| People often ask me how transpersonal therapy | | | | for wanting to be free, truly free, even if it means |
| differs from mainstream therapy. It differs in three | | | | challenging the status quo of the mainstream culture. |
| major ways: how transpersonal therapists are trained, | | | | They want help to untangle unhelpful patterns from the |
| the context in which we hold therapy, and in some | | | | past the same as other clients, but they want it from |
| cases, the techniques we use or recommend to | | | | people who have gotten free themselves. |
| facilitate change. | | | | The transpersonal context is one of support for |
| Transpersonal therapists receive training in the same | | | | alternate ways of knowing, of understanding that a |
| mainstream psychology as other therapists that is | | | | person may not want to adapt themselves to a |
| necessary to pass licensing exams. However, we are | | | | culture that is itself sick, and that ours is not the highest |
| not satisfied with that as we don't believe the modern | | | | state of evolution possible. It's knowing that sometimes |
| West has all the answers, so we acquire additional | | | | the greatest things humans can know come from the |
| training into the psychologies of other cultures: Eastern | | | | heart rather than the mind, that compassion may be a |
| religions, Native peoples, LSD research and other | | | | greater value than consumerism, that striving to reach |
| altered states of consciousness, mysticism, and the | | | | to one's potential is more fascinating than owning and |
| esoteric aspects of all religions which Aldous Huxley | | | | wearing the right logos. The truly transpersonal |
| dubbed "the perennial philosophy." | | | | embraces the logos too, why not? But for people who |
| This context we offer is open to spirituality and | | | | have glimpsed a reality beyond that beckons and |
| alternate ways of knowing, making the space safe for | | | | won't let them go, it becomes of utmost importance to |
| people who identify as 'spiritual,' i.e. those for whom | | | | remove the blocks that stand in the way of resting in |
| spiritual search is an integral and compelling part of | | | | the quiet space where lies the Truth of who we really |
| their life. Spiritual people are often reluctant to enter | | | | are. |
| mainstream therapy with good reason, as few | | | | Techniques that transpersonal therapists utilize may |
| conventional therapists know how to honor what is | | | | include meditation, energy work, or other alternative |
| outside their own mindset. Spiritual people want to be | | | | modalities. The most important thing however is sound |
| able to talk with their therapists about their experiences | | | | clinical skills, the ability to really 'get' the client, and the |
| in altered states of consciousness, their thirst for higher | | | | therapist's commitment to their own ongoing growth. |
| knowledge and abilities. They want to be understood | | | | |