Experience, Not Opinions: Utilizing Archetypes in BH Spiritual Care Support Groups Instead of Religious-Specific Topics

Effective spiritual care support groups thrive on participants connecting through shared human experiences of struggle and crisis, rather than diverging into personal opinions. Myths and parables, rich with universal archetypes, offer a powerful means for individuals to contextualize their personal struggles within a broader narrative, gaining new perspective and meaning. These meta-narratives provide a framework for understanding the profound emotional and existential challenges individuals face, allowing for a collective exploration of human vulnerability and resilience. By tapping into these universal patterns of human experience, spiritual care providers can facilitate a more profound and empathetic connection among group members.

Consider the common archetype of a journey with unexpected obstacles, leading to feelings of being lost, stuck, helpless and disoriented. This theme resonates deeply with spiritual care group participants and fosters empathy (as highlighted in my previous blog "4 Spiritual Themes for BH") because it gives the support groups participants the opportunity to hear others share stories of how they have navigated similar challenges. The initial sense of isolation that participants experience in their mental health struggle transforms into a powerful realization from "No one understands the journey I’m going through” to “through our shared communal reflection on this spiritual theme, now I see we're on this journey together and can support each other." This shared understanding cultivates a sense of peace, safety, connection, and hope, enabling participants to listen to each other's stories with empathy. Thus, the journey archetype offers a powerful metaphor for life's unpredictable twists and turns, allowing individuals to see their current struggles not as isolated events, but as integral parts of a larger, shared human narrative that life’s journey is rarely (or never) a straight line, and that getting stuck and disoriented is a part of the human condition. This recognition can be incredibly liberating, shifting the focus from isolated, subjective individual experience to universal human experience.

However, some spiritual care curriculums err by allowing participating patients to dictate topics, sometimes leading to theological opinion discussions, such as "Is suicide a sin?" While such a question might be important to the person bringing it up, such discussions are often counterproductive in a support group setting. They can quickly devolve into opinion-based discussions and arguments, which are not the purpose of spiritual care support groups. The goal of spiritual care support groups is to foster connection and provide support through shared experience, not to engage in theological disputes. When a group veers into personal theological interpretations and opinions, it often creates divisions rather than connection, potentially alienating members with differing beliefs and undermining the very foundation of empathetic support.

As a chaplain, I would argue that such theological or religious belief-specific questions are better addressed in one-on-one chaplain visits and conversations. A one-on-one visit with a patient allows chaplains to explore the underlying existential distress prompting the question, and to offer "theo-empathy." If/when called for, chaplains can then provide alternative theological frameworks that provide spiritual nourishment, agency, and freedom, ultimately helping patients move towards flourishing and thriving. In a private visit, chaplains can delve into the nuances of an individual's spiritual worldview, offering tailored guidance and support that is sensitive to their unique needs and beliefs. This personalized approach ensures that complex theological inquiries are met with compassionate understanding and healthy reflections, leading to genuine spiritual growth and insight rather than superficial debates.

Closing Remarks
Facilitators of spiritual care support groups should prioritize using time effectively to foster connection, empathy, insight, calm, and safety. One practical way of avoiding conversations getting enmeshed in debates and opinions is to not let the participants become “run-away trains” in support groups. It is vital for facilitators to claim their pastoral authority and redirect the group from superficial, opinion-based chit-chats towards communal sharing of their human experience. Utilizing spiritual themes and archetypes, such as the journey archetype, to reflect on universal human struggles is a far more beneficial use of group time than debating personal religious beliefs (e.g., the existence of God, the sinfulness of suicide, opinions about the afterlife, "I believe in this particular interpretation of scripture"). An effective spiritual care support group empowers diverse expressions of spirituality and religiosity, highlighting their potential as healthy coping mechanisms for participants to explore. By focusing on the shared human experience of suffering and resilience, and by utilizing the universal language of archetypes and stories, spiritual care support groups can create a truly inclusive and transformative environment where individuals feel seen, understood, and supported on their unique spiritual journeys. This approach not only strengthens individual coping mechanisms but also cultivates a profound sense of communal belonging and shared purpose.

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