When God becomes dangerous: integrating four psychological and spiritual models in dissociation

This paper describes the case of a person experiencing spiritual struggle, initially interpreted as spiritual bondage, with initially undiagnosed dissociation linked to unremembered spiritual and sexual abuse. It examines how two mental health models (a pathologizing model, diagnosis based on modern psychiatry; a “normalizing model,” Internal Family Systems [IFS]) and two spiritual models (a “pathologizing” model, Unbound deliverance prayer; a “normalizing” model, Ignatian spirituality) informed one another. Provided alone, Unbound ministry worsened dissociative symptoms. Following diagnosis, spirituality and especially Ignatian tools supported engagement in IFS. IFS-informed second Unbound then contributed to positive outcomes, suggesting complementarity between psychological and spiritual interventions.