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The alignment process requires intentional methods and interventions for the mind, body, and soul and a person committed to growth, development, and maturing into the masterpiece God intended. It would be a disservice to a client to assume that one program fits all situations or circumstances.

n Mind: How do I approach problems—am I thinking about them in a way that promotes growth and understanding? What emotional patterns need to mature or evolve? How can I re spond to situations in healthier ways? n Body: How do my behaviors reflect my inner values and thoughts? Am I treating my body as an integral part of my spiritual and emotional life? How do I nurture my body? What role does physical health play in my overall well-being? n Spirit: How is my relationship with God evolving? How can I deepen my spiritual practice? How do I experience the sacred in everyday life? Am I growing in compassion, humility, and love for others? What blocks my spiritual development? The alignment process requires intentional methods and interven tions for the mind, body, and soul and a person committed to growth, development, and maturing into the masterpiece God intended. It would be a disservice to a client to assume that one program fits all situations or circumstances. There are many methods and therapies which need to be blended to address the proper order for the personal needs of the client. The soul desires alignment in mind, body, and spirit. Christian psychology addresses circumstances, suffering and trauma which create brokenness and damage of the human soul. Isaiah 61 says that Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted which is translated ‘shattered’ (Isaiah 61:1, NIV). Jesus came to heal the shattered life of living on earth without him. A salutogenic approach through Logotherapy and Integral theory can be utilized to heal and align some of the deeper brokenness to the way God desired for us to be with him. True freedom from living in a fallen world will only come meeting God face to face; however, the human soul can thrive and align to live in the abundance of life that God promises. C

Two specific theories could be utilized considering aligning the mind, body and spirit: Integral Theory and Logotherapy. While cog nitive behavioral therapy covers a gamut of biblical thought renewal options, these two theories go into a deeper meaning and new levels of healing by providing an avenue to search for holistic health, growth, and meaning. Logotherapy is fundamentally salutogenic because it emphasizes the search for meaning as central to health and well-being (Frankl, 2006). Viktor Frankl argued that finding meaning, even in dif ficult situations, is key to psychological and emotional resilience. Inte gral Theory also aligns with salutogenesis by promoting a balanced and integrated approach to well-being. It emphasizes the development of all dimensions of the human experience (mind, body, spirit) and encour ages growth across these areas to promote health and well-being. Logotherapy: Healing requires more than a new thought; it requires a true belief with action according to that belief. This focus on mean ing helps individuals ask fundamental questions such as: “Why do I do what I do?,” or “Do I find meaning in what I do?” This perspective helps someone thrive in the face of adversity, aligning the thought process with convictions followed by an appropriate behavior. By helping indi viduals transcend suffering through meaning, Logotherapy promotes mental and emotional health, moving them from a state of despair to ward hope, purpose, and a sense of fulfillment. So often, I hear people say things like, “I don’t know why I do that,” or “I do it this way because this is the way I was taught.” That thought process does not create meaning or value in life, it simply proves the conditioning or learned behavior. One vignette of this theory would be a 35-year-old woman who has followed in the footsteps of the family business. She is burned out, un fulfilled, empty and is questioning her life. Why am I doing this and how did I get here? In a therapy setting, she would have to dig deep to under stand true values and beliefs about who she was created to be within her family and outside her family. She must ask herself if her work aligns with her purpose and is this the meaning or legacy she wants to create in her career? She may discover that she truly enjoys this field, and it aligns with her convictions and core belief. But she may also dis cover this is not exactly what she wanted to do implicating a malalign ment in her mind, body, and soul. If it does not reflect her personal convictions, she will need to explore the root of her convictions to align with her thought process and create a new behavior. Whether she de cides to stay understanding new meaning in her work or if she decides to pivot and move on to something new, she has promoted her own well-being by identifying meaning, purpose, and a sense of fulfillment. Biblically, many people find addressing identity in Christ and walking in godly character creates the alignment of conviction of the spirit, understanding the thought process of the mind and walking out the expression of behavior in the body. Integral Theory: This theory focuses on holistic growth and prog ress which is the presence of ongoing development and alignment across physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual domains (Wilber, 2000). This approach builds positive resources and fostering growth rather than merely treating symptoms. These questions would be more multifaceted for affecting growth in all areas through the tridirectional relationship.

AMY OBERG MSP, BCCC, owner of Hope & Health Hub, offers mental health coaching, con sulting, and online mental health tools. She is the author of six books, including What’s in My Cloud: Cloud Tool for Littles, and three Cloud Tool Jour nals: for adults, marriage, and mental health with Gen Z. Married for 23 years, she and her husband have one married daughter and two grandchil dren. Learn more at amyoberg.com.

References Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s search for meaning. Beacon Press. Jia, C., & Li, P. (2024). Generation Z’s health information avoidance behavior: insights from fo cus group discussions. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26 . Strong, J. (2009). Strong’s exhaustive concordance of the Bible (Updated ed.). Hendrickson Publish ers. The Holy Bible, New International Version. (1978). Zondervan. (Original work published 1973). Weber, J. (2021). A systematic literature review of equanimity in mindfulness-based interven tions. Pastoral Psychology, 70 (2), 151-165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-021-00945-6 Wilber, K. (2000). A theory of everything: An integral vision for business, politics, science, and spiritual ity. Shambhala Publications.

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