What Does It Mean To Be a 'Conscious Therapist'?

In this episode of the Integrated Wisdom podcast, we explore the concept of conscious therapy and what it means to be a conscious therapist. As registrations for the Conscious Therapist course open next week, this episode provides valuable insights for mental health professionals looking to enhance their practice.

 🌟 Key Points:

- Definition of a conscious therapist

- 10 key characteristics of conscious therapists

- Benefits of conscious therapy for clients

- Reflection questions for therapists

🌟Highlights:

- Conscious therapists integrate holistic, spiritually-aware, and mindful practices into their work

- The importance of self-awareness, presence, and continuous growth in conscious therapy

- How conscious therapy can lead to deeper healing and transformation for clients

- The role of spirituality and interconnectedness in therapeutic practice

🌟Reflection Questions for Therapists:

1. How do you incorporate spiritual and holistic perspectives into your practice?

2. How often do you engage in self-reflection about your therapeutic work?

3. How comfortable are you discussing spiritual or existential topics with clients?

4. In what ways do you support your own personal growth and development?

I am so excited to announce that my SOLD OUT ‘The Conscious Therapist’ course will be running one last time for 2024 in early September. Register now for our waitlist to be notified when registrations open by clicking this link below:

https://www.integratedwisdom.com.au/conscioustherapistwaitlist

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You can now send me your comments or questions, to hello@integratedwisdom.com.au or you can also find me on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/integrated_wisdom/

Intro and Outro music: Inspiring Morning by Playsound

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

Transcript

Tatiana: 0:01

Are you a therapist yearning to ethically integrate spirituality into your practice. The conscious therapist course is coming soon and it's designed to help you bridge the gap between evidence-based therapy and spiritual wisdom. Join our wait list now and be the first to know when enrolments open. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your practice and deepen your impact. You can find a link to the wait list in the show notes below or you can head over to the website at integratedwisdom.com.au/conscioustherapistwaitlist Welcome to the Integrated Wisdom Podcast. I am your host, Tatyana Da Silva. Join me as we discuss what it means to live an integrated life and explore ways for you to create a life filled with greater meaning, peace, and connection by integrating the wisdom of spirituality, psychology, Neuroscience, Epigenetics and Energy Psychology are hoped to empower you to create deeper and more loving connections with yourself and others, whilst also paving the way for humanity at large to be reimagined and inspired to become the very best version of itself. well, hello and welcome to the integrated wisdom podcast. Thank you so much for joining me for yet. Another episode. Now this week, I am in the throes of getting myself ready to open up registrations for my conscious therapists course. It's a course that I run for psychologists and other types of therapists, social workers, psychotherapists counselors. Anyone who works therapeutically with individuals. in guiding them in this course. Through the development of a personal spiritual practice. And the integration of spirituality into their therapeutic practice in an evidence-based way. And while something, Thinking about getting all this stuff. All these little bits and bobs ready. it occurred to me. That maybe some of you are wondering, what do I even mean by a conscious therapist? So that's what today's episode is going to be about. What does it actually mean to be a conscious therapist? Did invite you as well to reflect on your current practice. Whether you are practicing consciously. And if there is room for. For expanding the way that you're working in a way that would enhance both. How you show up. For work and the way that you engage with your work and the way that's satisfying to you, but also in, in the, the outcomes and benefits that you're able to provide for the clients that you see. So let's start with that very first thing. What is a conscious therapist and from my perspective, Uh, conscious therapist is someone who has. Several characteristics. But I think the most important thing is that they're a mental health professional, or a professional. That works in a therapeutic capacity. That goes beyond the traditional therapeutic approaches. And integrate a holistic, spiritually aware and deeply mindful practice in their work with their clients. I think in terms of attributes and qualities that. Therapists who practice consciously embody there are several, and I want to speak to 10 characteristics in particular. That I think are crucial. To the essence of being a conscious therapist and practicing consciously. The number one characteristic has to be self-awareness. I think conscious therapists who were able to cultivate a deep understanding of their own thoughts, emotions, biases, and spiritual beliefs are better equipped to also elicit and hold space for those aspects in their clients. They engage in regular self-reflection. And do their own personal growth work. I think a second characteristic that's crucial or integral to being a conscious therapist. Is also one of presence. Conscious therapists. Who've cultivate presence are able to bring their full attention and awareness to each therapeutic encounter. Remaining grounded in the present moment with their clients. But also modeling that for their clients. I think a third characteristic of a conscious therapist. Is that they have a holistic perspective. They view their clients as whole beings. And consider the interconnectedness of the mind, the body. The spirit and the environment in their healing process. So I've spoken in previous episodes to the fact that there are four levels to human beings. There is the mental, the emotional, the physical, but there is also this spiritual level. And when we talk about working holistically, we talk about addressing all of these levels at different points and simultaneously, and when appropriate. And I think. As a conscious therapist, that is something that is front of mind or center to the way that one practices. Which leads nicely into the fourth dimension or quality that a conscious therapist will embody. And that is they integrate spirituality. So whilst they respect, diverse beliefs. They're open to exploring spiritual and existential dimensions of their clients' experiences when appropriate. And I think, ethically we are required to factor in. The cultural diverse needs of our clients. You know, Australia, it's definitely a, an element that's outlined in our code of ethics, ethics. And it's also recently been added by our registration board, into our core competencies as practitioners. So in order for us to maintain our license, We need to be demonstrating that we, we are. Well equipped. And educated in. Supporting various diverse needs of clients. And that would include their spiritual needs. A fifth dimension or quality that a conscious therapist will embody. Is, they practice mindfulness so they embody a lot of their time there. There. Practices. So they incorporate mindfulness techniques, both in their personal lives, as well as. Uh, therapeutic tools with their clients. And that's probably the one element that isn't so scary for a lot of people. Right. Many of us already practice. Uh, or rely on mindfulness as a, as a tool in the work that we do with our clients, irrespective of the therapeutic, model that we come from. Because we know that. The evidence is so abundant in help, how beneficial that can be for clients. But a conscious therapist will definitely factor in mindfulness as a practice, both in their life and as a tool. The sixth dimension or quality that the conscious therapist will embody is the awareness of energy. Conscious therapists are attuned to subtle energies within themselves and their clients. And the use this awareness to guide their interventions. So they might be. Very attuned to picking up on energetic signals coming from the client and their own intuition. Seventh qualities of conscious therapy is the idea of continuous growth. Conscious therapists commit to ongoing person professional development. And they are regularly updating their skills and knowledge. You know, I think. It's a running joke. For people that know me, that I am constantly doing something new. I'm always studying something new. I'm always reading. When we assign them to a courses that will help me expand my knowledge, my, my understanding, not just of myself, but of how I can serve my clients. Um, even more efficiently, always looking to expand my, my toolbox, if you like. And I think this growth mindset is, is an integral element of conscious therapeutic practice. So that had to be a quality that couldn't be left out of these lists. And the ninth criteria or quality that our conscious therapists will embody is the concept of interconnectedness. They recognize the interconnected nature of all beings and how this understanding can facilitate healing. And they will guide their clients through connecting with their own awareness and perceptions of that interconnectedness. Some of the spiritual practices that we would. Walk clients through are designed to elicit that feeling of connection. The clients can access. You can help them transcend their suffering. That can help them feel less isolated and alone. And the research that's available out there that speaks to the impact of these practices is actually really clear on this point in particular. That being able to access. a personal spiritual practice opens up the doors. For us to connect with this sense of. Not being alone. It allows us to, I perceive the interconnectedness of all beings and that in itself is a buffering effect or has a buffering and protective effect. To preventing or minimizing feelings of loneliness, which at the moment is such an epidemic in the world. So. That's a very important factor of conscious therapeutic practice. And the 10th and last quality that. Uh, conscious therapists will embody is a transpersonal approach. They're open to exploring experiences that transcend the ordinary senses of self. Including peak experiences, mystical states, and an expanded consciousness. They're curious about any experiences that they have of their own but they're also able to create safe spaces for their clients to speak about experiences that they themselves may have had. I think. We would be if we allowed our clients to talk to. To some of those experiences that they have, we might be surprised by how common they actually are. And sadly many clients are probably afraid of bringing these, these experiences to a therapeutic space, just due to fear of how they will be perceived, what potential negative repercussions may come from that. and so a conscious therapist is someone who creates a safe space when these things to be discussed. And it has that knowledge that these experiences do happen. And they're more common than we think. So being a conscious therapist really means embodying all of these principles to create a more profound. Transformative and holistic therapeutic experience for, for our clients. It's about bringing that high level of awareness and intentionality to every aspect of the therapeutic process. And as you reflect on that, you can see how it would enhance the work that we do. Right. And how it would bring more joy and reward for us as practitioners, but also the vast positive benefits that it would elicit for our clients. I mean some of the benefits that would come from practicing in this way and the research supports things. Is a deeper healing and transformation. It helps clients address root causes of circumstances, not just symptoms. it provides them with this holistic approach to wellbeing and so it will, it guides clients to heal on all levels. Right. And help them also integrate these levels within themselves so that they can. operate from a place of. true authenticity and integration. And that is the springboard of the foundation for, for eliciting or fostering a sense of empowerment and self-discovery or self awareness in our clients. That's a very tangible, Effect for our clients when we're practicing this way. Not to mention that it also has the potential. Uh, to improve. The therapeutic relationship and the outcomes that we achieve. Like I said by creating space spaces where our clients can show up authentically and talk about these things. These beliefs, these experiences that they may have had. Each allows us to go deeper with our clients. It allows us to see the whole person in front of us. And it also gives us permission to show up as whole human beings as well. And. And so. This is what it means to be a conscious therapist or to practice consciously. In my course, the conscious therapist. We talk a lot about this. We spend some time. Talking about what it means to have a personal spiritual practice. What are some techniques and tools that we can use to help us connect with that awareness. Uh, and that in those inner resources that we have available to us, One for the practitioners to connect with that part of themselves, but also so that they know. Um, what the experience feels like when they're there guiding their clients through it. And then we also talk about. The abundant research that's available, that speaks to how. Uh, personal spiritual practice has vast and significant. Positive benefits to. A person's mental as well as physical wellbeing, but from a mental, mental health perspective. The benefits of significant. It has a very protective effect in. The prevention or minimization of depression, anxiety, addiction issues, suicidal ideation. Like I said earlier, feelings of loneliness and isolation. And. I think we're at a point in, in our professional lives or even we're at a point in the world right now where we need to start factoring in the spiritual elements of people. Right. The research shows it, factoring that in. Enhances the traditional methods that we use. Right. You can only add to, to what we're doing and potentially even, uh, Supercharge or maximize our ability to, to guide clients through transcending suffering and. Healing. And so I invite you to have a think about. The way that you practice. But some reflection questions for you that I'll only invite you to reflect on and consider. In evaluating your own practice. In what ways do you currently incorporate spiritual holistic, holistic perspectives into your practice? If at all? In what ways do You feel it. Could benefit the way that you practice or the clients you're seeing. To incorporate spiritual holistic perspectives. How often do you engage in self-reflection about your therapeutic work? How comfortable are you discussing spiritual or existential topics with clients? And in what ways do you currently support your own personal growth and development? I invite you to reflect on those questions. And. Consider in what ways could you expand the way that you're currently practicing? To become. More holistic too. To be more conscious. So just one last recap of what we've just discussed. We talked about what it means to be a conscious therapist and. The 10 key characteristics of. Conscious therapists. They're self-aware. The embody presence. They work from a holistic perspective. They integrate spirituality. They integrate mindfulness practices. They're aware of energy. They have ethical consciousness. They have a Growth mindset or always. pursuing continuous growth. They're aware of interconnectedness of all beings. And they have a transpersonal approach. So I invite you. To reflect on those qualities. How many of those do you embody already? If there are any that stand out to you that you'd still like to, to enhance and work on. And think about those reflection questions that I posed. How does it all showing up for you in the way that you practice it, even in your own personal lives? You should like to. Do some more exploring or dive a little bit more deeply into these concepts, or if you're interested in exploring what the research is actually saying, what the available research is saying. I invite you to join us on the conscious therapist course. Like I said, open up. Registrations next week on the 1st of September, registrations will open and the cart will be open for a week at closes on the 7th of September. So, if you haven't read at all interested or curious about how these concepts can be incorporated in the way that you're currently already practicing. But you've always been curious about spirituality and. Maybe hesitant to integrate it into your practice because you didn't know how to do that in an ethical manner or in a safe manner. If you're curious about the research that's available. I invite you to join us The, the course. As such, uh, A powerful. Capacity to connect us with our spiritual essence, but also ground us in that research evidence. But also It's an avenue for connecting with other like-minded practitioners. You know, we're building a community of spiritually minded therapists who are forging this new path ahead, or what will it mean to provide. therapeutic assistance to clients moving forward. I don't think. We can afford to, to leave out the spiritual element of, of our clients, where that spiritual element. Um, of the individuals that we see. In the work that we're doing when we factor in all the challenges that we're facing as a species at the moment. So if you'd like to join us on these, on these course, On this mission. I invite you to check out the course and the I've got the link for you in the show notes. But if you have any questions about the course, if you'd like to discuss it a little bit more, how it might fit in with Your own needs, both one, a personal and a professional level. You're welcome to reach out to me. You can either email me at hello@integratedwisdom.com.au, so that's hello@integratedwisdom.com.au. Or you can also DM me on Instagram at integrated underscore wisdom. I'm happy to connect with you in either of those places. So I thank you so much for joining me for this episode this week. I hope you have found it valuable. I invited to share it with other therapists or individuals who, you know, that may benefit from, from today's content. And if you haven't yet subscribed to the podcast, inviting to do that, you share it with other people. that are like-minded that are curious about discussing these things. And I hope you'll have a lovely week and I'll speak to you next time. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Integrated Wisdom. It is my sincere wish that today's episode may have intrigued and inspired you to reclaim your power and step into becoming more fully integrated spiritual beings. New episodes are published every second Wednesday and I hope you'll continue to join us as we dive deeper into what it means to live an integrated life. So if it feels aligned to you, I invite you to hit subscribe and share it with others who you feel may benefit too. You may also find me on Instagram at integrated underscore wisdom. Remember each moment is an opportunity to embrace your divine potential and create a world that is more frequently inspired. So for now, stay connected, stay inspired and keep shining your light into the world.