Even in today’s world, the concept of „soul“ has meaning. Despite medical technology, despite scientific progress, people remain individuals and we have to struggle to gain their acceptance through dialogue. Humans, even when they are patients, cannot be reduced to the functioning of their brains. Psychiatry operates in a contested terrain where biochemistry, philosophy, spirituality and pedagogy, enlightened humanism, and nuanced therapy collide. The soul cannot be seen, nevertheless finds expression in medical conditions as well as in therapeutic actions. Psychiatry starts with the suffering and subjective feelings (fear, delusion, compulsion, shame, depression, addiction) and wants to help mentally ill people deal with themselves and the demands that are placed upon them.