Worldview
My concept of how therapy works
I would like for you, as my client, to know my biases, orientation and worldview. I believe that
spiritual transportation, although sometimes quite moving and miraculous, is not magic, nor it is vague. The process of transformation for most people involves pathways that have common characteristics; these can be documented and in fact, have been documented, by both mystics and psychologists, for centuries. See for example: William James’ (1902) seminal study of the varieties of religious experience, Evelyn Underhill’s (1911) classic study of the mystical path, and more recent observations of the “awakening” experience by Brown (2000), Corneille & Luke, (2021), and Taylor & Egeto-Szabo (2017). I try to provide for my clients a context for understanding their own process, some techniques for progressing, and some tools for assessing their way forward. I find that most processes of transformation are instigated by some highly-charged experience which has deeply disrupted my client’s status quo, and led them into a process of seeking. This sense of “seeking” may continue and will often motivate the client to develop a spiritual practice, that may also precipitate insights (either gradually or suddenly) and that will almost always lead to integration of body, mind and spirit. In the process, the client’s worldview is profoundly altered.
Some of the principles that define my psychospiritual approach, which are likely to be different from traditional modes of therapy, are these:
Mind is First. By this I mean that our conscious experience is “what counts” in following our spiritual destiny. We, each of us, is primarily concerned with meaning; we work to discern what life means, who we are, and what we are supposed to be doing. I find that even very pragmatic people (who hate philosophers) are primarily concerned with meaning. In contrast to the “medical” model which holds that conscious thought is nothing but an expression of the brain’s activity, I believe that consciousness is fundamental and that it flows directly from the universal consciousness. Brain activity facilitates, mediates, or follows thought, but does not create thought. Given this worldview, we work with consciousness rather than with neurology. If we change our thoughts, our brains will follow.
We have developed unconscious narratives, which we can bring into consciousness. We each have developed and we each currently maintain a “narrative” that defines our worldview. These narratives have been developed largely unconsciously and through our daily interactions with others, especially within families. Key assumptions underlying our constructed narratives develop early in childhood and can require focused effort to change. They are almost impossible to change unless they are recognized. An immediate goal of our work together is to make conscious what is unconscious.
We are more influenced by the larger culture than we usually recognize. It helps to know that our culture often resists our own empowerment, not only economically and socially, but also spiritually. This is especially true for clients identified within historically oppressed groups. It is also true, because of how our human bodies have evolved, that being in Nature and attuned to its cycles is important, and healthy development involves direct involvement with Nature.
As above, so below. Our conscious experiences and relationship with the universal consciousness will be mirrored in our daily interactions with things and people. Changing our relationship with spirit therefore changes our daily life, routines, and relationships, and physical health. Our goal is to actively develop a dynamic relationship with the divinity, rather than to try to dissolve the self, tame the ego, or come into unity with all things.
We are all on a spiritual journey. Spirituality is important and must be an element of therapy; it is not separate from ordinary life. Having a spiritual practice enables us to develop spiritual solutions, which are intensely useful to people with real-life problems. My work is to help each client engage with their life, rather than escape from it.
God is our friend, not our judge. What “God” means is, of course, different for each person; God may be personal or cosmic, and certainly, the sacred is difficult to put into words, and not everything sacred needs to be deified. That said, how we approach the sacred is fundamental to who we are. In our work together, our relationship with God is always a key topic for exploration. My worldview includes the belief that God is not high up and far away, but very close and entirely accessible. There is nothing we have to do in order to deserve God’s love; there is nothing to learn, no incantation to recite, no ordination to undergo. We each can and do experience God’s presence directly -- no priest or church is required. That said, we may each hear God calling or directing us to follow a particular pathway. Once called, we have the option to refuse, but accepting will set in motion a series of events and encounters that may eventually lead us Home.
Religion can be troubling. Although I myself maintain an active spiritual practice that is comfortable with traditional religions (and is in fact an amalgam of many), I recognize that some religious doctrine has very much hurt some peoples’ ability to pursue a spiritual pathway; for many, religion means nothing but narrow, dogmatic beliefs and meaningless rituals. Ironically, religious practice can not only set people apart from each other, but can set believers apart from their God. Surface-level expectations, shaming attitudes, and outright prejudices can undermine deeper meaning of religious expression and practice. My belief is that the connection -- and confrontation -- with the Ultimate is an essential element of therapeutic practice, and of leading a purposeful life. It is often the case that pursuing spiritual transformation involves the re-assessment of prior experiences with formalized religion.
The Playing Field
A Bird's Eye View of the Psychotherapy Industry
All of psychology has historically been divided into three parts: traditional psychoanalysis (Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung); behaviorism (John Watson, B.F. Skinner); and humanistic psychology (Carl Rogers, Sue Johnson, Harlene Anderson, John Gottman). Most practitioners today identify with one of these three conceptual modes, even though some therapists claim to be “pragmatic” and to use whatever works. All three have historically been quite secular, that is, anti-spiritual. In their quest for legitimacy, they have become increasingly empirical, seeking to create a science of “mental health” -- and to distance themselves from spiritual and religious traditions. In addition, today, psychological practice is “person centered.” It focuses on the individual, tends to ignore sociological influences, and avoids placing clients within a cosmic perspective. See Hartelius, et al. (2015).
A radical fourth way arose in the 1970’s, seeking to draw from the three traditional streams and to integrate them, but adding, importantly, the element of spirituality. This fourth way was called “transpersonal” because it sees the client as part of a worldwide community and as having a spiritual connection with the whole cosmos. The label “transpersonal” today is synonymous with “psychospiritual” and implies an attempt to integrate spirituality with the scientifically observable patterns of human behavior, to reject the medical model, and to ask practitioners to treat clients as peers, rather than as patients. The transpersonal or psychospiritual approach holds that behavior is not predictable and does not flow from neurons – moreover, individuals do not sit apart from other people, society, or the natural world. Instead, it sees each of us as a spiritual being, deeply interconnected with spirit, nature, and community; it holds that our understanding of our personal paths must account for what is systemic and subjective, contextual, holistic, and nuanced. My practice is squarely within this integrated world view.
Notwithstanding increasing professional interest in this “fourth way,” most counseling practitioners still confine their work within the three original models, under which clients are diagnosed and treated. Consistently with this “mental health” paradigm, the several overlapping licensure systems within the United States regulate the eligibility of therapeutic counseling for health insurance coverage. In most states, the regulations require licensed practitioners to submit a diagnosis and treatment plan, with progress reports, to insurance companies in order to qualify for third-party reimbursement. As a psychospiritual therapist my practice lies outside these systems, and I am not licensed as a psychologist, social worker, or marriage and family therapist in any state. As such, I am not able to bill insurance.
Therapists are competitive and often seek to distinguish themselves by using a trademarked or “manualized” treatment program, and many well-known practitioners offer training and certification in their identified methods. It is important for clients to know that when these techniques are actually compared in rigorous studies, no particular model or method emerges as more effective than the others, even though some are undoubtedly more popular (Wampold, et al., 1997). Recent empirical evidence is quite convincing that only a few factors are important in achieving therapeutic success and client satisfaction, regardless of the theoretical stance of the practitioner and regardless of the techniques employed. Examples of such common factors include whether the therapist is empathetic, whether the therapist believes strongly in the effectiveness of their own chosen style, and whether the therapist can create a trusting, supportive, and honest relationship (a “therapeutic alliance”) with the client. A therapist skilled in evoking these common factors is demonstrably likely to be very helpful to clients, regardless of which theory or practice is invoked, and regardless of the length of time that the therapist has been in practice (Sprenkle, et al., 2014).
Your Role As Client
I might ask you to...
Make a deliberate choice to hear your call and to confront what holds you back.
Be brave in recognizing assumptions, habits, that currently limit yourself.
Play with changing habits and changing thoughts.
Re-think and re-frame past experiences, especially memories from early childhood.
Think more carefully about what your friends, family, and workmates really expect of you.
Get out in the woods; be around water.
Keep a journal.
Spend a few days in solitude.
Develop and maintain a spiritual practice that will disrupt your current patterns and habits.
Consistently set aside time to meet with me.