 Well – Being

An individual’s well-being can be viewed as composed of various factors like – feelings of joy,
level of satisfaction with one’s life, oneness, integrated behaviours etc. In the first & second
editions of the Handbook, from 326 studies around 79 percent reports positive correlation
between an individual’s level of well-being & his level of participation in a spiritual or religious
activity.

3.2.2 Hope & Optimism

Many psychologists have defined hope as a feeling, expectation, desire or trust for a particular
thing to happen. While optimism contains a broader aspect with a hope of the success of a
particular thing in future, in a positive way. Till now, various studies have found positive relation
between the religious/spiritual practices & optimistic tendencies. Thus one can say that more
religious/spiritual a person will be, more hopeful he will be.

3.2.3 Meaning of life

In the first & second editions of the Handbook, from 45 studies around 93 percent reported a
positive correlation between spiritual/religious experience & the realization of one’s purpose or
meaning in life. When people face very difficult or indecisive moments in their life, they are most
likely to turn to god or their own inner self. This practice often helps the most of them to find a
definite purpose of their life & behaviours.

3.2.4 Self-Esteem

High self esteem leads to higher level of self confidence & good psychological health. While low
self esteem is associated with depressive & anxiety provoking symptoms. Engaging & believing
in religious or spiritual activities often lead to a higher self esteem among the practitioners.

3.3 Spirit/Religion related to psychological disorders

Several studies are being conducted to explore the relation between religious/spiritual experiences
& psychological disorders. Studies shows that religious & spiritual beliefs lead to positive mental
health – reduced anxiety/depression, reduced feelings of isolation & guilt, increased personal
growth, enhanced treatment effects of psychological disorders, increased life adjustment etc. Thus
health care professionals may recommend their patients to spiritual or religious leaders for
enhanced treatment effects. DSM-IV reports religious or spiritual problems related with various
psychological disorders.

3.3.1 Somatization Disorder

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Somatization disorder can be characterized by repetitive,

multiple physiological grievances that may result in physical
impairment, & seen as an expression of distress. Thus in some of the religions of the world
somatization is viewed as being caused by religious or spiritual distress, leading the patients to
seek spiritual or religious guidance instead of the psychological one. However in most of the
western cultures the concept of individuality, autonomy & self dependence leads to ignorance of
the spiritual/religious aspect & focusing on the psychological aspects.

3.3.2 Substance Abuse Disorder

Alcoholics Anonymous is a twelve step program which aims to involve religious & spiritual
practices in the treatment of substance abuse disorders. Its first step involves ‘energy higher than
we’, while the last step involving a ‘spiritual awakening’. Among the twelve steps, five mentions
god, while the phrase ‘we follow him’ comes twice. This program believes that desire for alcohol
is no more different than the desire of the spiritual integrity with one’s own self. Various
researches have also found addiction as a result of a religious or spiritual crisis.

3.3.3 Psychotic Disorder

Psychotic disorders are found to have spiritual/religious problems in many cases. Like manic
episodes sometimes may have mystical components. Similarly bipolar mood disorder also can
have religious/spiritual problems. A type of delusion known as religious delusion is referred to as
containing religious issues which are not accepted by the society or a group of people practicing
that religion. It can be of 3 types – persecutory (involves a demon), grandiose (involves a
devotional trust) & belittlement (a belief of having done an unforgivable sin).

3.3.4 Major Depressive Disorder

Having religious/spiritual experiences may help a person to reduce the effect of depression
provoking stressors, as reported by some of the studies. Thus a patient with depression may be
recommended by the professionals to get engaged in a religious or spiritual exercise in order to
have a mood rise. However it should be noted that some kind of religious or spiritual beliefs may
result in increased depression in a patient, thus suggesting a careful use of such kind of
techniques.

3.3.5 Dissociative Disorder

Dissociative disorders often are caused due to extreme anxiety or conflict resulting in the
separation of a part of the person’s personality from the other part of his conscious personality.
Here the concept of forgiveness derived from the religious/spiritual beliefs can be successfully
applied, helping the person in confronting & letting go the conflict or anxiety producing thoughts
of the past. This will ultimately help the patient to regain control on his own personality & live
with integrity & stability.

3.3.6 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Religious obsessive compulsive disorder involves obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive

behaviour associated with a religion. In 1998, Lewis proposed that religious practices can be

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

linked with an obsessional trait but not with the obsessional

neurosis. However religious OCD differs from a normal
religious practice in some of the ways like – actions with compulsions ‘surpass the law’, the
individual may not be concerned with the whole religion but only with a particular ritual of it,
facets of the religion other than the obsession-compulsion are ignored & this ritual may involve
some obsessive-compulsive acts (like neatness, checking or repetitive recitation of a mantra).

3.4. Implications – faith, emotions, behavior & psychotherapy

3.4.1 Use of faith induced prosocial behaviour & positive emotions in treatment

A number of studies have proved the efficacy of the use of faith induced prosocial behaviour &
positive emotions in the treatment of various mental disorders. In Buddhism, a type of meditation
known as Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) emphasizes the development of positive emotions
in order to enhance one’s altruistic & compassionate nature. Some studies on LKM have claimed
that it is effective in helping people with pain or mental distress, via production of various
positive affects like optimism, pride, happiness, humility, peace, love etc.), along with enhancing
personal resources like coordination, attention, accepting one’s own self, increased sociability &
connections etc. Meditation can even lead one to personal transformation, destroying the roots of
mental disorder, if any. Researches have shown that prayer can induce forgiving thoughts &
behaviours in individuals, allowing him to successfully face & solve distress producing conflicts.
Faith based interventions are also found to be helpful in reducing prisoner recidivism, crime &
delinquency. Prisoner Fellowship program is one such program which offers its prisoners to study
Bible in groups & provide them with seminars for spiritual growth & aim-planning; having a
significant impact in reducing prisoner recidivism. Inner Change Freedom Initiative is another
Christian based program which aims to enhance the quality of life of prisoners. It consists of 3
phases, the initial ones including community Bible study, GED, life skill training, tutoring,
mentoring, alcohol/drug abuse prevention, engaging in social service & enhancing social &
personal skills. The last phase aims to rehabilitate participants into community helping them to
get job, house etc. Various researches have also found religious/spiritual faith to be effective in
treatment of substance abuse disorders. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a twelve step program
which uses spiritual principals & the power of a Higher energy to treat alcohol/drug abuse.
Mindfulness & Buddhist based therapies can also be used in these kinds of treatments.
Religious/Spiritual faith has also been found to be linked to positive health outcomes. Figure 2.
depicts the western & eastern religious models that support the positive effect of
religious/spiritual beliefs on the overall health of an individual.

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 2. Western & Eastern religious models of causal pathways to physical health.
Source – https://books.google.co.in/books?id=MNPkhszZPUgC&pg=PA572&lpg=PA572&dq
=strategies+for+faith+based+treatment+of+schizophrenia&source=bl&ots=rpkQ9wp2JX&sig
=YfGCIRHZmtjvpzxjy0rqRLTJ1ME&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aJiZVK6-LIK2uQS5uIHICQ&ved
=0CGwQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=strategies%20for%20faith%20based%20treatment%20of
%20schizophrenia&f=false

3.4.2 Use of faith in psychotherapy

Jungian psychoanalysts have focused on the role of religion in mentally disordered patients
saying that there is not a single person whose problems cannot be linked to a religious aspect of
his life. While Freudian & object relation theories of religion have focused on the impact of the
early relation of an individual with the highest power & on the quality of this relation. Rizzuto an

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

object relational psychotherapist suggested that the perception

of god gets developed from the early object relation’s elements.
Common themes that can be incorporated in psychotherapy are having ‘let God down’ or faith on
the ‘disciplinary highest power’. Some other psychotherapists have also claimed the effective use
of positive affects like compassion & forgiveness in treating patients with psychological
disorders. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) seeks to incorporate spiritual aspects of a person
in order to deal with his existential growth. Practices like meditation, prayer etc. are being
emphasized in the therapy focusing on the patient’s religious/spiritual beliefs, while the therapist
keeps his own religious/spiritual beliefs out of the practice. CBT has been found to be effective in
preventing relapse or re-hospitalization. The images of god, patience, forgiveness, serenity etc.
are being emphasized in CBT.

3.5. Spirit/Religion incorporated in bio psychosocial model

In simple terms, bio-psycho social model holds that an individual’s health or illness is the
outcome of the interplay of biological (genes, nutrient), psychological (cognition, affect,
behaviour) & social (culture, environment, religion) aspects. Figure 3. shows a glimpse of the bio
psycho social model with spirit/religion included. With the incorporation of religious/spiritual
aspects the included feature of the bio-psycho social model can be –

 With increased faith on god one’s level of self esteem increases.

 One can now integrate his own self with the environment in a more meaningful way.
 With the enhancement of inner resources one’s effective coping abilities also increases.
 Increased awareness of the self, environment & ultimate reality.
 Patients tend to stick more to the prescription of the doctor as the medicines or practices
prescribed are the gift of god which should not be dishonored.

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 3. Spirit/Religion incorporated in bio psychosocial model

Source - https://ispub.com/IJWH/2/1/9406

4. Faith based organizations – the concept of west

In 2003, AmeriCorps Guidance defined faith based organization (FBO) as – a small group of
believers (church, mosque); a society, program or practices offered by the believers of a religious
community; an unprofitable firm having members claiming their aim, practices or status as
religious; an alliance of various religiously motivated firm. It can be Jewish, Protestant, Catholic
or Islamic organization. FBOs may give a range of social services like settlement in houses, deal
with job issues, youth rehabilitation, treatment for psychological disorders & even spiritual
assistance when needed by the society it deals with.

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.1 Biblical Framework Counseling – applied by FBOs

Biblical Framework Counseling (BFC) is a type of counseling, based on faith on the principles of
Bible, used to treat the root cause of psychological disorders. It is widely used in faith based
organizations. The positive emotions of serenity, love, faith & closeness to the highest power are
enforced & considered to be the result of the integration of heart & conscience, finally leading to
the harmony of mind, body & soul. It holds that humans are composed of 2 components –
material body & brain, & immaterial heart. Thus brain & body are the physical part of humans
while the heart is the spiritual one. The defects in the material part of human lead to disorders, but
the immaterial part is answerable to god & it is indeed its choice that determines the health of the
person. The choices of the individual determines his loving or unloving for things like i) a feeling
of serenity or a feeling of guilt, ii) faith on a judgment or anxiety & terror of a judgment & iii)
more closer to god or more farther to god. It is thus the unloving nature, according to BFC which
leads to distress, anxiety or other psychological problems.

4.2 Christian Therapy – applied by FBOs

Another kind of therapy called Christian therapy is being adopted by various FBOs of the west. It
has been found to be effective in treating PTSD, depressive disorder, substance abuse disorders,
eating disorders etc. It contains following core principles:

 Spirit development – Christian scriptures, bible are used to gain a deeper knowledge of
the individual’s true self, personal identity & level of integration with god.
 Sojourn – a non-conclusive environment is provided where individuals can freely share
their values, beliefs & experiences regarding spirit or religion.
 Awakening – art, music, gardening or other activities are used to go beyond oneself &
link with the god.
 Informal groups – groups are being formed whose members help each other in their
spiritual & emotional development via joint activities.

5. Faith based treatments in east

Most of the eastern countries are still the developing ones, leading to a less developed approach
to psychological disorders, a large number of populations still relying on the treatments via faith
in religious/spiritual affairs. Here we will discuss some of the faith based treatments to
psychological disorders being practiced in eastern countries, India being at the top of it.

5.1 India – it’s about tradition

India is considered to be one of the most religious countries of the world. Even today after the
great advancements in the field of science & illness, a large number of Indian populations still
rely on its traditional healing practices for mental disorders. Charaka enforced the integration of
mind, body & soul classifying the psychological disorders into 3 categories one of them being the
unspecified/exogenous disorders being caused by the anger & punishments of god. Thus the
unspecified/exogenous category of disorders should be treated with chanting mantras, use of
precious stones, promising ceremonies, oblations, offerings, fasting, benedictions, praying to god,
bali, pilgrimage etc. Yoga is another spiritual treatment method that harmonizes various aspects
of a person’s life. Patanjali supports 8 levels of yoga to treat mental illness viz. yam

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

(observation), niyam (control), asan (posture), pranayam (deep

breathing), prathyahar (control on senses), dharna (focusing),
dhyan (meditation), smadhi (enlightenment). Kapoor (1975, 1979) in one of his study claimed
that there are 3 types of traditional healers in India viz. vaid (traditional doctors who use natural
herbs for treatment), mantarvadi (healers who use astrology & spells), & patris (healers acting as
mediums for demons or spirits). Many of these healers practice inside a temple. Here we will
observe such traditional treatments in Indian temples.

5.1.1 Balaji – a temple of healing

The Mehndipur village of Rajasthan has Balaji temple as one of its most visited sites. A temple
dedicated to the god Hanuman. Here most of the help seekers are affected by the ‘spirit illness’ or
sankat or bhut/prêt ki bimari/rog, viewing mental disorders as being caused by the ghosts or
unhappy ancestral spirits. Such help seekers are usually allowed to mix up with the normal
healthy visitors in the daily emotionally arousing ceremonies of the temple, reducing the social
stigma or fear often associated with the psychological disorders. No drugs or physical restraints
are used by the pujaris, but informal talks, warm emotions & refreshing humor was used along
with the prayers & mantras. Healers often use both verbal & non-verbal method of treatment in
family or group structures like counseling, group discussions, home tasks, cognitive structuring
via mantras, amulets ritual activities & home tasks for families. Some of the patients are
recommended for music, singing & dancing to comfort troubled ancestral spirits. Verbalization &
disclosing of conflicts take place in a protective, familiar & warm environment.

5.1.2 Muthuswamy – the temple of south

Velayuthampalayampudur is a village in Tamil Nadu where the Muthuswamy temple resides. It

has been named after a person of the village who was known to cure mental disorders with just a
mere touch of his hands. It does not treat its visitors with any medicine, physical restraints,
ceremonies, rituals or special prayers; but it is the supportive, recognizing, positive, assuring &
engaging environment it provides them with. Only 5 weeks of stay at the temple has been found
to decrease the psychological symptoms up to 20 percent. In temple one of the family members is
also allowed to stay, & the patient is motivated to perform the daily practices of temple like
gardening, praying, cleansing etc.

5.2 Nepal – it’s about tantra mantra

In Nepal around 15 per cent of population suffers from psychological problems. Psychological
disorders are considered to be caused due to possession by god or due to black magic.
Psychologically disordered ones are of bad fortune, isolated, disapproved, shamed, & rejected by
the society. Orthodox healers like tantrics, lamajhankris, herbalists & palm readers plays a crucial
role in treating patients with such disorders.

5.2.1 Tantric healing – the shamans of Asia

Tantric healing or shamanic healing is being practiced traditionally by a large part of Asia;
however Nepal has one of the most developed scientific method & explanation to tantric healing.
Tantric healing is being derived from tantra – the integrating science of awareness & energy &
tantric yoga particularly. According to the tantra psychological disorders can be the result of

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

unhappy spirits that get attached to an individual due to his

own negative feelings of rage, sadness, jealousy or greed.
These unhappy spirits can also be the person’s ancestors. A tantric healer use ‘helper spirits’ of
the spiritual world, to aid him in the treatment of the patient. The helper spirits are of two kinds –
‘devic spirit’ who are serene, loving & selfless but less powerful; & the ‘asuric spirit’ is more
powerful but works only for offerings like meat or alcoholic beverage. These helper spirits at first
place try to understand the unhappy spirit connected to the patient & persuade him to leave the
person. The ‘devic spirits’ help in the process by providing care, sympathy & love to the disease
causing spirit. If unsuccessful, a second approach of providing offerings to the spirit like flower,
fruit or sweets is tried. An animal can also be used as a bigger offering. But if unsuccessful in
both the approaches, the ‘asuric spirit’ is used who forcefully tries to expel the problem causing
spirit out of the life of the patient.

5.3 Malaysia – the teachings of Islam

In Malaysia the focus is on 3 main teachings of Islam – haram i.e. activities which are prohibited,
makruh i.e. activities which are permitted only to a certain extent, & halal i.e. activities which are
accepted. The causes of psychological disorders are – 1) the loss of semangat (soul substance)
making the person weak & conflicted, 2) the presence of angin (wind) in stomach, nerves &
blood vessels that may lead one to hallucination & delusion, & 3) the presence of the Jinn (genie)
where ancestors try to occupy the body of their heirs. Neglecting Islamic values or santau (black
magic) are among the other causes of psychological problems. Bomoh the traditional healers use
3 types of strategies to treat mental disorders – Quran (Islamic scripture), use of herbal &
orthodox medicine, & Ilmu Batin (Malay magic).

5.4 Philippines – focus on spirituality

In the Philippines religion has a strong influence on people & spirituality is used as a major
coping mechanism. Suicide is considered as a sin leading to the lower rates of suicide. Due to a
belief in spirituality, psychosocial interventions often involve the integration of the spirituality
with the psychological practices. Besides, spirits can also be the reason of psychological or
physical diseases.

5. Summary
 Faith can be referred to as the belief in the existence, living/non-living object, divine god,
idea or in the dogmas of a religion. Faith can be defined as a hope or assurance for things
that have not happened yet, that are necessarily true but are difficult to define, & are
ultimately related to one’s spiritual growth.
 Spirituality can be defined as a superior relation between a human & his higher being. It
is a set of ideas, values & actions that tends to represent something bigger than the self.
National Centre on Addiction & Substance Abuse define religion as a system of ideas, &
values regarding god, or highest energy, adopted by a society of people, & expressed via
certain practices & rituals.
 Various scriptures of numerous religions (Hinduism, Judaism, Christian etc.) support &
promote prosocial behaviour amongst its followers.

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 An increasing amount of researches by various

psychologists indicates a direct correlation between
religious/spiritual experiences & positive emotions like sense of well being, quality of
life, hope, optimism, purpose of life, self esteem etc.
 DSM-IV reports religious or spiritual problems related with various psychological
disorders – somatic disorder, psychotic disorders, depression, OCD etc.
 A number of studies have proved the efficacy of the use of faith induced prosocial
behaviour & positive emotions in the treatment of various mental disorders.
 Common themes that can be incorporated in psychotherapy are having ‘let God down’ or
faith on the ‘disciplinary highest power’. Some other psychotherapists have also claimed
the effective use of positive affects like compassion & forgiveness in treating patients
with psychological disorders.
 The bio psycho social model of mental health also incorporates religion & spirituality
leading to a wide array of new features.
 In 2003, AmeriCorps Guidance defined faith based organization (FBO) as – a small
group of believers (church, mosque); a society, program or practices offered by the
believers of a religious community; an unprofitable firm having members claiming their
aim, practices or status as religious; an alliance of various religiously motivated firm.
 Biblical Framework Counseling (BFC) is a type of counseling, based on faith on the
principles of Bible, used to treat the root cause of psychological disorders. It is widely
used in faith based organizations. Another kind of therapy called Christian therapy is
being adopted by various FBOs of the west. It has been found to be effective in treating
PTSD, depressive disorder, substance abuse disorders, eating disorders etc.
 Even today after the great advancements in the field of science & illness, a large number
of Indian populations still rely on its traditional healing practices for mental disorders.
 The Mehndipur village of Rajasthan has Balaji temple as one of its most visited sites. A
temple dedicated to the god Hanuman. Here most of the help seekers are affected by the
‘spirit illness’ or sankat or bhut/prêt ki bimari/rog, viewing mental disorders as being
caused by the ghosts or unhappy ancestral spirits.
 Velayuthampalayampudur is a village in Tamil Nadu where the Muthuswamy temple
resides which provides its visitors with the supportive, recognizing, positive, assuring &
engaging environment.
 In Nepal around 15 per cent of population suffers from psychological problems.
Psychological disorders are considered to be caused due to possession by god or due to
black magic.
 Tantric healing is being derived from tantra – the integrating science of awareness &
energy & tantric yoga particularly. According to the tantra psychological disorders can be
the result of unhappy spirits that get attached to an individual due to his own negative
feelings of rage, sadness, jealousy or greed.
 In Malaysia, the causes of psychological disorders are – 1) the loss of semangat (soul
substance) making the person weak & conflicted, 2) the presence of angin (wind) in
stomach, nerves & blood vessels that may lead one to hallucination & delusion, & 3) the
presence of the Jinn (genie) where ancestors try to occupy the body of their heirs.
 In the Philippines religion has a strong influence on people & spirituality is used as a
major coping mechanism.

PSYCHOLOGY PAPER No. 15. Clinical Psychology

MODULE No. 35. Faith-based Treatments