Listener Essay Case Studies: The Old Ship Zion

NCE Study Guide with Glenn Ostlund
Episode Date: October 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Glenn Ostlund introduces a unique, story-based study exercise by blending a listener essay, originally presented on his earlier podcast "Infants on Thrones," with in-depth, AI-assisted clinical commentary for NCE (National Counselor Exam) preparation. The essay, titled "The Old Ship Zion," explores the experience of faith crisis and deconstruction, transforming it into a case study to illustrate core counseling concepts, ethical practice, and the application of various therapeutic frameworks. The episode aims not just to help students ace exam material but also to support anyone navigating similar existential transitions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Listener Essay: "The Old Ship Zion"

(05:30–13:52)

• Metaphor of Faith as a Ship:
  James (listener essay narrator) describes the collapse of his lifelong faith as akin to the sinking of a great ship—referencing the "Old Ship Zion," a traditional metaphor in Mormonism, and paralleling it with the Titanic.
  • "How does the captain know when is the right time to abandon ship?... The decision... is made when, in the best judgment of the ship's master, leaving the ship is safer than staying on" (08:14).
• Personal Impact of Faith Crisis:
  James details acute emotional distress, identity loss, and a sense of isolation following the recogni­tion that his religious worldview is "not true." He draws hopeful comfort from the message:
  • "Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome to worship at God’s table." (06:16)
• Vital Metaphors and Emotional Honesty:
  • "I am in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, clinging to the remnants of the old ship Zion, hoping they will spare my life. I can actually see more clearly now who I am" (13:21).

2. Clinical Commentary: Analyzing the Case Study

(14:14–54:48)

a. Stages of Crisis and Loss

• Acute Existential Distress:
  The co-hosts and clinical experts frame James’s narrative as a textbook example of “acute existential distress” resulting from the collapse of a foundational worldview (19:11).
• Metaphor for Trauma and Growth:
  The Titanic/ship metaphor powerfully illustrates not just loss but the shattering of identity, safety, and belonging (16:03).

b. Biopsychosocial Dynamics

• Biological:
  The sudden loss of existential safety activates the body's panic systems—fight, flight, freeze, and potentially shutdown (dorsal vagal collapse):
  • "Our nervous system is designed for survival... When that map is suddenly invalidated, the brain interprets it as a profound threat" (21:25).
• Psychological:
  Profound cognitive dissonance arises from the clash between loyalty (heart) and hard truths (head) (23:22).
• Social/Spiritual:
  Using Fowler's and Erikson’s developmental models, experts place James's journey at a transition from group-based faith to individuative-reflective, with associated social and existential risks (24:20).

c. Therapeutic Implications

• Ethics and Cultural Sensitivity:
  A therapist must uphold autonomy; not pushing James toward or away from faith, but supporting his self-determined path (27:54).
  • "You don’t become an anti religious advocate either. Your job is to affirm James’s right to figure out meaning for himself, whatever that looks like" (27:54).
• Diagnosis:
  • Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood (F43.23) for acute distress (30:01).
  • Z Code: Religious or Spiritual Problem (Z65.8) recognizes the root existential/spiritual distress without pathologizing the person (31:49).

d. Frameworks for Understanding and Healing

• Constructivist Therapy:
  Uses Kelly's theories to support the client in reconstructing new, flexible belief systems after one's old constructs collapse (33:17).
  • "We're all basically scientists... Distress happens when our constructs fail..." (33:17).
• Schema Therapy:
  Identifies and heals maladaptive core schemas like defectiveness, shame, and abandonment, often resurfaced by spiritual crisis (35:21).
  • "When James says he feels like a nobody... defectiveness/shame is a big one" (36:06).
• Transpersonal Therapy:
  Frames crisis as a “spiritual emergency”—a breakdown as potential breakthrough, aiming for integration and presence rather than symptom suppression (37:55).

e. Somatic and Narrative Tools

• Polyvagal Theory:
  Explains oscillation between panic (sympathetic) and numbness (dorsal vagal), and the loss of community as loss of co-regulation (44:14).
• Narrative Reconstruction:
  Encourages clients to write or tell their evolving life-story, reclaiming agency and finding new meaning (41:35).
• Self-Compassion Practices:
  Intentionally activating the soothing system to rewire shame and threat responses (41:18).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Paths may converge and diverge, but they are never wholly congruent. Today I find my path diverging from the direction I thought it would take me. Today I am different.”
  — James (05:30)
• “The old ship Zion. I know a thing or two about ships. Stay on the ship, he says. ... In my career the question has always vexed me: how does the captain know when is the right time to abandon ship?”
  — James (08:14)
• “Your entire identity was wrapped up in the group, the beliefs. When that goes, there’s a vacuum.”
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (32:31)
• “Therapy isn’t just about making him feel better... The job is to teach James how to swim.”
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (20:55)
• "We don’t impose our values, period."
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (28:14)
• “The body lost its anchor, and it’s desperately trying to find safety... It’s a physiological response to a perceived existential threat.”
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (44:00)
• “Therapy essentially provides a holding environment. ... James is going through intense emotional processes. ... Therapy offers a space where he can feel all of that, process it without judgment and without the therapist trying to fix it or steer him back to shore prematurely.”
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (48:26)
• "He’s not broken by the experience... No, he’s rewiring."
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (54:30)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–02:10: Podcast intro, project origins, and resource overview
• 03:36–13:52: Listener essay: "The Old Ship Zion" (James's experience)
• 14:14–25:29: Expert commentary—Case file unpacking, metaphors, psychological impact
• 25:29–32:31: Faith development, existential stages, and ethical clinical considerations
• 32:31–42:24: Diagnostic discussion, theoretical frameworks, practical interventions
• 42:24–47:26: Polyvagal theory, somatics, neuroplasticity in recovery
• 47:26–50:05: Therapy as holding environment and pathway to meaning reconstruction
• 50:24–51:17: When to seek professional help; self-assessment cues
• 51:42–52:46: NCE exam highlights and essential resources
• 53:28–54:48: Universal themes of loss, witness consciousness, and evolving faith

Therapist/Student-Focused Takeaways

• Faith transitions can precipitate powerful existential, psychological, and somatic crises.
• Physical symptoms (panic, numbness, exhaustion) are normal responses to the loss of existential safety.
• Therapy should focus on supporting meaning reconstruction, fostering self-compassion, and rebuilding a sense of agency—never proselytizing or pathologizing the search itself.
• Clinical understanding of adjustment disorder and DSM spiritual Z codes is vital for non-pathologizing care.
• Use of narrative, somatic, and values-based techniques—plus trauma-informed practices—help facilitate sustainable healing and authentic identity development.
• Ethical principles of autonomy and multicultural sensitivity are paramount.

Resources Recommended

• Robert Niemeyer, Meaning Reconstruction in Grief
• George Kelly, The Psychology of Personal Constructs
• Young, Klosko, & Weishar, Schema Therapy: Practitioner’s Guide
• Roberto Assagioli, Psychosynthesis
• Kenneth Pargament, Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy

Final Reflection & Universal Message

• “We build these ships of meaning to navigate life... but almost every ship encounters its iceberg, some challenge, some contradiction. ... Ultimately, what remains is awareness itself—the capacity to choose, to value, to connect.”
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (53:38–54:27)
• “You are welcome—wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith.”
  — Clinical Expert / Therapist (54:51)

Haiku Epilogue

Ship splits on truth sedge.
Cold sea baptizes the mind.
Breath becomes belief.

This episode masterfully bridges a personal story of religious transition and disorientation with core counseling theories, clinical frameworks, and ethical mandates—offering powerful insights for clinicians, students, and seekers alike.