A taste of transpersonal counselling

The concept of transpersonal counselling can seem confusing or cloudy. What is meant by the term 'transpersonal?' Is it the same as being 'religious?' As being 'spiritual?' Are you supposed to believe in 'a higher power' to engage in transpersonal counselling?

The short answer to all of the above is 'no.' You might be religious, or spiritual, or believe in a higher power, yet these are not prerequisites for working in a transpersonal way. For me, the word 'transpersonal' refers to anything which gives our lives wonder. You may have glanced up on a sunny day and seen white clouds floating, and just for a moment, felt wonder. You may have contemplated the beauty of a flower and, for a moment, felt wonder. You may have looked into the eyes of a child and felt wonder. This wonder may have contained awe: the feeling that, 'life's amazing!'

Further, your sense of wonder and awe may have had another aspect to it that's hard to define, yet powerful to experience. This is a sense of the eternal, of something that will always be there, be it the sky, nature, or love for a child. From this sense of the eternal comes a strong feeling of connection and wholeness, the feeling that we belong to something that includes us yet is also much bigger than us. Different people find this feeling in different things, or in many things. Some might find it in art or fiction; some in their friendships and relationships; some in the sound of the rain; some in dreams.

The transpersonal can be found anywhere and everywhere. It imbues our lives with meaning, making it rich and deep. The transpersonal counsellor strives to discover with their client what can make life feel whole.