Psychotherpy and Spiritual Development at the Leading Edge

[Bright Garlick]

The last decade or so I have been working on an evolving process that is a kind of psychotherapy of sorts on the one hand and on the other a model for spiritual development. I've used elements of it in my own psychotherapy work with people but mostly I use it for myself. The experience of cancer has enhanced my understanding of what I am developing and it's potential application to a wider audience. The bottom line is that it must come from a place of compassion and one day when I am ready I will begin formalizing what I have learnt and teaching those who want something comprehensive. I don't say any of this for any reason except to say that I have had many influences and learnt a great deal from the experience of suffering. Some of these influences are mentioned here : https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...itual-Teachers
but there have been many others.

There are somewhere between 500-600 forms or modalities of counselling/psychotherapy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotherapy). The relationship (a sense of rapport) and a willingness to change has been identified as the key ingredient in creating lasting change. But beyond this, how the hell would a person choose the best pathway ??? I have my own ideas about this and I am sure you have yours. But somewhere in the range of possibilities I think anyone who considers engaging with any form of psychotherapy or transformative process must engage in the act of acceptance. Who are you right now and how do you feel ? This is the entry point to any lasting process of transformation.


What I really wanted to say is this. There are many modailties that are at the leading edge but the one's that will have greatest benefit and outlive all others will be those that :

• Integrate the needs of the body-mind, spirit-soul.
• Treat the individual as a unique creation.
• Can be applied to individuals, groups and institutions.
• Empower individuals to do their own work.
• Treat everyone as equal - the client knows himself better than the therapist but the therapist understands the work of therapy better than the client.
• Draws upon the strengths of both therapist and client.
• Sees the therapist and client in a mutually beneficial relationship - where the client is teaching the therapist about reality and the therapist guides the client and is guided by the client, towards addressing what matters most to her.
• Sees people as a process rather than a fixed entity.
• Accepts the reality that we are all connected in subtle and gross ways and that when we change ourselves we can change each other.
• Changes can create energetic ripples that alter the consciousness of individuals, groups and institutions.
• Has as it's foundation respect, trust and compassion.

So here are the modalities and individuals who I see at the leading edge :

• Ken Wilbur with his idea of Integral Spirituality : http://www.kenwilber.com/home/landing/index.html , & http://vimeo.com/channels/integralsp...iki/Ken_Wilber
• Fritz Perls and Gestalt Therapy : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Perls, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_therapy & https://youtube.com/watch?v=8y5tuJ3Sojc
• Carl Jung and his work on the Shadow, Archetypes, individuation and integration : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung
• Joseph Campbells work on Mythology and symbols : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell
• Victor Veron Woolf and his idea of Holodynamics : http://www.holodynamics.com/
• PJ Gaenir and her idea of Archetype Meditations : http://www.palyne.com/blog.psiche/
• Dennis Merzil (disrobed Zen monk) and his idea of Big Mind Big Heart Zen : http://bigmind.org/
• Tad James and his idea of Time Line Therapy : http://www.timelinetherapy.com/whotad.html & https://youtube.com/watch?v=MVk4EWBJGvw
• George Leonard and his Leonard Energy Training : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Leonard, http://www.itp-international.org/About_LET & https://youtube.com/watch?v=g9YeK...yer_detailpage
• Bert Hellinger and his work with Family Constellations and Orders of Love : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Hellinger & http://www2.hellinger.com/en/
• Arnold Midell and his Process Work (Process orientated Psychology) : http://www.aamindell.net/
• Martin Curruthers and his work on applying chaos theory to family therapy and psychotherapy (Soulwork Systemic Solutions) : http://www.soulwork.net/ & http://www.systemiccoaching.com/sw_a...ng/chaos_2.htm
• John Bradshaw's work on Family Systems : http://www.johnbradshaw.com/ & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bradshaw_(author)
• Francine Shapiro and her idea of 'Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing : http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Past-Y.../dp/1609619951
• Marshall Linehan's Dialectical Behaviour Therpy : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialect...havior_therapy & http://www.amazon.com/Dialectical-Be.../dp/1572245131
• Paul Gilbert and his idea of compassion focussed therapy : http://www.amazon.com/The-Compassion.../dp/1572248408, http://www.compassionfocusedtherapy.com.au/ & http://www.psychologytools.org/compa...d-therapy.html
• Reginald Ray and his work on using the body as a means to experience enlightenment : http://www.dharmaocean.org/ (his work is very similar to the work of Brandon Bays who I reluctantly read after someone gave me one of her books : http://www.thejourney.com/)
• Brian Weis's work on future life therapy : http://www.brianweiss.com/ and Michael Newton's work on in between lives therapy : http://newtoninstitute.org/
• A great deal of the work that is coming out about the Near Death Experience and NDE Like Experience and what these experiences are teaching us about what we are and why we are alive.

Please feel free to add your own suggestions to this list.

Right out in front of the leading edge is the idea that we are perfect as we are. Life is not a never ending personal development competition. So long as we remember WHO is trying to create change, then we will ALWAYS be OK with whatever we ARE. Meditation/mindfulness in the 4 positions (lying down, sitting up, standing and walking) is the key to self awareness but it means nothing if we fail to recognize our true nature. Who is trying to improve who, what is trying to improve what ?

[CdnSirian]

Thanks for posting references and all the links! That is a great resource.

[Delight]

Thank you very much.

I consider many of us to be in a school of sociology.
It's higher mind study from the POV of Source imbued esthetics.
I call it the School of Collective Social Energetics".

In this school, the outer view is examined for usefiul information and it is intemeshed with "inner psychology" as we are aware of the fractalization of consciousness. Then as it is an applied science, we become the observer of our own life and what we see around us.

We mee at PA for symposiums. Blessings, Maggie

[Bright Garlick]

Happy to have helped CdnSirian. We are all connected and if I can help anyone else, it pleases me immensely !

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Posted by Delight (here)
Thank you very much.

I consider many of us to be in a school of sociology.
It's higher mind study from the POV of Source imbued esthetics.
I call it the School of Collective Social Energetics".

In this school, the outer view is examined for usefiul information and it is intemeshed with "inner psychology" as we are aware of the fractalization of consciousness. Then as it is an applied science, we become the observer of our own life and what we see around us.

We mee at PA for symposiums. Blessings, Maggie

Hi Delight Yes I agree with you. I feel very strongly that there is such a collective whatever we call it. I like your idea of Source Imbued Esthetics - I guess it's how I try to live.

I love the way you describe the process living with awareness.

May you be well, Bright.