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Transpersonal psychotherapy: Searching for meaning under your pain

By Lisa Barr

      Compassion, openness and a receptivity to life's larger lessons are all hallmarks of transpersonal psychotherapy. The word "transpersonal" emerged in the 1960s when people began to raise their "consciousness" in the decade of flower power. Many people traveled to the Far East, bringing back the wisdom of meditation and yoga. At the same time, psychologists were conducting experiments with LSD. The result was a growing awareness that many levels of consciousness exist, that spirituality is woven through and beyond the physical world and beyond our senses, and that the "self" may be bigger than the ego (thus the name, "trans-personal").

      Later, the term transpersonal came to be used in connection with specific therapies that sought to emphasize the interconnectedness of all things, the idea that events don't just happen randomly and there is a reason for everything. An example of this interconnectedness is the idea that nurturing our bodies will have a positive impact on our state of mind. Likewise, our mental and emotional clarity will have a healing effect on our bodies.

      The all-encompassing nature of transpersonal experience combined with psychotherapy is a powerful mix. A trusting and safe alliance between client and therapist can bring dramatic changes in thoughts and emotions, in personal choice and action. The transpersonal approach gives a therapist more options than a traditional one. The transpersonal psychotherapist can be thought of as having a more diverse music collection.

Transpersonal applications

      Transpersonal psychotherapy is used to treat a number of different problems, from resolving addiction to overcoming the traumas of an abusive childhood.

      John Davis, a professor of transpersonal psychotherapy at Naropa University, says there are two areas best suited to transpersonal psychotherapy. The first is the area of life transitions such as divorce, a career change or a new child. A man going through a midlife crisis will experience not only physical and emotional changes, but also a change in the way he relates to his deepest values. A transpersonal psychotherapist can "offer a better understanding by helping the client draw out and give voice to the deeper meaning of the transition," Davis says. The duration of treatment varies. Sometimes just a couple of visits are enough, but more often treatment can last for months; a longer-term course of treatment offers greater benefits as rapport grows between client and therapist.

      The second area is what Davis calls "spiritual emergencies." These are intense psychological difficulties that may have the qualities of depression, bipolar disorder or brief psychotic reactions. These types of experiences feel as though the rug has been pulled out from underneath your feet. What appears as a breakdown, however, may actually be a breakthrough.

      Imagine this scenario: you just spent the holidays with your family and immediately show symptoms of severe, debilitating depression. Getting out of bed is a major struggle, let alone going to work. Your therapist will consider the possibility that your turmoil is a sign of a spiritual breakthrough, but will not rule out other possibilities. He or she may offer transpersonal tools-for example, meditation to calm your mind and allow you to see your suffering from a new perspective. From this quieter place, you may make a major breakthrough. Perhaps you realize, for example, that spending time with your family is destructive, and you may be able to make some changes in your behavior, thoughts and actions.

      Crisis often precedes change. Even so, "transpersonal psychotherapy takes a balanced approach to psychological discomfort," Davis says. In other words, the transpersonal approach will see a potential for a breakthrough, but recognizes that not every single life experience is a breakthrough.

Transpersonal techniques

      The techniques of the transpersonal psychotherapist vary. These include, but are not limited to, hypnotherapy, reiki, past life regression, biofeedback, EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), meditation, yoga, visualization, controlled breathing, therapy animals, authentic movement, ritual, dream interpretation, channeling and nutrition. Each is used to address different needs and enrich the counseling experience.

      Bibliotherapy, for example, is used when a therapist intuitively suggests a book based on your current experiences. Most of us can relate to reading a self-help book or story that has had some impact on our lives. Books may speak to our spiritual selves in a way that talk therapy cannot. Let's say you're struggling with a career choice: you know you're a painter, but your mind tells you not to trust this information. Your lack of confidence feeds your mind the message that you must keep your office job because it's reliable, and that your passion of painting professionally is just an unrealistic dream.

      Your therapist may recommend that you read The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, a short novel about a boy's journey to trusting his heart. The story may make you realize that the problem you're facing is common with all of mankind. You may feel empathy for the character which, in turn, helps you develop compassion for yourself. And you may become inspired and hopeful, realizing that we are only as limited as we believe we are.

      Through the transpersonal process, it is possible to become more receptive to learning the lessons of your own suffering. Think of an event that caused you great emotional pain or loss. You may still be wondering why it happened. Transpersonal work explores the bigger picture, the purpose and the depth contained in our experience.

      For example, suppose your boyfriend suddenly breaks up with you. Six months later, you still can't shake your obsession. Every night you reminisce about the good times you had with him. Controlled breathing, another transpersonal tool, would ground and center you, enable you to detach from the painful event, and perhaps allow you to be more receptive to the lesson. After working through a guided visualization, you might realize that the situation is teaching you how to let go by directing you out of an energy-draining belief in rejection and abandonment, and that it is time for you to re-visit and face your old beliefs and make different choices.

      This cutting-edge therapy may not be suited for everyone. Opinions vary. One therapist suggests that ultra-intellectuals may benefit from choosing a more traditional form of talk therapy. Those who are actively psychotic also may not benefit, according to another.

      If transpersonal therapy appeals to you, try setting up an initial consultation. Most therapists offer them either free or at a reduced rate. This will give you an opportunity to sense if the chemistry is right between you and the therapist. One way to find a transpersonal psychotherapist is to log onto the Colorado Association of Psychotherapists website: www.cap-psychotherapists.com

. Doing an internet search for Colorado transpersonal psychotherapists on any search engine can also prove useful-many therapists have their own websites explaining individual techniques and areas of focus.                

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