About Dr. Amy Robbins

This session explores the neuroscientific foundations of spirituality and its impact on mental health. Participants will examine research from leading neuroscientists like Dr. Lisa Miller and Dr. Andrew Newberg that validates the connections between spiritual practices and brain function. The session covers how spiritual practices affect brain structure, including changes in the prefrontal cortex, parietal lobes, and default mode network. Participants will gain insight into how spirituality fosters resilience, enhances emotional regulation, and provides protection against depression and anxiety. This evidence-based session bridges scientific understanding with practical therapeutic applications.

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define the neuroscience of spirituality and explain its connection to mental health

2. Identify key findings from researchers including Dr. Lisa Miller and Dr. Andrew Newberg

3. Describe how spiritual practices influence the brain's structure and function

4. Apply neuroscientific insights into their clinical practice to enhance client mental and spiritual well-being

This session introduces participants to a variety of spiritual practices from different traditions and their potential therapeutic benefits. Participants will explore meditation, prayer, energy healing, sound healing, and other modalities, understanding their origins, purposes, and applications in therapeutic settings. The session emphasizes how these practices can be ethically integrated into clinical work to support emotional regulation, stress reduction, and spiritual well-being. Through both theoretical understanding and experiential components, participants will gain practical tools to help clients deepen their connection to self, others, and the broader universe in culturally sensitive ways.

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define and explain the purpose and origins of key spiritual practices from diverse traditions

2. Identify how specific practices support emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being

3. Demonstrate basic techniques from at least three spiritual modalities that can be incorporated into therapeutic work

4. Apply cultural and ethical sensitivity when introducing spiritual practices to clients

This session examines Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs) and their significance in therapeutic settings. Participants will learn to identify various types of STEs including near-death experiences, visitations, past-life memories, and other phenomena that transcend ordinary consciousness. Drawing on research from institutions like the Division of Perceptual Studies at UVA and the Windbridge Institute, the session provides an evidence-based framework for understanding these experiences. Participants will develop tools to navigate conversations about STEs with clients ethically and effectively, recognizing their potential role in fostering resilience, meaning-making, and psychological healing.

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define and identify various types of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs)

2. Summarize current research validating STEs from leading institutions and researchers

3. Differentiate between STEs and symptoms of mental health disorders

4. Develop therapeutic approaches to support clients in integrating and finding meaning in their spiritually transformative experiences

This session addresses the phenomena of spiritual emergence, spiritual emergency, and spiritual bypassing in clinical practice. Participants will learn to differentiate between healthy spiritual emergence and overwhelming spiritual emergencies that may require specialized intervention. The session explores triggers, symptoms, and appropriate responses to spiritual crises, including grounding techniques and integration strategies. Special attention is given to spiritual bypassing—the tendency to use spiritual beliefs to avoid dealing with emotional pain or difficult life issues. Through case studies and practical frameworks, participants will develop skills to help clients navigate spiritual challenges while ensuring authentic psychological healing.

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define and differentiate between spiritual emergence, spiritual emergency, and spiritual bypassing

2. Identify symptoms and triggers of spiritual emergencies, including Kundalini awakenings

3. Apply grounding techniques and containment strategies for clients experiencing spiritual crises

4. Recognize patterns of spiritual bypassing and implement approaches that foster authentic integration

This session explores Carl Jung's profound contributions to the integration of spirituality and psychology. Participants will examine Jungian concepts including archetypes, the collective unconscious, dreams, and synchronicity as avenues for spiritual exploration in therapy. The session demonstrates how Jung's approach offers a framework for addressing existential questions, meaning-making, and spiritual growth within the therapeutic relationship. Through practical applications such as dreamwork, active imagination, and symbolic exploration, participants will learn to help clients connect with deeper dimensions of the psyche that Jung considered inherently spiritual.

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define key Jungian concepts related to spirituality in psychotherapy

2. Apply dreamwork and active imagination techniques to facilitate spiritual exploration

3. Recognize and work with archetypal patterns and symbols in the therapeutic process

4. Integrate Jungian approaches to synchronicity and meaning-making in clinical practice

This session introduces energy psychology principles and techniques that bridge psychological and spiritual dimensions of healing. Participants will explore the theoretical foundations of energy psychology, including concepts of meridians, chakras, and biofields, alongside their scientific rationale. The session provides practical training in foundational techniques such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), chakra balancing, and grounding exercises. Participants will learn how these approaches can complement traditional therapy by addressing energetic aspects of emotional distress while honoring spiritual dimensions of experience. Ethical considerations and cultural sensitivity in applying these methods are emphasized throughout.

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the theoretical foundations of energy psychology and its relationship to spiritual psychology

2. Describe the energetic and neurobiological mechanisms underlying energy psychology techniques

3. Demonstrate at least three foundational energy psychology techniques that can be integrated into clinical practice

4. Apply energy psychology approaches with attention to ethical boundaries and cultural sensitivity

This final session addresses the ethical dimensions and cultural considerations essential for spiritually-informed psychological practice. Participants will explore ethical challenges unique to integrating spirituality into mental health work, including scope of practice, informed consent, and avoiding harmful power dynamics. The session emphasizes cultural humility—recognizing how spiritual beliefs and practices are embedded in cultural contexts and avoiding cultural appropriation. Through case studies and ethical frameworks, participants will learn to navigate complex situations while honoring both professional ethics and clients' spiritual autonomy. The session concludes with strategies for integrating course learnings into professional practice.

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify ethical challenges specific to spiritually-informed psychological practice

2. Apply principles of cultural humility when working with diverse spiritual traditions

3. Recognize appropriate professional boundaries and scope of practice when integrating spirituality

4. Develop a personalized framework for ethically integrating spiritual approaches into their existing practice