Contemplative Psychotherapy

As a contemplative psychotherapist, my core belief is that every being has a seed of “basic goodness” or “inherent wisdom” and my therapeutic goal with each client is to help them to find that seed.  Life’s challenges and hardships hide or obstruct our view of this inner wisdom and seed of truth.  My work is to help individuals reclaim that deeper part of themselves, which is not always so easy to find. Sometimes it can be buried in a heap of traumatic memories and rubble, but it is always there. I follow my client’s lead and assist them in finding this deeper sense of self and re-claiming it.
We all have habitual ways of being in the world, some habits that work, but others that obstruct or get in the way of our path to healing.  It is only when we become aware of these habits that we can change them.

Therefore, part of my work is to point out what a habit may be and together we can then work to change the habit or behavior.  Habits have often been with us for a long time and because they have become such a part of us and our identity, they seem ingrained in us and therefore not changeable.  But, if the desire is there, hard as it may be, the change is possible.

Meditation has been an integral part of my personal journey for 30 years.  Though I do not teach meditation in my therapy sessions with clients, I do emphasize mindfulness and  the importance of slowing down and paying attention first to our breath and then to our habits and behaviors.