What I wish every therapist knew about ‘visions’ and ‘voices’

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:05]Hi, my name's Cupid. I have schizophrenia and I'm also studying to become a psychologist. You know those moments clients whisper things like I see signs everywhere. I hear a voice when I meditate. Or I feel guided by something bigger.

[00:00:18]This video is called what I wish therapists knew about spiritual experiences. And I want to share three things that can completely change how safe your clients feel with you.

[00:00:30]All right. First, visions and voices are not automatically symptoms.

[00:00:36]For many people, their experiences have deep meaning. When a client says they hear a voice or see an image, instead of jumping straight to pathology, try getting curious. What does this voice mean to you?

[00:00:51]How do you feel before, during, and after it happens?

[00:00:54]Does it feel comforting, frightening, or something else?

[00:01:00]The same phenomenon can be terrifying for one person and profoundly supportive for another.

[00:01:06]The difference is often context, culture, and the story that the client is allowed to tell about it.

[00:01:13]When clinicians respond with instant alarm, clients learn hide this, you're too weird, don't share. But when you respond with calm curiosity, you give them space to explore whether this is distress, a coping pattern, or even a meaningful spiritual experience.

[00:01:32]All right.

[00:01:33]Number two. Second, synchronicities.

[00:01:36]Those this can't be a coincidence moments. To a clinician, they can sound like cognitive distortions. To a client, they might be the only threat of hope they're holding instead of dismissing it as magical thinking.

[00:01:51]Try questions like what did that synchronicity give you? Hope, direction, comfort?

[00:01:59]How does believing it was meaningful affect the choices you make?

[00:02:03]You don't have to agree with their worldview to respect that it's helping them make sense of the pain, trauma, or chaos. Sometimes synchronicities are how people experience feelings seen by life itself when no one else is really seeing them. All right, number three.

[00:02:24]The way you talk about all of this matters more than you think.

[00:02:29]Saying things like, "That's just a symptom." or "That's not real." might feel neutral to you, but it can land as your inner world is invalid. Your sacred experiences are delusions. Try language that honors both safety and dignity. I believe you when you say this feels real and important. Let's Let's explore how this experience impacts your well-being.

[00:02:56]We can hold both that this is spiritually meaningful to you and that we also want to keep you grounded and safe.

[00:03:04]This kind of language doesn't fuel harm, it builds trust. It says you are not broken for experiencing life in a mysterious way.

[00:03:14]All right.

[00:03:15]Time for a reframe. Many people living with what we call mental illness experience their visions, voices, and synchronicities as a kind of spiritual sensitivity.

[00:03:29]A painful, confusing, sometimes beautiful gift. When clinicians make room for that possibility, clients don't have to choose between their therapist and their soul. They get to bring their whole self into the room.

[00:03:43]If you're a therapist, healer, or someone who's had these experiences yourself and you want more conversations like this where mental illness is treated as spiritually meaningful, not just a list of list of symptoms, you're in the right place. Follow or subscribe for more perspectives on spirituality and mental health. Hit the bell so you don't miss the next video and tell me in the comments what's one spiritual or strange experience you wish you could talk about safely.

[00:04:14]>> [snorts] >> Thank you to all of my subscribers and followers for subscribing and following me. I really appreciate it. Keep sharing my videos. The more people I reach, the more people I can help and I would love to help as many people as possible.

[00:04:26]Remember, I am on three different platforms with these videos, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. I have all kinds of different stuff on each platform, so please feel free to follow me on all three. Check out my older posts. If there's anything you want me to talk about in my videos, please comment below and let me know. I will come up with a video for your topic. Be safe, be good to yourselves and as always, I love you guys.

[00:04:54]And remember, if you have a therapist that you would like to talk about these things with, send them this video to or tell them to watch this video if you can't send it to them, of course.

[00:05:08]>> [snorts] >> And tell them that this is how you would want them to approach you in this situation.

[00:05:16]All right. Thank you guys. Bye.