As a deeply spiritual person I believe we are mind, body and soul. My perspective is not rooted in one religion, but rather the intersection of truth that is at the centre of all spiritual and religious beliefs. For me these truths are universal connectedness and love, and the ideas that we are all directed and held by a source greater than ourselves. I refer to this source as God; you may refer to it as Universe, Spirit, Allah, Yahweh…insert what is true for you.)
Incorporating spiritual beliefs and practices into counselling is not the same as receiving spiritual direction. Spiritual directors will focus entirely on your relationship with yourself and God (Universe, Source) and how to grow in your spiritual practice.
My focus is more on transpersonal psychology, in which I use both spiritual and psychological language and practices to help you have a more authentic relationship with yourself and the people around you. In effect, transpersonal psychology explores the whole human experience (mind, body, soul), whereas psychology explores only the psyche and the mental constructs we build for ourselves across a lifetime. These constructs are based on social conditioning and experiences; to evaluate and reframe is a helpful part of counselling, but if this is ALL we do it’s akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. The ship is still going down.
No matter what you believe, whether you follow one specific framework such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism, I am here to journey with you according to your beliefs and needs.
If you have more questions regarding counselling from a spiritual perspective, please email me at claire@safehavenbc.com.