[question] counseling, energy work, spirituality, career path

[wispfox]

I've been idly trying to determine if there is already some sort of counseling type around which is willing to consider the possibility of energy work as valid, and which is completely aware of people's spirituality as a factor.

It's mildly amusing, but I do seem to be having a draw towards a counseling-type career path, presuming I can figure out a way to only be dealing with people who actively want to be there and to figure things out about themselves and their lives.

Amusing because I have a mother who is a school psych, and an older sister who I'd swear just finished a masters (? or further) in counseling. Runs in the family, just a bit. (Or, as I think they'd both say, people go into it because they, themselves, need or have needed healing, so understand. Or maybe it was that only crazy people want to try to help out the rest of the crazy people. Something like that. I'm not remembering the exact words, but they were amusing)

And... I _want_ to include energy work and such types of healing in with any counseling I do, so if I can manage to find a school with that intentionally a part of it (or at least with spirituality as an understood part of it), all the better. I wish I had better words for what I'm trying to say here...

And I wish I didn't feel an awful lot like what I'm looking for has tended to go along with organized religions, and probably doesn't really exist outside that category. *sigh* I don't _like_ having to create my own category! I do it too much...

Anyone have any idea? Note that I do _not_ want to go to a school with specifically catholic or christian leanings, because I got tired of that as a kid. Unless they are very _quiet_ leanings. Not with the trying to convert me...

Ok. I babble. And I really _should_ try to sleep, even if my brain is all being annoying.

Comments

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

I haven't, as yet, done a lot of exploration of the 'alternative' types of counseling. (Mostly because I've wanted to get the freakin' Bachelor's first...)

I do find that the art/music/expressive therapy types at, at least, Lesley, are much more aware of sprirituality and of the possibility of energy than the folks in the more traditional Counseling program paths.

Anyway, if you get coherent answers from other people, I'll be all ears.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

There's a reply below with a suggestion of someone to read the LJ of.

And, in my investigations (since I'm obviously not _sleeping_), I've come across 'transpersonal' psychotherapy. I need to investigate how well accepted it is, and such, but that looks promising...

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

*nods* My mother has a degree in Art Therapy, as well as an MSW (and I think a lapsed teaching certificate?). Various family friends have degrees/careers in psychology/psychiatry/nursing/hotlines, etc.

Anyhow, I also suggest that you, wispfox look into the various "expressive therapies" (art, music, play, pet).

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Pet = animal, or pet = touch?

Methinks I'm likely to go for the link rosefox posted, the MA in Integral Counseling Psychology, and then if I still want to go further, the Psy.D.

Mmm. Tasty.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Pet = animal. But also touch, in that animals like to be petted and people like to pet them.

Specifically dog therapy, cat therapy, etc.

Benefits of Pets (http://www.holistic-online.com/stress/stress_pet-therapy-benefits-of-pets.htm)

Pet Therapy FAQ (http://paws.shopalberta.com/Visit/FAQ.htm)

Google search (http://www.google.com/search?q=therapy+%28pet+OR+dog+OR+cat%29)

Shinnnny link. :)

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm going to second the recommendation of Lesley -- they have an independent-study division and are pretty open. You might well be able to swing something in one of many ways -- check out their course catalog for some sense of the kind of thing they do. One possibility is to figure out what counseling courses you'd need and then do the self-designed program and add in lots of outside study of energywork sorts of therapies?

There's also Cherry Hill (http://www.cherryhillseminary.org), which is a pagan seminary with a pastoral counseling option for a focus...

While she's really far from you ...

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

Might want to look at runnerwolf's journal or her path journal dreamingclaw. She does shamanic energy work/healings/counseling.

Re: While she's really far from you ...

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Ooooooh. Thank you!

Re: While she's really far from you ...

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

As it happens, she's a fairly close friend. Her ceremonies are definitely good things, though I don't exactly follow her path.

[rosefox]

http://www.ciis.edu/ was designed for you. Have fun. Let me know if you'd like help apartment-hunting around here. *)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Oh, _my_.

Thank you!

And it won't be immediate. Much as I appear to have finally started wanting to go back to school (I was wondering how long it would take), I do still need to pay off my already existing school loans (at least another year). And still think traveling for a bit between full-time work and full-time school would be good. And, of course, I need to get the undergrad pre-reqs. :)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

And, of course, I _do_ still need to do lots of research into where I want to go. ;)

[rosefox]

They do distance learning too. *)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

I did see that.

However, I think, especially if it might be a place I will want to go for later stuff, that I want to actually be _at_ the location, so I interact with people in-person, and people know who I am. Helps, I've found, in many ways.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Distance learning can be very effective. But it's quite different from traditional learning. Electronic communication, time to ask questions and get good interaction, etc.

Given the option, I'd take (and have taken) the traditional learning for most topics.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Oooo pretty linkidys. *adds to degree wishlist*

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Yes, isn't it? It's _so_ going to be mine!

Mineminemine!

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

*happily watches the gleeful coveting*

Transpersonal Psychology

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

You definitely want to check out Transpersonal Psychology. I googled for a few good links and thought I'd share.

this one (http://www.paradigm-sys.com/cttart/sci-docs/ctt96-sotai.html) from Charles Tart looks pretty good. A nice excerpt from there says

To put it in a way that I think would fit most spiritual traditions, I think we would like to live in a world where the majority of people had direct, experiential knowledge of deep spiritual realities, rather than just ideas or beliefs about them. To put it another way, a world where the majority of people were transpersonally oriented not through theory but as a result of direct experiences of transcending their ordinary biological, psychological and cultural identities and contacting/being that larger "something" - words fail us here, as we know - that Source of Intelligence and Love that is our true nature.

Some other good links that I found include one on Stanislov Grof (http://spiritdimension.com/transpersonal-psychology.htm), he of the Holotropic Mind and Beyond the Brain.

Some good indices on Transpersonal Psychology include Google's Directory (http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Social_Sciences/Psychology/Transpersonal/) and this one (http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/psi/trperson.htm) from the "WWW Virtual Library".

Finally, there was this page (http://www.ahpweb.org/rowan_bibliography/chapter14.html) which looks interesting but I couldn't fit it in above.

I expect to be writing a post about all this later...

[echospiralheart.livejournal.com]

My friend had gone to a shaman counselor at one point. So I'd say it's safe to say that they do exist. :) Good luck with figuring it out. I think you'd make a great counselor.

[bluepapercup]

My counselor/therapist DD (who lives in upstate ny with her wife and three dogs and two cats and a farm) works both with "traditional" psychotherapy as well as integrating counseling and energy work/meditation. She and Sue (her wife) sometimes do sessions where I'll lie on the massage table and they'll run energy through my body while I talk. It's amazing what can be worked through with that kind of support.

They're out there...and there's places to learn...and if you want to...Go for it!

[bill-in-germany.livejournal.com]

My therapist combines energy work with traditional counseling. Email me if you want her contact info.

[wolfkitn.livejournal.com]

hey there,

i know you from various social contexts; i'll ID myself as a LJ person next time i see you in person.

anyway... you and i have a mutual acquaintance/friend who is in a counseling program at lesley college. not sure of the details, but i know this person does reiki and is interested/into energy work in general, and was looking specifically for some way to meld the two into a counseling sort of career.

as i said, i'll say hi next time i see you (it may be a while, we tend to run into each other once every month or two), and i'll tell you more about this at that time.

take it easy,

wk

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

You know me? Huh!

I suspect, however, that I probably don't know you - I'm bad like that. :)

And... I'd point her at the link that rosefox gave me, above (http://www.ciis.edu/) - it's _tasty_ looking. I want. Want, want, want.

Every month or two? That's actually often, for most of my non-intentional interactions with people (exceptions being people at Psinging and at work group). Hmm...

[wolfkitn.livejournal.com]

tee hee! i know you mainly from psinging, but i don't get there very often.

i also saw you at arisia...

i promise, i'll say hi when i see you next time, but i have no idea when that will be.

take care, and good luck with decision-making!

wk

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

i know you mainly from psinging, but i don't get there very often.

i also saw you at arisia...

Huh. I wonder if I would recognize you if I saw you?

[wolfkitn.livejournal.com]

well, our meeting at arisia took place at an *ahem* party. we were both... surprised? amused? both? to see each other there. and you definitely recognized me.

not sure if that helps with context or not.

i haven't been to psinging in ages, and it looks like you won't be at one any time soon. i honestly can't think of another typical place where i'd be likely to run into you. might have to wait until arisia 2005... :)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Hmm...

I'm having an almost memory of such a thing, but not enough. But, neat - means I _would_ recognize you!

And... I'm not going to be at Arisia next year, as it's the same weekend as alt.polycon 12, in Baltimore.

[opalmirror.livejournal.com]

I have spent some time at some healing circles in Littleton. Look up the Aquarius Sanctuary, talk to Pam or Jean, let them know I sent you, and get to know these folks... they are welcoming and should at the very least be a great resource for finding a path toward what you want. 978-486-0248