We live our lives as a cycle of repeated patterns influenced by the way we feel, the way we perceive our environment and the way we react. Our personality is defined in this way due to the conditioning that we have been exposed to since conception. Therefore, our behaviours, our emotions and our habits represent the paradigm hardwired deep into our unconscious mind, causing us to navigate our life from an automatic state. Thus, when a person makes a conscious decision to change how they react to a certain thing or to quit a bad habit for example, they rarely notice an improvement and if so this only lasts for a short period of time before they go back to their old pattern of being, because that thought (the decision) is opposite to the memory their body stores unconsciously, so they can think positively or repeat affirmations as many times as they want; but, that will not be effective to cause a permanent positive change (Dispenza, 2014). Hence, how can Spiritual Counselling assist the person (the client) to identify and heal the core issue of their thoughts and behaviours patterns that are keeping them from feeling or being their best? How can hypnotic suggestions assist the person in building a positive association to their new way of being at their unconscious level? And what are the key requirements for a successful therapy session? 

To fully understand the concept of Spiritual Counselling, we must first educate ourselves on the lineage of this talk therapy and how it evolved into becoming a humanistic approach to psychotherapy which values wholeness. The term ‘Psychotherapy’ is derived from Ancient Greek, meaning ‘Healing of the Soul’ (Psyche: Soul and Therapeia: Healing); hence, this particular definition reminds us that therapy is about healing at a deeper level. As a new branch of psychology, psychotherapy emerged in the late quarter of the 19th century with the practice of psychoanalysis the “talking cure”, developed by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) as an independent approach to the study of the mind, a clinical method for treating mental health disorders through dialogue between the patient and a psychoanalyst, a person trained in interpreting the hidden aspects of the psyche and bringing them to the surface, making the unconscious conscious. Freud theorised that thoughts, feelings and memories are deep-rooted in the unconscious, below the conscious awareness, and they profoundly exert an impact on behaviour (Sharf, 2011). 

Freud’s psychoanalytic approach was further expanded by other theorists leading to the development of the concept of Psychodynamics (Jarvis, 2004). For instance, Carl Jung (1875-1961) believed there was more to the unconscious than Freud theorised; that instead of the id, ego and the super-ego, the personality consists of the ego, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious, the inherited part of the human psyche, in which archetypes (patterns) are universal and common to all humanity (Jung, 2014). Jungian therapy offers techniques that assist the person to embody certain qualities or archetypes, to transform blocked energies, to receive inner creative qualities and so on. It generally aims to help the person see what is out of balance in their psyche and to empower them to make conscious changes, uniting their unconscious and conscious, and integrating the shadow and the true-self of the personality to feel whole (Papadopoulos, 2006).

Psychosynthesis was another approach that was developed from psychoanalysis. Dr Roberto Assagioli (1888-1974) founded the science of psychosynthesis, a spiritual and holistic approach to psychology, theorising that alongside thoughts, mental processes, physical and emotional experiences, the realms of human experience also include matters of soul and spirit. Although Assagioli was largely inspired by Freud’s idea of repressed mind, he considered his theories to be limited as they neglect the positive dimensions, the transpersonal element of the human personality. Assagioli’s work was aligned with Jung’s theories of the collective unconscious and they both validated the importance of the spiritual level of human existence. Assagioli gave special importance that the human strives for a more authentic and truer experience of the self, and that the process of disidentification facilitates wholeness and integration of all aspects of personality (Sorrell, 2011).

“Freud said, “I am interested only in the basement of the human being.” Psychosynthesis is interested in the whole building.” – Roberto Assagioli

Assagioli’s concept that the superconscious part of the psyche is the realm of values and peak experiences, the source of our unique human path of development and highest potential, led to the birth of the field of humanistic and transpersonal psychology. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) and Carl Rogers (1902-1987) are two of the leading theorists of the humanistic approach to psychology. Maslow stressed the importance of focusing on the healthy aspect, the positive qualities in people and what they are capable of becoming instead of focusing on the pathological aspect, the abnormal. Maslow developed the Hierarchy of Needs, a theory of human motivation based on the fulfilment of innate human needs in priority before attending to higher needs and ultimately self-actualisation. He believed that every person has a strong desire to realise their full potential, to reach a level of self-actualisation, at which a person comes to find a meaning to life that is important to them; for example, it may take the form of the desire to be an ideal mother or a great innovator (Schneider et al., 2001). 

Carl Rogers developed his own unique approach to understanding personality and human relationships, he referred to it as person-centred therapy or person-centred counselling, originally called “non-directive therapy” and “client-centred therapy”. Although Freud played an important part in the history of counselling, the term “counselling” was coined by Carl Rogers in the 1950’s, whose theories have largely influenced modern counselling. In his approach, he regarded the client as a partner in the therapeutic process instead of a helpless patient, and the therapist’s focus is on the complete psychological health of the person, considering their thoughts, feelings, beliefs and wishes as the most vital factors in the therapeutic process, and concentrating on the person’s own experience and how they perceive themselves consciously instead of objectively assessing and interpreting their unconscious thoughts (McMillan, 2004).

“It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried. It began to occur to me that unless I had a need to demonstrate my own cleverness and learning, I would do better to rely upon the client for the direction of movement in the process.” – Carl Rogers

We all have an innate tendency to develop, to become fully functioning individuals; however, the process of reaching our fullest potential can become hindered or blocked by certain life experiences especially those that affect our sense of value. Example of these blocks are ‘conditions of worth’ according to Rogers, the moral code that we live by, the artificially created restrictions we impose on ourselves consciously or unconsciously, believing that we are only worthy, valuable or acceptable unless we meet certain conditions. Hence, the core purpose of counselling is to help the person identify and transform these obstacles and to empower them to achieve a level of self-actualisation and freedom (Murphy, 2017).

The relationship between the counsellor and the person is an important therapeutic factor. Rogers emphasised on three qualities counsellors must display; these are: congruence or genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard or non-judgment (Burnard, 1999). Lao Tzu states “he who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened”; therefore, self-awareness is also one of the important skills that counsellors should embody; they must be aware of their self, strengths and weaknesses, fully understand their values and continually open to develop personally and professionally (Gill and Freund, 2018). Furthermore, they should create a counselling space that is safe, neutral and of comfortable setting. Hence, when these conditions are met, the person can feel at ease, accepted, supported and open to understand themselves, to express their feelings, gain insights, to achieve self-acceptance regardless of any specific thoughts or behaviours, to recognise their own capacity and strengths, to identify their hidden resources, to reconnect with their inner values; thus, enabling them to take the steps towards a positive change (Sutton and Stewart, 2002).

The common ground between all of the different approaches to psychotherapy is the focus on offering an opportunity for the person to be heard,  to be emphatically understood, and safe to engage in a fruitful period of emotional release and self-exploration, in order to overcome their presenting issue and reach their healing goal. When a person seeks to take part in a counselling session, this shows their willingness to transform beyond the difficulty they are currently facing; hence, they are ready to transform beyond their human limitations (Timulak, 2011). The process of inner transformation is both psychological and spiritual; the psychological work prepares the person to express, explore and face their obstacles, problems, and the conflicting parts of themselves, and the spiritual work supports the healing at a deeper level, anchoring the integration of the different aspects of the person into their personality for a whole authentic expression (Friedman and Hartelius, 2013). 

The spiritual approach to counselling is a blend of Western Psychological Methods; for example, Parts Work, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), with Eastern Holistic Techniques of healing such as Meditation, Cord Balancing and Energy Healing (i.e. Reiki). Thereby, Spiritual Counselling honours both the mind and the soul, the physical and the transpersonal, it recognises that each part of the person and their experiences are fundamentally connected to a more comprehensive self; the source of their highest potential. Thus, allowing for a very positive way of understanding difficulties which leads the person to reach self-acceptance, self-trust, healing and a deeper sense of liberation (Johnson, 2013).

One does not necessary need to be spiritual to benefit from Spiritual Counselling, it is a requirement for the spiritual counsellor to be skilled and trained in spiritual approaches as well as in the field of psychotherapy. Moreover, the counsellor must have gone through a journey of inner healing and spiritual growth themselves to ensure that they are going to be of effective assistance to others. The transformational journey of the spiritual counsellor ensures that they have gained a strong understanding of who they are, reached a level of self-acceptance and integration with their true authentic self; furthermore, they have developed spiritual qualities such as unconditional love, compassion, intuition, clairvoyance, clairsentience and channeling. And like any other professional, they are also committed to a life long learning and professional development (Lines, 2006).  

Having opposing feelings, desires and beliefs block the person from moving forward, and sabotage the effort towards healing. The counsellor recognises that at the deepest level of this internal conflict, some potential, something developmentally more advanced is seeking to be born. On this account, Parts Work therapy allows the person to gain valuable insights from these conflicting subselves and to transcend beyond their current difficulty by also accessing parts that hold joy, talents (i.e. creativity), and a sense of wholeness. Therefore, perceiving the presenting issue (i.e. unresolved trauma, stuck patterns) as an energy of transformation motivates the person to trust in the process of counselling, and in their own capacity to allow their personal healing and growth to take place (Whitmore, 2013).

“Within parts work therapy, you achieve trauma resolution by recognising disowned parts and giving these parts a voice. The goal is to help you develop an embodied sense of self that can compassionately hold your emotions, vulnerable sensations, and young parts of self.” –Dr. Arielle Schwartz

In identifying these parts (the dominant and the less dominant), establishing a rapport with them, giving them voice and communicating with them, the counsellor is allowing the person to objectively observe and become aware of what role they play in their personality; therefore, helping the person constructively discover their inner power to resolve their inner conflict and to achieve their desired result. Overall, the purpose of this approach is facilitating an opportunity for the person to recognise, accept and to experience integration, an adaptation of these subselves that allows them to be expressed harmoniously, and ultimately activating a deeper self-awareness (Schwartz, 2013).

Owing to the fact that traditional counselling and psychotherapy is illness oriented, the focus is on the sick part of the person who is regarded as a patient requiring treatment from a therapist whose observations, diagnosis and assessment are deemed expert. And they both engage in sessions on a regular basis over an extended period which can be of a disadvantage to the patient, becoming continuously dependant on the advice of their therapist. On the other hand, Spiritual Counselling concentrates on the potential in the person towards growth, the person is seen as an expert on their own life, and the process is about helping the person discover who they are underneath all the difficulties they are facing, gain self-empowerment and experience a positive shift over a short period (Wellings and McCormick, 2000).

One of the most effective spiritual approaches to counselling is Soul Plan Reading. It is based upon the sound vibration of the birth name as it appears on the birth certificate, and it provides a unique code that holds a meaning to the person’s life path, uncovering their life Challenges (i.e. weaknesses, difficulties, patterns), natural Gifts/Talents (hidden resources) and their life Goals. Hence, this reading brings the person greater freedom, connection, satisfaction, healing, appreciation of their life journey, and life purpose activation. This system allows for a positive way of understanding difficulties; therefore, shifting from a state of judgment, resentment or even shame into embracing the pain and suffering with total acceptance of who they are, and functioning from a place of loving kindness and compassion towards themselves and others with a great sense of purpose (Marsden, 2013).  

“The important thing is to recognise our faults, avoid self-denial, and have the courage and self-sufficiency to make constant adjustments in our lives.” 

      – Michael Newton, Journey Of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives

Besides the therapeutic interventions offered by Spiritual Counselling, Hypnotherapy also facilitates a positive mind-body connection by encouraging a positive change in thoughts, feelings and behaviours, which influence emotional and physical well-being. Since most of our habitual behaviours are stored unconsciously, but yet remain unavailable to the conscious mind while existing as powerful automatic responses, the hypnotherapist uses relaxation techniques to guide the person into a hypnotic state in order to cultivate their imagination with direct therapeutic suggestions, thereby targeting the root cause of the problem, and transforming that programming into a more productive direction for a highly effective healing that can last a lifetime (Peiffer, 2013). This goal-oriented therapy can be used on its own, or in conjunction with other psychotherapy approaches or medical treatments; thus, resulting in greater effectiveness. And it can be used to help the person make changes and regain control in certain areas of their life, for example, stress, performance anxiety, fears, phobias, smoking cessation, unwanted habits, insomnia, pain management and irritable bowel syndrome (Nash and Barnier, 2012).

Past life regression is another technique facilitated by a skilled hypnotherapist with the focus to discover and dissolve the root cause of any significant issue, recurring pattern, conflict or past event (from the current or previous life) that might be interfering with the person’s present wellbeing. This therapeutic technique was primarily developed out of theories of both hypnotherapy and psychoanalysis. By embracing Sigmund Freud’s concept of making the unconscious conscious, this therapy allows the person to regress, move back in time, inside their imagination while they are in a hypnotic state in order to access deep-stored memories to unveil the root cause of their problem. During the process, the person is directed to re-experience that event/memory, unlock and release the suppressed emotions, reflect and gain insights with the benefit of positively influencing their unconscious mind to transform their traumatic memories; hence, developing a profound awareness of who they are with a sense of internal peace and freedom (Newton, 2004).  

“As you prepare each client for spiritual regression, it is imperative that you do not make specific promises about what they are going to see in the session. You do not know what it is in the client’s mind, nor how well they are going to retrieve and accept their memories.” 

– Michael Newton, Life Between Lives: Hypnotherapy for Spiritual Regression

While some people may require more active help from their counsellors, engaging in deep-healing interventions, some may just need someone they can talk to in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment.Therefore, the spiritual counsellor also holds unconditional space for unhurried reflection, allowing the person sufficient time to discuss their presenting issue, to disclose and release their feelings, and to self-discover who they are. They demonstrate good interpersonal skills, effective counselling skills (i.e. active listening) and sound spiritual skills (i.e. mindfulness, intuition) essential for the conduct of a successful session. In other words, they are skilled at working with paying attention to the person’s verbal and non-verbal cues, recognising links and patterns from their past, and uncovering their potential towards growths and healing, creating an open heart connection and mindfulness state, as well as integrating spiritual techniques such as meditation and energy healing to help the person relax, open their heart and release for an effective unfoldment of their healing journey (Seth et al., 2019).

“When someone really hears you without passing judgment on you, without trying to take responsibility for you, without trying to mold you, it feels damn good. . . . When I have been listened to and when I have been heard, I am able to re-perceive my world in a new way and to go on. It is astonishing how elements which seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens. How confusions which seem irremediable turn into relatively clear flowing streams when one is heard.”

– Carl Rogers

Spiritual Counselling is a holistic therapy that considers the different aspects of the person: the mind, body, emotions and spirit. It is a complete therapy that encompasses the major approaches to counselling, psychotherapy and spirituality, that draw solutions from the thinking, physical, emotional and etheric bodies to assist the person self-explore, uncover their inner values and resources, improve self-concept and perception and to develop a sense of autonomy, so they can heal and find their own way forward. The benefits of this type of counselling are not only exclusive to the individuals who seek help with certain difficulties; but, also to those who need support to acquire a new skill, to expand their self-development, to connect with their true purpose and to enhance their spiritual connection. Overall, Spiritual Counselling is a structured process to initiate growth and healing, and it is the client’s self-empowerment that lies at the centre of the therapeutic goal. 

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