Pagan Counseling
Why talk about my Spiritual beliefs with my therapist?
On the surface level, most of us will nod in agreement with the phrase, “Mind, Body, Spirit.” But do we take the next step to deeply contemplate what each of those words encompass? What is the role of Spirit, the spirit and Spirituality for you? And, more importantly, why talk about your spiritual beliefs in therapy? Because “spirit” is often the short-cut phrase to represent so much of what has gone in to making us who we are. What gives your life purpose? How do you make meaning of your experiences? Where do you put yourself in the web of life? Is there a web of life for you? How do you experience connection? What comes next?
How do you determine what is significant and insignificant? Understanding how you make meaning in your life is vital to the therapy process. For many our values are formed or at least influenced by spiritual philosophies and/or religious ideologies. Sometimes our beliefs and values are influenced by a reaction to or negative experience with faith, religion or spiritual groups. Family of origin, culture and ancestry are often formative in our beliefs, practices and experiences; for good or for ill.
All of this is invited into your therapy space. You are welcomed to bring forward your experiences and impacts. My role is not to change your mind or influence you to a particular belief or set of values. My role is to help you shine light on what is already there, to help you ask your own questions and seek out your own answers and supports. In a holistic therapy practice, my role is to hold the space for your Spiritual self to step forward and integrate the wisdom contained within. You may be looking for a safe place to talk about your spirituality. This is that place. I will not push spiritual counseling but should you decide that you would like to include this aspect in your therapy process, we can discuss what it is you need.
My spiritual path
I have identified as a “Pagan with Buddhist tendencies” for many years and I have a solitary practice of my own. I realized that part of my life purpose was to “put it out there” in my work as a therapist. It is important to me and for me to be open about this aspect of myself because the reality is, it informs how I became the therapist I am today. The education that I have pursued, the trainings that I continue to take, the way that I organize new research information into my practice filters through how I make meaning in life. I seek connection and direct experience. I cultivate mindfulness and focus of concentration and intention in my personal and professional life. And, I felt is was important to come out of the “broom closet.”
There were many times in my life I yearned to freely share my beliefs, my understandings, my questions and practices with others. But, I didn’t. I had a good guess how talking about a ritual I had created might have been received and decided to keep it to myself. I played down my experience of feeling deep connection with the Universe as I soaked in the moonlight and talked with the stars at night to little more than a “nice night under the stars.” It was limiting. Limiting my experience and limiting myself. I needed to stop the self-limiting so that I could grow.
This is why I am happy to be out of the broom closet and found by you. I want you to be able to spontaneously share without the need to limit or play down your experiences. I want to you to talk about the tarot reading you did that you can’t get out of your mind for the past 3 days. Or the eagle feather you found hiking and how it struck you as having deep significance in this time in your life. The alter you created as the seasons changed and your new intention for this season. It is all welcome here!
Your Spiritual path is yours
There are a multitude of ways that Paganism can be expressed, as many as there are people. I do not claim to have the “best” way for spiritual expression. You will have your own way, or maybe you are seeking to create the spiritual path that provides you comfort, understanding of the world and yourself and personal power that can come from an organizational framework in life. If you choose, these are all topics we can discuss together.
As in other forms of Religious or Spiritual counseling, many faiths have systems of symbolic practices that are widely utilized in deepening one’s connection to faith or signaling the sacredness of time spent in ritual such as praying the Rosary, observing Shabbat, use of mudras, or wearing Hijab for examples. Paganism is no different. I am familiar with several practices that traditionally fall under the umbrella of Paganism and I look forward to learning about your practices and ways that you deepen and connect to your spiritual being.