What I’ve become increasingly aware of is how subtly spiritual bypassing can show up, both in personal practice and in facilitation. It often appears when we give in to the temptation to extract ourselves or our clients too quickly from difficult feelings, rather than staying present long enough to truly hold space for what is unfolding.

What strikes me most is that bypassing rarely comes from a lack of sincerity. More often, it arises from a genuine desire to transcend pain, complexity, or vulnerability, or from a sincere spiritual longing to access higher states of consciousness. The same dynamics can show up in coaching, particularly when spiritual language or practices are used to override difficult emotions, relational wounds or life challenges, rather than supporting their integration.

Becoming more trauma-aware has helped me appreciate how important it is to distinguish genuine transcendence from subtle forms of premature avoidance. This leaves me with some questions: how do we honour spiritual aspirations while staying grounded in the messy, human aspects of experience? And how do we discern this in our work with clients?

I’d love to hear how others here recognise or work with spiritual bypassing in their own inner work or professional practice.