The Spiritual Side of Shadow Work: Integrating Psychology and Spiritual Growth
Are you feeling called to explore the deeper dimensions on your healing journey? Perhaps you’ve done traditional therapy, but sense that something is missing. If you’re feeling drawn to understand the hidden parts of yourself, your shadow self, from a more spiritual perspective and discover how it relates to your mental health, you’re in the right place.
When we explore our shadows with both psychological understanding and spiritual inquiry, we go beyond the medical model approach to healing, one that often reduces our symptoms to diagnoses and surface-level treatment protocols. This deeper work invites us to look beneath symptom management to uncover the root causes of our mental health struggles, creating space for lasting relief and alignment with our true nature.
Many of our clients find us when looking for therapy that goes beyond a conventional approach to mental health. They sense there's a deep spiritual component to their healing journey, a deeper meaning to their struggles and patterns that traditional psychotherapy alone doesn't fully address. And they’re right!
What is Spiritual Shadow Work?
Your shadow contains all the parts of yourself that you've unconsciously tucked away, and not because these parts are ‘bad,’ or because there's anything wrong with you, but because at some point in your journey, they felt too overwhelming or unsafe to fully experience and integrate.
These might be emotions that felt dangerous to express, aspects of your personality that weren't welcomed in your family system, or deep soul truths that needed to stay hidden until you had the capacity to embody them.
These disowned parts often hold your deepest wisdom, creativity, and authentic nature. Rather than viewing your shadows as problems to fix, you can learn to approach them with curiosity and compassion, understanding that they often hold the very qualities and wisdom you need for your healing and growth. This perspective invites you to see your shadow not as something to fix or overcome, but as an opportunity to heal, grow, and ultimately come back home to yourself.
While conventional shadow work in psychotherapy focuses on uncovering and integrating repressed aspects of the psyche, spiritual shadow work weaves in a deeper dimension. It bridges psychological understanding with spiritual inquiry, inviting you to explore the sacred meaning and purpose within your struggles. Through this lens, even your most challenging patterns can become portals for deep personal and spiritual growth.
At the heart of it all, spiritual shadow work offers an opportunity to align with your soul purpose. As you learn to meet all parts of yourself with presence and love, you create space for healing and growth, as well as conscious evolution, ascension, and true holistic healing and alignment of the mind,body, heart and spirit.
How Does Spiritual Shadow Work Differ from Traditional Psychotherapy?
Traditional psychotherapy often views the shadow through a clinical lens, as something to be identified, processed and integrated. Spiritual shadow work, while honoring these clinical insights, invites you to discover the deeper meaning and purpose of your unique struggles and mental health challenges, creating space for both psychological healing and support for your spiritual awakening.
Here's an overview of how traditional shadow work differs from spiritual shadow work:
Traditional Shadow Work:
Focuses on symptom reduction and behavioral change
Views shadow material through psychological frameworks
Emphasizes personal history and trauma processing
Goals center around functional improvement and integration
Spiritual Shadow Work:
Encourages both psychological healing and spiritual depth work
Views shadow material as containing soul wisdom and the material needed for personal growth
Integrates personal healing with deeper meaning-making
Goals include both psychological integration and spiritual growth
What are the Signs You're Ready for Spiritual Shadow Work?
Wondering if it’s time for deep work? You might be ready for spiritual shadow work if you:
Feel called to understand the deeper meaning of your patterns, relationship dynamics and life path
Experience meaningful synchronicities in your life
Notice recurring themes in your dreams
Feel drawn to spiritual practices but encounter internal resistance
Sense there's more to your healing journey (and your life!) than symptom management
Find yourself questioning the deeper spiritual meaning and purpose of your struggles
How to Begin Spiritual Shadow Work
Stepping into shadow work can be both exciting and nerve wracking. It’s like a trust fall with yourself!
Whether you choose to begin with personal practices or feel called to work with a therapist who can guide you through deeper layers of healing, know that there are many paths to support you on this journey.
If you’re ready to dive in, I recommend setting up a sacred ritual space at home to practice, finding a support system, and then choosing 1-2 practices to fold into your day.
Here are some supportive ways to begin your shadow work journey:
Create Your Sacred Space
Your healing deserves a dedicated ritual space, somewhere that feels inspiring and nurturing for your inner work. This might be:
A quiet corner in your home with comforting objects like a candle, crystal and/or incense
A special chair where you can journal and reflect
An altar with meaningful items that inspire you
Any space that feels peaceful and protected
Build Your Support System
Shadow work can stir deep emotions and insights. Having a support system can help you feel held as you explore. Ways to feels supported:
Consider working with a therapist who understands spiritual shadow work
Share your journey with a trusted friend who can honor your journey
Join a like-minded community of people that are also doing deep work
Stay connected to practices that help you feel grounded
Begin With Self-Reflection
Start slowly and gently, allowing your journey to unfold with ease, not stress. Some ways to support your growth:
Keep a dedicated shadow work journal
Notice patterns that arise in your daily life
Celebrate small insights, mindful moments and aha’s in your life
Trust that each step, and every practice, no matter how small, matters
Remember: There's no ‘right’ way to begin this work. Whether you start with personal practices or chose to work with one of our holistic spiritual therapists, learning to honor your own timing and trust your inner wisdom is all part of the process.
Ready to dive into spiritual shadow with one of our licensed therapists? We’d love to help!
Spiritual Shadow Work Practices
Having a daily practice is foundational for healing, growth and integration. If you are looking to change your life and find deep peace and healing, it’s super helpful to start with a daily practice that you can sustain over time, rather than committing a huge amount of time and then failing to follow through. This is because our brain doesn’t like anything ‘new’ and will often thwart any changes we try to make in our life. Starting small and staying consistent is the way to go. Whether you are working with a therapists or starting out on your own, here are some simple but effective practices you can do to support your shadow work journey.
1. The Shadow Integration Practice
A daily practice for meeting your shadow with awareness
Step 1: Create Sacred Space (5-10 minutes)
Find a quiet moment in your day (consider first thing in the morning, or right before bed)
Light a candle or put on some soothing music
Take three deep breaths to connect with yourself
Set an intention for your practice
Step 2: Gentle Inquiry (10-15 minutes)
Begin with remembering an uncomfortable or triggering situation or pattern you've noticed
Ask yourself:
"What part of me is being activated?"
"What is this part trying to protect?"
"What does this aspect of myself need?"
Step 3: Compassionate Dialogue (5-10 minutes)
Write a letter to this aspect of yourself
Listen for its response
Practice holding space for whatever arises (aka sit and offer yourself curiosity, compassion, and love)
2. The Mindful Witness Practice
A mindful practice for daily integration
Start with just 5 minutes a day:
Notice when you're triggered or reactive
Pause and take a conscious breath
Ask yourself: "What's beneath this reaction?"
Write down any insights that arise
3. Dream Work Practice
Your dreams often offer insights into your shadow aspects.
Here's how to work with them:
Step 1: Dream Capturing (First thing upon waking)
Keep a journal and pen by your bed
Record dreams immediately upon waking, even fragments
Note the feelings and sensations in your body
Include any symbols or recurring themes
Step 2: Dream Exploration (10-15 minutes)
Ask yourself: "If this dream was trying to tell me something, what might it be?"
Notice which elements feel charged or significant
Consider how the dream might relate to your current life situations
Look for patterns across multiple dreams
4. Shadow Work Journal Prompts
Stream of consciousness journaling can help you access unconscious shadow material.
Here are some shadow work journal prompts to get you started:
What parts of myself do I tend to hide from others? What am I afraid they'll see?
When I'm triggered by someone else's behavior, what might this reveal about my own shadow?
What patterns in my life keep repeating? What might they be trying to teach me?
What messages did I receive in childhood about who I needed to be to receive love?
If my inner child could speak freely now, what would they want me to know?
What parts of myself did I learn to hide or suppress to stay safe?
How might my current challenges be inviting me into deeper spiritual growth?
What aspects of my spiritual journey feel uncomfortable or challenging?
Where in my life am I being called to trust my inner wisdom more deeply?
What qualities do I admire in others that I might be denying in myself?
How might my struggles actually be serving my soul's evolution?
What would it look like to fully accept all parts of myself, even the ones I judge?
Integrating Shadow Work into Your Healing Journey
Shadow work isn’t something you just ‘do’ and then move on with your life. It’s a spiritual practice and a lifelong tool you can use as you continue to evolve, grow, learn and integrate.
As you dive into this sacred work you’ll start to notice subtle shifts: your triggers become your teachers, your unconscious patterns reveal deep inner wisdom, and challenges become opportunities for personal development and growth.
While personal practices form the foundation of this work, having professional support from a licensed therapist can help you:
Navigate challenges and blind spots with an experienced guide
Access deeper layers of healing with evidence-based tools and practices
Integrate insights in a sustainable, not overwhelming way
Transform self-sabotaging patterns with greater ease and compassion
Honor both the psychological and spiritual dimensions of your healing journey
Here at The Holistic Counseling Center, we create a unique container for transformation by weaving together:
Evidence-based therapy approaches like IFS therapy and somatic therapy
Depth psychology and spiritual therapy that honors the soul
Holistic modalities like breathwork, meditation, and nervous system regulation tools that address mind, body, heart, and spirit
Ready to Begin Your Spiritual Shadow Work Journey?
Whether you're just beginning to explore your shadow, or seeking support to go deeper, we’re here for you!
Our practitioners are licensed therapists and holistic spiritual coaches who bring together the wisdom of both clinical psychology and spiritual wisdom. We offer a holistic approach to shadow work that integrates:
Deep clinical expertise in psychology and depth work
Spiritual modalities including breathwork, mindfulness, yoga, and meditation
A holistic approach that honors the mind-body-spirit connection
The ability to create sacred, safe space for both psychological and spiritual exploration
If you're feeling called to begin or deepen your shadow work journey with professional support, we’d love to help! Schedule a free consultation call to learn more about how we can help.
References
Abrams, J., & Zweig, C. (1991). Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature. Tarcher.
Jung, C. G. (2014). The Collected Works of C.G. Jung: Complete Digital Edition. Princeton University Press.
Moore, T. (1992). Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life. Harper Perennial.
Myss, C. (2013). Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential. Harmony.
Wilber, K. (2000). Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy. Shambhala.
About the Author
Kim Burris, LMFT is a licensed holistic psychotherapist, founder of The Holistic Counseling Center, and author of ‘The First 90 Days After Birth.’
She honors the mind, body, spirit connection and offers evidence-based psychotherapy with a heart centered approach that helps people find relief from anxiety and self-sabotage so they can live life with more joy, freedom and ease.
Kim and her team currently offer holistic counseling to individuals in California. Click HERE to book a no-cost consultation call.