For much of my early life and professional career, I did not truly understand what spirituality was all about. In the early stages of my professional career, I approached life from a psychological and cognitive lens, one that valued logic, rationality, and scientific rigor. But deep within, I was searching for something more—a deeper connection, a higher truth, a path that would unify the mind and heart. It wasn’t until many years later, after profound personal experiences and a long professional journey, that spirituality began to take root in my consciousness—not as an abstract concept, but as a lived, transformative experience.

My journey inward began in Toronto but took a critical turn when I moved to Chicago. It was there that I encountered the groundbreaking work of Dr. Albert Ellis, the father of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). From Ellis, I learned the significance of thought—the power of cognition to shape our feelings, behaviors, and reality. This was the beginning of a more introspective path, though I didn’t yet realize it. I was beginning to explore how thoughts influence experience, and this would lay the foundation for everything to come.

In Boston, a new discovery changed the trajectory of my work and my life. I encountered the teachings of Louise Hay, a pioneer in mind-body healing and the author of You Can Heal Your Life. Louise Hay introduced me to the concept of self-love—not just as an idea, but as a healing force, a spiritual principle, and a life practice.

This was the beginning of a profound fusion: the cognitive insights I had learned from Ellis began to merge with Hay’s message of unconditional self-acceptance. My mental health work began to take on a new dimension, one that wove thought and love into a tapestry of healing.

My move to Miami brought with it a deeper immersion into mental health work, particularly with individuals suffering from substance use disorders. It was in these crucibles of pain and recovery that the fusion of cognition and self-love began to evolve into a full-fledged counseling philosophy. This philosophy eventually became the foundation of what I now call Transformation.

The core of Transformation is simple yet profound: the true goal of treatment is not merely symptom reduction or behavioral management—it is self-love. Healing begins when individuals learn to love themselves, to accept themselves, and to reshape their inner world through intentional thought and belief.

As I was writing my book, Prelude to a Paradigm Shift for Addiction, I began to sense that something deeper was emerging. Near the end of writing, I experienced what I can only describe as a breakthrough—an epiphany that changed my understanding of healing, identity, and spirituality itself.

While the application of Louise Hay’s teachings had been central to my work, I now saw that her message contained even deeper spiritual implications. Self-love, while essential, was not the final destination—it was the gateway to something far greater.

What I discovered in the stillness of reflection and practice is this: When we learn to love ourselves authentically, something miraculous occurs. We begin to experience the presence of a higher power, a spiritual force, a divine intelligence—often referred to as God, Spirit, Source. This experience is not external; it arises from within. And its essence is love.

The love I experience within myself is the same love that God is. There is no separation. As I love myself truly, I am simultaneously loving and connecting to the divine.

This understanding transformed my view of spirituality. It is not about doctrine, ritual, or belief—it is about direct experience. Spirituality, in its truest form, is the awakening to our own divine nature through the practice of self-love.

Simultaneously, another truth became clear: the more deeply we love ourselves, the more clearly we see who we truly are. Our true identity is not the collection of roles, memories, or traumas we carry. It is something deeper—an expression of the divine itself.

To know our true self is to know God. To experience ourselves at our most authentic level is to recognize that we are not separate from Source, but are manifestations of it. As Dr. Wayne Dyer once said, this is not blasphemy—it is enlightenment. It is a return to truth.

The only path to this realization is inward. Through our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and daily practices, we gradually peel back the layers of false identity. We dissolve shame, guilt, and fear. We heal old wounds. And in their place, we build a new foundation—one rooted in self-love, clarity, and divine connection.

Transformation is not something that happens to us. It is something we choose. It is a process of remembering who we truly are, guided by the principles of cognition and self-love, and illuminated by the light of spirit.

Today, my work as a counselor is no longer just psychological—it is spiritual. Transformation is not only a method of healing addiction; it is a sacred journey into the heart of the self. Each client I work with is invited to embark on this journey—not toward external validation or behavior control, but toward an authentic experience of love and identity.

In Transformation, we do not treat addiction as a disease to be managed indefinitely. Instead, we see it as a symptom of a deeper wound—a lack of love for the self, and disconnection from one’s spiritual truth. As self-love grows, the need for addictive behavior diminishes. And in its place, something extraordinary emerges: peace, power, and purpose.

Spirituality is not something we adopt—it is something we uncover. It is not imposed from the outside—it arises from within. And the path to discovering it is paved with the thoughts we choose and the love we give ourselves.

My journey—from cognition to self-love, and ultimately to spiritual awakening—has taught me that the healing of addiction is not only possible but inevitable when we return to the truth of who we are. That truth is love. That truth is God. And that truth lives within each of us, waiting to be remembered.

Dr. Harry Henshaw

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