Mental Illness, Normal Psychological Processes, Or Attacks By The Devil? Three Lenses To Frame Demonic Struggles In Therapy

Beliefs in supernatural evil have been widespread throughout human history, and they remain so today. Yet conversations about demonic struggles-tensions and conflicts involving beliefs and experiences regarding the devil, demons, or evil spirits or forces-may make many people uneasy, including therapists. Still, demonic struggles have clinical relevance: Not only do many people experience these spiritual struggles, but they are linked with emotional distress. Demonizing others also introduces risks of serious interpersonal conflict and harm. This article uses a hypothetical case example to explore how therapists might view demonic struggles through three lenses: mental illness, psychological, and supernatural. Each lens has strengths and limitations and will lead to different emphases in assessment and treatment. The mental illness lens can uncover serious psychological or medical conditions but runs the risk of pathologizing demonic struggles. The psychological lens, which emphasizes normal psychological processes, can identify background and situational factors that set the stage for demonic struggles. Psychological approaches may encourage clients to consider effects of demonic attributions and struggles, perhaps revising or supplementing their coping strategies when demonic beliefs are causing problems. The supernatural lens, which focuses on the possibility of actual demonic activity, is likely to be much less familiar for most therapists; we thus devote extra attention to it here. Some clinicians may feel comfortable integrating this lens (e.g., prayer; spiritual warfare tactics) in therapy or pursuing clergy collaboration. Here we highlight some serious risks and cautions around this lens, especially around the controversial practices of exorcism and deliverance.