Bridging the Sacred and the Clinical: Offering Compassionate Care During Spiritual Awakenings

Awakening to Spirit

By Adriana Castro-Convers, PhD

There was a time in my life—not so long ago—when I found myself wondering if I was losing my mind.

I had visions. I received whispers from ancestors I never met in the flesh. Symbols arrived in dreams, waking hours felt unsteady, and long-held religious frameworks began to dissolve. Everything I thought I knew about my spiritual life suddenly felt porous, wild, and deeply alive.

I was, by all accounts, in the midst of a spiritual awakening.

But I was also a licensed psychologist with over two decades of clinical experience. And this… this wasn’t in any textbook.

Defining Spiritual Awakenings (And Why They're Showing Up More Often)

Spiritual awakenings—sometimes referred to as ascension, kundalini rising, or even dark nights of the soul—have been documented across cultures and spiritual traditions for centuries. They often begin with a crisis: illness, heartbreak, burnout, grief, or an inexplicable pull toward the unknown.

During an awakening, one may experience:

• Heightened sensitivity to people, environments, or energy

• Vivid dreams, intuitive “downloads,” or ancestral visitations

• A collapse of previously held beliefs, sometimes accompanied by existential fear

• Periods of emotional intensity, deep grief, or profound connection to a Higher Source

  
  

While these experiences can feel destabilizing, they are often transformational. They initiate a reorganization of identity and meaning.

And they are becoming more common. As collective systems fracture and more people turn inward, many are waking up—only to find that the support systems available to them don’t understand what they’re going through.

Who Holds Space for the Spiritually Awakened?

Despite the prevalence of these experiences, few clinicians are trained to recognize or ethically support clients through them.

Some may pathologize them as psychosis. Others may avoid them entirely, fearing they’ll step outside the scope of clinical practice. Meanwhile, spiritual leaders or healers may offer insight, but not necessarily the containment needed for trauma-informed care.

This leaves the awakened individual caught in the middle: ungrounded, often scared, and without clear support.

It begs the question: As mental health professionals, what is our role when clients begin to awaken?

Ethics and Orientation: How Do We Show Up?

The ethical mandate in our profession is to do no harm, to support our clients’ growth, and to honor their worldview. But when a client begins to speak about visions, intuitive gifts, or metaphysical insights, we’re faced with a unique challenge: how to remain grounded in evidence-based care while honoring experiences that defy clinical categorization.

I’ve found that approaching these moments with a Rogerian stance—rooted in empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity—can be the bridge. A humanistic perspective allows us to honor the meaning the client is making, rather than labeling the content itself as “real” or “not real.”

At the same time, we must be discerning.

Is a Spiritual Awakening Psychosis?

Not necessarily. But it can look similar.

Spiritual awakenings and psychosis both involve:

• Altered perceptions of reality

• Hearing or seeing things others may not

• Shifts in self-concept or identity

The difference often lies in insight, functioning, and integration:

• Can the individual reflect on their experiences?

• Are they a danger to themselves or others?

• Are their basic life functions—eating, sleeping, maintaining relationships—intact?

• Are they grounded enough to explore what’s happening?

When in doubt, clinical supervision and consultation are essential. And when spiritual experience seems to cross into psychotic disorder or mania, referral for psychiatric evaluation may be necessary.

But let’s be clear: not all altered states are disordered. Some are sacred. Some are invitations. The work is in discerning—and in supporting clients through the integration process, not suppressing the awakening itself.

Knowing When to Refer (and to Whom)

In cases where the client is stable and seeking deeper understanding of their spiritual journey, we can:

• Refer to trusted spiritual leaders, clergy, shamans, or curanderas who practice ethically

• Collaborate with energy workers or Reiki practitioners trained in trauma sensitivity

• Offer referrals to integrative or spiritually-informed therapists when appropriate

And sometimes, we’re called to be that bridge ourselves.

That’s where my own story comes in...

When the Therapist Awakens

When my own spiritual awakening began, I questioned everything—including my right to continue practicing. I considered walking away from the profession altogether.

But Spirit whispered otherwise.

I realized that part of my purpose was to help others through this very terrain. To normalize the unknown, to offer containment for mystical experiences, and to allow clients to choose the kind of work they wanted to do with me.

So I began to integrate.

I sought out additional training:

• A certification in Spiritual Guidance

• Reiki Practitioner certification

• Trauma-focused education on altered states and somatic integration

I created a framework that allows clients to choose between:

• Traditional therapy, rooted in relational and cognitive-behavioral theory

• Or integrative spiritual work, which may involve energy healing, intuitive guidance, Tarot, or ancestral connection

Both are offered ethically, clearly, and by consent.

Writing as Release: From Shame to Sovereignty

For a long time, I feared the judgment of my peers. Would I be seen as “too woo”? Would I lose credibility for integrating Tarot into trauma healing, or speaking openly about ancestral visitation?

But hiding behind shame only reinforced the silence that wounded me in the first place.

So I began to write. First in journals. Then blog posts. Then chapters of a book. I allowed myself to be seen. Not as someone with all the answers—but as someone willing to walk with others through the sacred unknown.

I think of the Moon card in Tarot—the realm of uncertainty, illusion, and buried truths. I used to live there, afraid of being exposed. Now, I try to embody the Queen of Cups—intuitive, grounded, emotionally wise, and unafraid to sit with the unseen.

Final Reflections: An Invitation to the Profession

If you're a clinician reading this, I invite you to ask:

• What beliefs do I hold about spiritual experiences?

• Where am I confident—and where am I scared?

• What resources or supervision might help me hold this work with more integrity?

  
  

And if you're someone in the midst of a spiritual awakening:

• You are not alone.

• You are not broken.

• You are not “crazy.”

  
  

You are being invited into a deeper relationship with yourself. And yes—it can be overwhelming. But it can also be a profound path to healing, meaning, and connection.

We need a new language for healing. One that includes the mystical and the clinical. The spirit and the psyche. The unseen and the deeply felt.

I’m learning to speak that language. And I invite others to learn alongside me!

If you're a clinician looking to integrate spiritual care into your practice, or someone navigating your own awakening, I offer ethical, heart-centered support. Learn more about my services, by visiting my page: https://www.castro-converscounseling.com/