Psychological and Spiritual Methods in Postcult Recovery

As I have already written, I believe that people who left religious cults and abusive churches, need both psychological and spiritual recovery. I think these two things are closely related. In addition, psychological recovery may help spiritual recovery and vice versa.

Christianity and other religions have been using psychological methods for a very long time. They use psychological methods in combination with spiritual methods. I think this combination is very important.

For example, people who left abusive groups sometimes cannot rely on God. This frustrates their spiritual life and growth. This problem is obviously spiritual. However, people who left cults (and not only religious cults) sometimes feel that they cannot rely on people. This problem is usually considered to be psychological. So, I think the problem of the lack of trust in God is both spiritual and psychological.

On the other hand, spiritual practices can reduce psychological problems.

This is why I think that combination of both spiritual and psychological methods is very useful.