The Spiritual Creation of Mental Health: A Holistic Psychiatrist’s Perspective

Abstract:

Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs) are often thought of as spontaneous events that happen to an individual unexpectedly, leading to transformation and enlightenment. This presentation brings spirituality from the mystical and unpredictable realm and places it in the clinical psychiatric setting, where patients learn to connect to their spiritual source for healing and recovery—demonstrating the oneness of being between spirituality and biology—and redefining what STEs can be in the metamorphosis of mental health. In holistic psychiatry, the spiritual creation of mental health integrates spirituality as a practical tool of treatment, harnessed in a teachable, manageable, and sustainable process. Clinical vignettes and demonstrations are used to clarify how spirituality can be an invaluable instrument for healing in the medical recovery of the mind. This presentation will discuss the following:
1 How to teach principles of spirituality to the client/patient, regardless of their religious affiliation.
2 How to establish a connection between spirituality and biology.
3 Methods that facilitate ongoing healing through spiritually supportive practices.
4 The importance of faith, intention, connection/relationship, and source in healing the mind and body.
5 Case examples will be used to demonstrate the application of the above points in clinical settings.

Presenter Bio

Alice W. Lee, MD, ABIHM, ACMHP is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, board certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine. Trained in Adult Psychiatry at the University of Maryland and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Children’s National Medical Center, she began exploring holistic medicine after eight years in private practice. She has been specializing in the use of orthomolecular/functional/energy medicine in the treatment of all psychiatric disorders and in the withdrawal of psychotropic medications for the past 12 years. She has a private practice in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and has presented on the use of orthomolecular/functional psychiatry and energy medicine at conferences and workshops.