Demystifying Transpersonal Counseling: What It Is and How It Can Benefit You
Transpersonal Counselling definitely falls under the umbrella as a holistic approach, viewing life and all life experiences including difficulties as part of the larger process of growth. It is an empowering framework that recognizing your greater wholeness and it also upholds that finding meaning is essential for health and shows us that we have the ability to influence our own healing on all levels, including psychologically and physically.
I thought it would be really good to start off with just explaining what the word itself actually means, what the overall concept and meaning of transpersonal work is and ultimately what it means to me personally and how it compliments me and my work as a counsellor or therapist.
Transpersonal Counselling integrates Western and Eastern psychology and philosophies with a recognition that consciousness, energy and nature are key parts to the human experience.
In its shortest form transpersonal means beyond the ego. What is the ego anyway? In this framework it is by no means an enemy as there is no such thing as part of us being good or bad, we are ultimately whole just the way we are. There is though, a recognition of something beyond our ego, our cognitive mind/self. Something that when we resonate on a deeper level can provide a sense of meaning, purpose and aligned joy in our being.
This is the why in Transpersonal we move beyond the ego as our gool ol’ constructed self (from birth to now) has a role to play, and that role is to keep us safe. Safety is in the known to our ego mind and therefore when we try and delve tp layers of ourselves beyond it, there is at times, a a lot or a little resistance.
Moving into shadow, unknown parts of ourselves is part of the process of the Transpersonal framework so as we shed a light of awareness of aspects of us that have been playing out roles we either didnt know or didnt recognize. We allow energy to flow as it wills, in a safe container within a session with a greater understanding that what wants to be expressed will be felt and heard in ways that dont necessarily need to be in spoken word.
This approach recognizes that each individual has a unique spiritual journey and that spirituality can play a significant role in their overall well-being. By incorporating spiritual elements into the counseling process, such as meditation, visualization, dream work, and exploring existential questions, transpersonal counseling allows individuals to tap into their inner resources and develop a greater sense of self-awareness, resilience, and inner peace.
Whilst I personally use additional frameworks and intuition to guide a session, the Transpersonal allows us to work with subconscious parts of ourselves including images, symbols, dreams, archetypes, myths and sensations.
When we befriend and dialogue with these parts of ourselves, we find a richness in the meaning of our experience.
The healing process in Transpersonal therapy is creative and open.
A key quality of a Transpersonal therapist is to facilitate the client to find valuable resources, truths within themselves they may not be aware of and guide them on a journey to sustainable resolution in an authentic and personal experience. In this way, I am journeying with you, not as a disconnected expert offering problem solving solutions or advice.
In sessions there is;
Opportunity to enter entry into the world of your own making and destiny.
Opportunity to becoming aware of patterned limitations on self
Allowing revelations to arise within your current experience and recognizing new opportunities within it that may have been previously concealed
Move with more freedom as you unearth and express those authentic aspects of yourself that have been suppressed and disentangle your shadow and golden shadow from rejection
Re-enter life authentically through integration with a newly found acceptance for who you are.
Transpersonal Counselling helps you to increase awareness of your body, mind, and spirit, with a view to transforming the way you interact with yourself and others. This brings more aliveness, clarity, confidence and deeper meaning to the journey of life.
“ Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion ” - Buddha
