A new faculty member brings expertise in spirituality and mental health to the College of Education
As a new faculty member in the College of Education, the list of courses Craig Cashwell teaches reveals he’s anything but new to the counseling field. In Fall 2024 — Cashwell’s first with the College — he taught addiction counseling and a crisis and trauma course. This Spring, he’s tackling family and couples counseling. And while he’s researched and taught in these areas for more than 30 years, his latest focus coincides with a lifelong fascination: the relationship between spirituality and mental health.
Cashwell’s current research project is a book on “spiritual bypass,” a coping mechanism in which people use spirituality to avoid struggles and the work of healing. It can come in the form of dangerous practices, such as a person not taking lifesaving drugs due to religious beliefs, and it can also manifest in a grieving spouse who doesn’t want to face the pain of loss.
“When a Christian client says, ‘My loved one is in a better place, so I shouldn’t cry,’ I would say, ‘Your sacred text says Jesus wept and cried over his friend,’” Cashwell said. “That’s not me telling them. That’s their sacred text telling them it’s OK to feel pain and work through it.”
Cashwell knows he’s on the right track because spiritual bypass still intrigues him. He and colleagues first developed the quantitative measure and definition for spiritual bypass eight years ago and have since revised both. Because of this measure, spiritual bypass has now been measured with many religious groups and translated into five languages.
“An effective counselor shouldn’t confront a person’s spirituality or beliefs. They should honor and invite them into the psychological work as a complement.”
Craig Cashwell
Cashwell’s interests get into the thorniest areas of his profession, but as a spiritual person on his own journey, he can’t help but dive deeper into the topic. He jokes that he is constantly analyzing himself, digging into his subtle, nuanced, unconscious parts, especially those pertaining to spirituality.
He feels his expertise and lifelong obsession will help future counselors navigate issues that, if not handled properly, can dissuade a client from helpful counseling altogether.
“It’s a very narrow line — a counselor should not impose their values on clients,” Cashwell said. “An effective counselor shouldn’t confront a person’s spirituality or beliefs. They should honor and invite them into the psychological work as a complement. It’s a dance, and I try to help my students understand when to lean in, how to do that effectively, and when to step back and honor a client’s path.”