This is an introduction to my blog posts. I will be offering snippets of what I have come to know as truths about our human journey through my own process and the sacred honoring of bearing witness to others’ unfolding of themselves.
I have been reflecting on what is happening for all of us during this incredible and unique time on the planet. The possibilities of deconstructing what isn’t working from the macro level – institutional racism, structural inequalities, health care, education, the way we treat our precious earth – to the micro level – the ego, the beliefs we hold about our lives and ourselves, the generational reverberation of trauma, scarcity and fear – in our beings. This is a powerful time of awakening, seeing through the vails of collective and personal shadow and into the light.
While the medical model has been instrumental in helping us understand our internal worlds, such as identifying the historical nature of our dysfunctional family and cultural systems, at some point in the journey these same ways of labeling can become an anchor, keeping us tethered to a belief that we are flawed as individuals. For example, a young man that was raised in a system of inequality, oppression, abuse, and addiction, then ends up in prison says nothing about the young man and has everything to do with the system in which he was born into. So if we can see the truth in this example, how are we any different?
I believe we are ALL shifting and growing in our own ways. Often what clients present with can be seen through the lens of the whole, the commonalities of being human. The medical model of psychology would prescribe a multitude of diagnoses explaining our suffering. But at this juncture of understanding the human experience, I believe that the concept of pathology is somewhat outdated and stigmatizing. A vast majority of people that are seeking therapy are craving a release from the systems that are no longer serving them. It is time to destigmatize the pursuit of mental health. It is time to create space in ourselves and in our culture to see a holistic vision of what it means to be human in 2021.
For the past 20 years I have worked as a clinical therapist supporting clients in intimate ways: in their vulnerabilities, in their pain, in their grief, and in their suffering. I listen with presence and compassion as they learn how to navigate their internal worlds. In my work I have come believe that part of what allows the client to enter into sacred space with the therapist is the therapist’s ability to be authentically themselves. I have spent 35 years getting to know my own egoic self. Early on, this was for my survival, but it became a means to be authentically with someone, knowing that we are all imperfectly human. I bring my own life experiences that have allowed me to know deep despair, grief, fear, hopelessness, anger, rage, as well as love, joy, equanimity – all of it. I’ve ridden the waves of life just like anyone else. The caveat, of course, is that I have made this my life’s work. I am the constant seeker, the learner, and the enthusiastic sharer.
The therapeutic process is unique for each person, yet the commonly sought goal is almost universal: to live a more heart centered and peaceful life. As humans we desire love, connection, validation, and purpose. Yet we as human beings all have our own stories and life experiences that might impinge on our ability to access these foundational qualities.
I guide clients in learning their egoic selves, tapping into the layers of emotional wounding, and where it resides in their bodies. If we can agree that we are more than our thinking mind, more than our physical form, then we can forage into the esoteric knowing of our souls. My goal is to translate living wisdom to others. How do we shift from this energy of scarcity and not enough, into the radical experience of freedom and sovereignty? By knowing that we, and the collective us, can drop into the remembrance of love, unity, compassion, empathy, and trust right now.
In the coming posts I will share some of my personal experiences of perceptual shifts, psychological growth, and deep healing, as a potential roadmap for you. I find a rich tangibility in reading others’ lived experiences of how they went from the bottom of their proverbial barrel, to feeling enlivened with purpose and passion for life.
I look forward to exploring this new landscape of our interconnectedness in the months and years to come.
