Transpersonal Counseling
I offer mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling for spiritual and existential concerns, spiritual growth, and self-acceptance. I came to San Francisco to learn and practice therapy because we have a culture that values self-reflection, and there are many opportunities here for personal growth.
Transpersonal counseling is a way of looking at the therapeutic process – inner work and human potential – through an integral lens that includes the body and consciousness itself. Put simply, it is about supporting you in making intimate contact with the truth of your everyday life, so you can know the depths of who you are. Beneath the layers of habit, addiction, stress and obsessive thinking, there is a calm awareness within you. This essential self is a profound source of guidance and creativity. Rather than relying only on the mind, which is often the source of suffering, I can help you find and trust this wisdom of the heart and the body.
From the transpersonal perspective, what we usually experience as “self” is a narrow band of awareness of conditioned thoughts, memories, ideas, learned behavior and body images. Transpersonal therapy examines the boundaries of “self” and follows positive experiences to discover innate aspects of consciousness: joy, compassion, spaciousness, true strength, and feelings of interconnectedness. Is it possible to find and rest in a quiet, sweet simplicity of Being while living in today’s complex world? I’m working on that myself, and want to guide others along their path of balancing productivity and peacefulness.
I hold a BA in Contemplative Psychology from Naropa University, where Eastern/Buddhist and Western approaches to psychology are taught along with mindfulness training. I have been practicing meditation regularly for over 15 years. Mindfulness is a practice of noticing and calming the habit of being distracted by thoughts and impulses. Careful observation of thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and sensations can help regulate emotions and move the brain toward healthy ways of responding to stress.
Studies have shown that mindfulness is a supportive tool for reducing stress, anxiety and depression. While I rarely bring this practice explicitly into sessions, its effects enhance my work. Psychotherapy is an interpersonal mindfulness practice; with my support you are able to pay more attention to your experience. This attention helps you integrate and make sense of your experience, which carries forward the developmental process that wants to unfold within you. My own mindfulness practice trains me to sustain a calm, focused attention and a non-judgmental, curious stance on whatever arises in session. This stance is passively learned, helping you build self-acceptance and self-understanding. As I listen carefully to you, you learn to listen more closely to yourself, which can lead to a discovery of sources of inner guidance and affirmation.