Category Archives: Integrative Healing & Energy Medicine

Finding a “Spiritually-Oriented” Therapist

For those of you who have either been to therapy before or are seeking therapy, as you look around for a therapist, consider more importantly what you are looking for in therapy. Most types of psychotherapy offered are based on either the “medical-model,” or a “psychodynamic” approach.  The term “psychodynamic” is often associated with the common expression of “psychoanalyzing” and refers to the notion of your therapist working with your unconscious as a way of helping you find insight.  Another common and effective form of therapy is CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which refers to your therapist teaching you techniques to help you correct dysfunctional emotions, thoughts or behaviors.   If you have been grappling and struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, sleep problems or physically-based mental health issues, a psychodynamic or CBT- trained therapist may be able to help you.

For those of you who are looking for a therapist and have a curiosity about yourself spiritually, have a spiritual practice or are experiencing a spiritual “emergence” of some sort, working with a psychotherapist with a transpersonal psychology background may suit your needs.

Wikipedia defines transpersonal psychology as:

Transpersonal psychology is a form of psychology that studies the transpersonal, self-transcendent or spiritual aspects of the human experience.
A short definition from the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology suggests that transpersonal psychology “is concerned with the study of humanity’s highest potential, and with the recognition, understanding, and realization of unitive, spiritual, and transcendent states of consciousness” (Lajoie and Shapiro, 1992:91). Issues considered in transpersonal psychology include spiritual self-development, self beyond the ego, peak experiences, mystical experiences, systemic trance and other sublime and/or unusually expanded experiences of living.

excerpt from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transpersonal_psychology

A therapist with a transpersonal psychology background will have a different orientation to working with you.  Other spiritual or soul aspects of your being that go beyond thoughts, feelings, behaviors and the ego will be considered as you work together towards your therapy goals.  Therapists with a transpersonal education also are trained to be sensitive to your own unique spiritual needs and issues.

To find a therapist with a Transpersonal Psychology or “Spiritually-Oriented” background, you can search the below directories.

Directories for Transpersonal Therapists:
http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_search.php?s6=9
http://atpweb.org/Professional/ProfDir.asp

10 Tips for Relaxing and Letting Go

10 Tips for Relaxing and Letting Go

When moving into a space of relaxing and letting go, consider how stress may be effecting different aspects of yourself.  Do you feel primarily stressed mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually?  After you have identified where you are feeling the most stress, find a way to address that part of you that needs to relax.  For example, if your body is feeling tense, yoga may be a helpful way to respond to your body’s needs.  If you work in a stressful environment, perhaps you can make small changes in your surroundings to add comfort or beauty.  The more senses you engage while relaxing (seeing, hearing, taste, touch, smell) the easier it will be to experience relaxation and let go.

1.  Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4.  Exhale through your mouth for a count of 8.  Repeat for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Allow each breath to relax into a natural rhythm. with your body.  Allow your belly to gradually begin to rise and fall as you breathe in and out.  If you are having difficulty taking “belly” breaths, lean back slightly while sitting in a chair and clasp your fingers together against the back of your head as you are resting back on your hands.  As you lean slightly back, breathe and notice your belly rising and falling.

2.  Listen to instrumental relaxing music.  Try music made to stimulate alpha brain waves or a guided imagery CD for relaxation.  Have relaxing music available on your phone or computer with headphones so you can listen to relaxing music whenever you need a break.

3.  Carry or have available a relaxing aromatherapy blend (oil or spray) to stimulate your sense of smell.

4.  Go for a walk in nature.

5.  Spend time by a natural source of water such as a river, lake or the ocean.  Water is a universal symbol for healing and stimulates releasing and letting go.

6.  Journal.  Write about your thoughts and the feelings generated by those thoughts.  Or, write a letter.  It can be addressed to a specific person, your workplace, God or anything else that comes to mind.  Then, write your own response to your letter, imagining what that letter might say.

7.  Create.  Cook something that soothes you.  Or paint, draw, or engage yourself in another activity that allows you to express yourself without any additional pressure, expectation or need for perfection.

8.  Talk to someone who can support you in shifting the way you are holding your reality.  Whether that person is able to provide a compassionate ear, an amusing perspective or an uplifting dialogue about another topic, talking to someone you feel good around is often a great way to shift how you may be feeling mentally or emotionally.

9.  Sing, dance or both!  Movement will release physical tension in your body.  There are also simple yoga stretches you can do to relax your body.

10.  Close your eyes.  Tune in and ask yourself, “What do I really need right now that will allow me to relax in a healthy way?”  Give yourself permission to give yourself what you really need.

Remember that your body has a natural tendency towards homeostasis so for longer term stress reduction, a change in lifestyle is going to create more sustainable ways of living in a more relaxed way.