What is Spiritual Counseling?
In my one-on-one Spiritual Counseling Practice, I bring together what has been considered spiritual work (transcendent experiences of oneness, no-self, emptiness, awakened awareness, god, the sacred) with what has been considered soul work (dreams, creativity, ceremony, ritual, embodied imagination, visionary experience, premonition). I feel this is an approach that is integrative of the whole human process.
For as humans we are evolving, we evolve into a greater appreciation of our sameness, our interconnection, the peace within–and we also simultaneously evolve into our unique expression of this precious life.
As someone who was trained as a Zen priest / monastic for over a decade, I appreciate the depth of the meditative traditions in revealing the fundamental nature of being, our freedom, compassion and awakeness.
We all have access to this freedom and love.
And we all have a unique expression of this freedom & love and a unique path to living more authentically from it through this finite body, heart and mind.
Soul work is a deep dive into the unconscious, expressed both collectively and personally. It is opening to the ways in which the wisdom of the soul is already trying to speak to us, through us–in dreams, body symptoms, visions, imagination, our creative expressions and even, those things we say or do that seem so “out of character.”
Soul work is healing. It is letting ourselves be more ourselves. Coupled with spiritual practice, we come to know the depths and heights of our being, the transpersonal & deeply personal sides of being human.
This work is grounded in love. I sometimes consider it a process of wholing. One that is never complete; for this is an evolutionary process.
Working with me requires an interest in healing, transformation or awakening. You will change in this process if you allow it and it may not always be what you expect. I find it best to take a gentle approach–to feel into what is emerging and begin to integrate it into the soma. Embodiment is how we ground peak experiences /insights, so that we can begin to actually live them.
In my spiritual counseling practice I utilize four main modalities. The first is mindfulness/meditation. Mindfulness gives us perspective, it allows us to step back into non-judgemental awareness and see the moment to moment fluctuations in thought, mood, emotionality and action. Mindfulness is also the key to living a more rich and fulfilling life. For it is through mindfulness of the senses that we have access to the spark of living in presence, to the spontaneity of life happening now, as well as the potential to move into deep transpersonal states.
I also work in the mediums of dreams, process art and ceremony. Dreams provide access into the depths of the imagination, individually and collectively. I have been reminded recently of Albert Einstein’s teachings on imagination. He called it “the language of the soul” and cautioned to “pay attention to your imagination” saying it was all you needed “to be fulfilled.” He is also quoted as saying that; “imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
The moon goddess wears star clothing on her journey around the earth. What goes unseen in your daily travels? Who are you taking with you? What help is there? Who are you helping?
When we give attention to the play of the imagination happening in dreams, but also throughout our waking lives, we are granted access to a deeply creative and wise part of ourselves. Perhaps to the way that the soul or the universe speaks and moves through us. It is through dreams that we encounter what is emergent, the next piece of inner work that wants our attention. Our next life lesson, so to speak.
Dreams can help us reclaim our creative lives. They can give us insight into core beliefs or patterns that are no longer serving us, shed light on challenges in our lives/relationships, and even have the potential to deepen our experience of awakening. When we embody the insights in dreams in our waking lives, our experience of life may begin to carry a deeper sense of satisfaction and liveliness, one that permeates even what we previously thought of as difficult or unbearable.
Process art is another way of honoring the imagination or waking dream, as it expresses through us.
I love using art because it is an embodied form of transformation. No matter what medium we have, we are held within its limits. No matter what medium we have, we use all of the senses. Process art invites what is present to be felt and expressed. We attune with mindfulness of the senses, and then allow the art process to take shape.
Painting is perhaps my favorite medium because we have color. Color can capture a feeling, a body sensation, a sound, a vision, a memory. As colors interact with the page we begin to see the whole process interacting in one space.
Process art is not about making something beautiful or precise. It is about the process. The process of creating. When we are present with the process, we may see things about ourselves that aren't usually so evident. That we are able to hide or that we may even deny.
Rainbow Mountain Bridge — Made during the task of re-hydrating my paints
Process art can re-acquaint you with the source of creativity. The spontaneity of being alive. PLAY!
It can remind us that life is process. It can help us love the parts of ourselves and the world that are difficult, cruel, and painful. It can help us heal from the ways we exile or separate parts of ourselves and the world. It can help us process emotions, strong emotions like grief or fear or rage.
Then there is the more mysterious side of process art. The forms, words or sounds that take shape through the medium, the sense of completion, the insights that emerge in the process, the healing that happens simply from engaging with it, the integration, the love.
Sometimes when I am struggling to write a new blog post or respond to an email. I sit down with my paints and have a process art session. Sometimes in the middle of the session I feel ready to write. It was like I needed to enter into the unknown, to let go of my shoulds, the inner critical voice, the controller–and just paint for a while.
I have had similar experiences with free movement, poetry and sculpture. If I am “stuck” in one medium, sometimes I need to engage with another in a more free, less productive way.
Being creative is natural to us. It is joyful. It restores life and thus heightens our resilience. It is a direct connection with the imagination, the unconscious, the soul.
Process art is good for anyone who wants to reclaim their lives and their creativity, you don’t need to be trained in any medium in order to engage with it as process art.
Lastly I work with ritual and ceremony. Sometimes what is needed to help bring the unconscious, the imagination, intention or the transpersonal into our daily lives is through ritual. Ritual honors the moment. It is pausing, re-centering, connecting. It is opening, honoring, caring for.
Ritual helps us connect with life outside of our opinions, judgements, worries and habits. It helps us connect with mindfulness, creativity, the imagination, and to the source of it all. Ritual gives a sense of truth and beauty to our lives. Setting up simple rituals throughout your days, weeks, months and years can help you feel more grounded, present, resilient and ready for all the twists and turns that life has to offer.
If there is a specific issue that you would like to address, like bringing more self-love or mindfulness into your life, or working with pervasive anxiety or a sense of being stuck creatively–transpersonal spiritual counseling can help you find ways to disrupt negative habits, to attune to what is emergent and bring about healing and transformation.
Spiritual Counseling is also for those of you who are simply curious about the nature of mind, the nature of the cosmos, your inner life. Attending with mindfulness and curiosity to dreams and the creative process with someone, can help us nourish the inner life and our sense of interconnection and evolution.
I recommend 4-5 sessions for those who have a specific issue, once a week or every other week. From there we can reassess. For those with a deep curiosity there is the possibility of working longer term together. I usually recommend starting with every other week for 4-5 sessions, and then perhaps meeting once a month for a while. It is really up to you and how much support you want in this process.
Contact me for a free exploratory session!
amy.kisei@gmail.com
