Spiritual Therapy

Are You Seeking Deeper Connection With Yourself?

Do you feel like there is a more authentic way of being, but aren’t sure how to find your way “home?” Maybe you’ve worked with therapists in the past and found that traditional therapy supported your development in some areas, but not in others. Perhaps you’re tired of striving so hard to measure up to ideas about who, what and where you’re supposed be, and you want to take your experience of this life to a more easeful and expansive place. It might be that you’re questioning the faith and beliefs you were raised with, seeking spiritual guidance as you explore your relationship with God, the Divine or your sense of there being “something greater” than our ordinary consciousness. Are you tired of being governed by ego, self-judgments and feelings that you’re somehow unworthy or not good enough? Do you want to explore your capacity to see through these illusions and make contact with what is good and true within yourself?

We all have a flame inside of us—a fire that ignites us to seek the truth and better understand ourselves, our reality and our purpose on this planet. It may be that a sense that something important is missing from your life is fanning this flame. Or maybe a spiritual book, teacher, yoga practice or meditation is feeding your desire for closer contact with what is true and real. It may be that you recognize the ways you are imprisoned by your beliefs and long to find the freedom you know is your potential as a human being.

A Path To Spiritual Awakening

It can be easy to take a dark view of the world right now given what is going on politically, socially and environmentally. But, there is no light without dark, and humans have an inherent drive toward “enlightenment.” Carl Rogers, one of the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology, believed that humans, like plants, will always move toward the light. In his “potato story,” Rogers writes about his family’s supply of potatoes stored in their basement under a small window. Although the conditions were unfavorable to growth, the potatoes grew sprouts that traveled two to three feet in length toward the distant light of that window. Like Roger’s potatoes, we are light seeking, too. We are also truth seeking. And, while most—if not all—of us have experienced challenges, obstacles and trauma that have blocked the light and truth, these same afflictions often help orient us toward a more mature, spiritual and present way of being in the world.

The gratitude in suffering—which is ubiquitous in our world—is that it can bring us back to the truth of who we are. The dark times in our lives ironically have the ability to help us break free from the stories and expectations we create and that are created around us. Almost a paradox, the really challenging personal work needed to move through tough circumstances can bring us greater clarity and a simpler way of being.

And, it seems as though more and more people are awakening to the need for more extensive inner work, especially in places like the Bay Area. We feel that there is a deeper mystery to our lives—that’s there’s something important to be discovered. And, in this natural drive toward awakening, openhearted inquiry becomes an important part of the journey.

Spiritual Therapy Provides You With Guidance, Support And A Space For Exploration

Rather than focus on trying to fix external problems, the intent of spiritually-oriented therapy is to offer you a space for unscripted self-exploration as you begin the journey toward the truth of who you are. Through deep self-inquiry, you can embark upon a personal journey with both curiosity and kindness. You can learn to understand and integrate the belief systems, personality patterns and history that have limited your access to your inherent wholeness.

In spiritual psychotherapy sessions, we’ll generally begin by looking at self-judgment—the degree to which you blame yourself for things and/or feel that you are not good enough. It may be that even after years of spiritual practice you still feel dissatisfied and judge yourself for not being where you think you should be. Together, we can begin to break down your ideas about yourself and start to disarm the cruelty with which you treat yourself. Through this work on your inner critic, you can begin to challenge the self-defeating messages that no longer serve you.

Our bodies, like our minds and emotions, offer us wisdom and help us access our whole selves on a deeper level. In sessions, I’ll encourage you to listen to your emotional terrain and physical body. You will begin to name feelings and sensations and move toward them, embodying them more fully and seeing where they take you. You can come to better understand and integrate difficult emotions and move into a deeper, more connected experience of yourself. This type of somatic work can also help you use body awareness to become more responsive to your circumstances rather than reactive. By slowing things down and being present to sensations, you become more able to engage with yourself and others with greater consciousness.

Spiritual psychology sessions are also a safe and nurturing place for you to explore your connection to your “source” in whatever way holds meaning for you. We can discuss your past experiences with spirituality, explore what spiritual development and spiritual growth mean to you and uncover what your heart is yearning for.

All sessions are client-driven, based in the present moment and offer you a safe place to explore anything and everything that is coming up for you. Whether it’s something surfacing from the past, a pressing current concern that warrants resolution or a desire to engage in deep personal or spiritual inquiry, I’ll meet you where you are. As your spiritual counselor, it is my intention to provide you with compassionate support and guidance, and to honor your experience as you travel your personal path to healing, personal development and spiritual realization.

You still may have questions about spiritual healing through therapy…

Shouldn’t this work be between just the Divine and me?

Your spiritual exploration is and will remain between you and the Divine. However, what I have learned as a psychotherapist for more than three decades, a long time student of the Diamond Approach and through a lifetime of spiritual inquiry, is that we often benefit from the support and guidance given to us through teachers, mentors and therapists. There is a lot of power in being witnessed by a fellow journeyer, and the conscious presence of another can support focus and intention.

How often do I need to engage in spiritual counseling?

This is your journey, and how little or often you attend sessions is completely up to you. Spiritual therapy is a collaborative process, but you are the ultimate arbiter of your needs. I may make suggestions as to what might be optimum given the flow of our work at any given time.

I’ve tried traditional therapy is the past, which didn’t really work. How could spiritual therapy be different for me?

Traditional therapy comes in many forms and can be transformative in many ways. With spiritual work, however, we start with the assumption that there is more to ourselves than meets the eye. While traditional therapy typically addresses having healthier external lives, spiritual therapy explores the inner life—much of which is unknown to us and mysterious. There are as many paths to doing this work as there are individuals, and together we can discover your personal thread. Ultimately, each one of us has our own spiritual guidance, and the purpose of spiritual therapy is to unlock that capacity within ourselves.

Connect To The Divine Within

If you’re in Oakland, CA seeking spiritual guidance and a safe space to engage in the process of self-inquiry, I invite you to call me at 510-423-3577 to schedule a free, full, in-person session. A face-to-face session will help us get a feel for one another, and we can discuss what you are looking for and how we might best work together. I’m also happy to answer any questions you have about spiritual therapy and my practice.