Integrated Wisdom

Soulful Chats with Clinical Psychologist, Aphrodite Papageorgiou

• Tatiana Da Silva • Episode 64

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In this nourishing instalment of our "Soulful Chats" series, host Tatiana welcomes clinical psychologist Aphrodite Papageorgiou to explore the powerful intersection of psychology and spirituality. With over 18 years of experience across public, private, and forensic sectors, Aphrodite shares her journey of integrating spiritual practices into both her personal life and professional practice. Discover how motherhood became a catalyst for deeper spiritual exploration and how embracing spirituality has transformed her approach to mental health treatment.


Key Topics

  • The evolution from religious upbringing to personal spiritual practice
  • How cultural concepts like the "evil eye" formed early spiritual awareness
  • The transformative impact of motherhood on spiritual awakening
  • Evidence-based approaches to integrating spirituality into clinical psychology
  • The concept of "SoulCare" versus traditional self-care practices
  • Breaking generational cycles through personal spiritual healing


Guest Spotlight: Aphrodite Papageorgiou

Aphrodite is a clinical psychologist, certified EMDR therapist, licensed Creatrix® facilitator, and founder of She Reigns Collective. Her work focuses on trauma recovery, women's mental health, and empowerment, with a special emphasis on supporting women through motherhood. After recognizing the lack of support for "the woman behind the mother," Aphrodite created She Reigns Collective to help women redefine modern motherhood while maintaining their authentic selves.


Notable Insights

  • The limitation of traditional religion versus personal spiritual connection
  • How cultural practices around energy (like the evil eye) provide tangible examples of spiritual concepts
  • The freedom that comes from practicing psychology from a place of wholeness
  • Why motherhood often catalyzes spiritual transformation
  • The importance of consistent spiritual practice, even in small daily moments


Resource Recommendation

Book: "The Key to Self-Liberation: Encyclopedia of Psychosomatics" by Christian Beerlandt A comprehensive reference exploring the psychological and spiritual origins of physical and mental conditions.


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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.

 

 

Tatiana:

Before we dive into today's episode, I wanted to share something special with you. If you've been listening to our conversations about integrating screw trial into therapy, you might be wondering where to start with your own clients. To help you with that, I've created a free guide called 20 Client Conversation Starters, X Exploring Spirituality Ethically. Now, these aren't just any random questions. They're carefully crafted prompts designed to open up meaningful dialogue while respecting ethical boundaries and diverse beliefs. With each question, you will be given a context for when and how to raise it with a client to provide you with that extra guidance. You can download this guide right now by heading to the link in the show notes. Let me know how you go with using this conversation. Starters, I'd love to hear from you. Now, today's episode. Welcome to the Integrated Wisdom Podcast. I'm your host, Tatiana DaSilva. 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. I hope 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 it. Hello and welcome to the Integrated Wisdom Podcast. Thank you so much for joining me for yet another week. I'm very excited to bring another installment of the very popular soulful Chats segment, and today I have the absolute pleasure Of being joined by my dear friend and colleague, Aphrodite Papageorgiou. Aphrodite is a clinical psychologist, certified EMDR therapist, licensed C facilitator, and the founder of Shires Collective. With over 18 years of experience in mental health across the public, private, and forensic sectors, she brings their wealth of expertise in helping individuals heal from trauma, overcome adversity, and break free from ingrained emotional patterns to lead more meaningful intentional lives. She has a particular focus and interest in trauma recovery, women's mental health and empowerment. After becoming a mother herself, Aphrodite realized that while there was no shortage of parenting advice, there was very little support for the woman behind the mother. This inspired her to create She reigns collective, a dedicated space and movement, blending her own lived experience, psychology, mind, body, soul practices, and female centered transformational methods to help women redefine modern motherhood, reclaim their wholeness and live lives of authenticity, purpose and joy in doing so, breaking generational cycles, and creating transformative ripple effects for future generations. When she's not working, aro enjoys immersing herself in nature, family, adventure, and travel. She treasures her quiet moments and saving simple pleasures like good coffee and chocolate. Welcome af. Thank you so much for joining me today. I,

Aphrodite:

Thank you for having me here, Tatiana. It's been a pleasure.

Tatiana:

oh, wonderful. before we dive into the questions, why don't you tell people a little bit about yourself and what you do in the world,

Aphrodite:

I guess I was a pretty much summed it all up, but I am a clinical psychologist. I've been a psychologist for almost 20 years now. I started off working with youth offenders. In that forensic space. And, uh, after I had my girls I worked in private practice again, uh, with a trauma focus and, uh, and a particular interest in helping women and in women's mental health. And through my own journey of becoming a mom, I and I guess like so many of us were. We meet ourselves for the first time through motherhood, and he cracked me wide open. And, uh, I guess I started my own. It was the catalyst of my own transformation journey, my own healing. And from there I developed this. Special, passionate interest to help other moms through the same journey. And she Rains Collective was born'cause I, there is a whole heap of parenting advice and how to raise children, but not enough around, I guess the women and the mom beyond Parenthood.

Tatiana:

It can be so hard for so many women, can't just to kind of straddle both aspects of themselves and not lose that sense of identity.

Aphrodite:

Absolutely. And I guess for it was interesting because for me there was it, like I knew there had to be this, it couldn't be just what I was experiencing. There had to be more, but then a lot of. The other mums around me didn't feel that way. So it was almost like I would question myself as, is something wrong with me? Is, am I weird to even be feeling this way? Is, am I selfish? Am I just taking things for granted? And not just counting my blessings the way I should? So there's going my mind at the moment. Sorry, that was my dog just shaking. So, yeah. But I. There, it was something that was missing that I, I needed to follow through for my own journey and my own awakening. Uh.

Tatiana:

Yeah, it's really interesting, and I don't know if this will come up as we start talking about your journey with spirituality specifically, but a lot of the ladies that I've had through here have also mentioned that the transition to motherhood became such an integral, pivotal point for their spiritual. Transformational spiritual journey. So I'll be interested to hear if, you know, you found the same for yourself as we go through this, so maybe that's a good place for us to start. Like what do you think sparked your interest in spirituality when in the very beginning.

Aphrodite:

I always grew up with religion, so religion was a big part of our household. And my upbringing also the, in particular Christianity, in the Greek Orthodox religion, but it was also, uh, very much, in our family in terms of, my grandfather was a Greek Orthodox priest. My uncle was a Greek Orthodox priest, so I was very present in our household. But I never quite connected with it. I knew there was, I always felt I was connected to some higher source or God. But the rules around the religion I never quite connected to. So there was always something missing for me and I felt I needed something else that religion didn't quite give me, uh, at the time. And other than I guess that it was always a one sort of one-on-one kind of connection. So it was my connection to God through prayer. And putting aside all the other sort of doctrines and rules and around it. But then I always was pulled and drawn to other types of sort of what I know now, other spiritual kind of concepts and practices. So I would always be, you know, the child that was. The inter crystals and Oracle cards and, uh, goddess cards and angel numbers and all that. And, uh, but it was sort of a part of me. I kept hidden, I guess. And even going to a psychic the few times that I did go to a psychic, I wouldn't tell anybody because. It was against our religion to do so. The other aspect of also growing up with this concept of the evil eye that was more cultural rather than religious. So we very much grew up with that sort of phenomenon of this evil eye. And a very, that very much resonated with me as well. So spirituality has always been part of me. In some way or in one way or another. But I think it wasn't, I wasn't really consistently practicing any particular spiritual, uh, or practice, I guess, or, uh, or connected to anything specific. And it wasn't until I became a mom where I felt I needed more. I, there was something missing and. My soul was yearning for more at that deep soul level, and I just, I was on this search to try and find what that thing was. And the first I guess other than the, you know, the more traditional practices like your mindfulness and breath work and meditation and, being out in nature and anything that was going to fill my carb, the first thing I came across, which was so powerful, was this method of creatrix, which was really about targeting those wounds, all that conditioning, all the inherited patterns, those generational. Patterns at that deep core level in a way that was quick. It was easy. I didn't, it didn't require me to go into any past memories or traumas. And uh, it was just something that just blew my mind.'cause it was so different from the traditional psychology methods that I was using. And that was my first experience of something alternative and healing. So healing and deeply more transformative,

Tatiana:

Yeah. So what would you say was the very first spiritual concept that be you began your journey with

Aphrodite:

I would say the concept of the evil eye.

Tatiana:

the evil eye? Yeah.

Aphrodite:

That just this concept that of energy and people's negative energy in the form of. Whether intentionally or unintentionally that comes out as envy in some way. Uh, was, yeah that, that was something that has always, and still is something that I truly believe in and or, and also my grandmother and my auntie having practices to what we know to be able to remove that evil eye and seeing how they do it. It was, yeah, that was definitely a, I was very much exposed to that from a young age and knowing that there is something beyond what we can physically see. There is, uh, there is our souls, our soul and energy and something Yeah. Beyond what we are cognitively and physically and emotionally.

Tatiana:

Yeah, it's so funny'cause I mean obviously there's that concept of evil eye, it changes culturally, but it's still the same in a lot of Mediterranean cultures, Italian, you know, Greeks obviously. I think the Turks also have a version of this. And like my great grandmother. Who was Italian, she very much like I was born in Brazil as you know, but of, I have mixed European and other ethnicities mixed up and my. Italian great-grandmother, she very much believed in the concept of evil eye in their version of that. And she also did these blessings and things to, you know, to cleanse us. I remember being like a child. My mom would take us to my great-grandmother for that reason. And so there's these intuitive of spiritual cultural wisdom, right, in so many different cultures that. It's just being, it's an ancient understanding that we have this energetic impact on each

Aphrodite:

Absolutely.

Tatiana:

On an emotional, and even like, it's, it starts with thought form, right? Like the person might have a negative thought form or an envious thought form as you mentioned, and the, that, that generates some type of energetic imprint that can then have con like an impact on the person on the receiving end of that thought

Aphrodite:

Oh, absolutely. You would get these like when I would, what we call, when I would have the evil eye, you. Uh, really intense migraines like, and you just dunno where they've come from. And so, and then every time that these prayers or what, whatever was done to remove the evil eye, usually it was either through prayers or through this method of putting oil and water together. And if it formed it notable, it would, it was a way of removing it.

Tatiana:

Oh

Aphrodite:

but then it would just, this migraine would just. Disappear. I don't call it placebo, I don't know, but it was just, yeah, it, but what you just said, this you know, we are energy, so it's, there is definitely a basis to it that we absorb a lot of, you know, other people's with a good or bad energy and the impact that it can have on a person. Their thoughts are not pure.

Tatiana:

Absolutely. And like you said, sometimes it's unintentional, right? But yeah, but we have, it can have these impacts, so it's, yeah, it's fascinating. so once you started then, I guess diving more deeply into spiritual concepts, what benefits have you observed that has had in your life personally, like on a personal level?

Aphrodite:

I think for me it's just being able to integrate different parts of myself and just getting. Back to this sense of wholeness, uh, but not just at a, not just at a surface level, but at this real soul level. And knowing that I am held and guided by something bigger than me. So, and just being able to trust that whatever's happening in my life, there's. It is. It is what it is. My life is just, you know, I'm on this journey and. And it is unfolding in the way that it's meant to. And just having that trust and being able to just surrender and let go rather than always having to try and control and fix.'cause for me, for a long time it was all about trying to control, trying to fix things, trying to get it right, trying to, yeah, just really not. Uh, just not being able to just sort of let go and let my life unfold the way it's meant to and just even be, and finding more peace in that. Now through this, through spirituality and practices that I have been able to, I guess, maintain consistently.

Tatiana:

Yeah. Fabulous. And what about on a professional level? Have you found that it has enhanced your practice, your psychological practice?

Aphrodite:

Absolutely. And I think I, I mean, I've always been quite intuitive with my clients I, That clinical framework, but I've always I never quite knew how to. Bring that spiritual or confidently speak about spirituality or introduce practices in, uh, in the therapeutic space. And it, and through your course, Tatiana. It just gave me so much more confidence to be able to do that in a way with integrity rather than feeling like I'm imposing. And it's just been a game changer. It really has. And even just seeing how I was missing such an integral part of even not exploring a client's spirituality. And now that's coming to the picture, able to approach it from this more holistic perspective. And honoring them, not honoring the client as well. I think it, it definitely helps with their own healing and it's, and it moves beyond that symptom level. It allows for that deeper healing and deeper deeper work to occur more naturally.

Tatiana:

Oh, it makes my heart very happy to hear that's what you've been experiencing.

Aphrodite:

wonderful. Thank you for what you do.

Tatiana:

Oh, thank you. I always embarrassed about these, but thank you. That's very kind.

Aphrodite:

I think you're I don't know you, I dunno if you're underestimating the power of what you do, but it's just so valuable and so powerful.

Tatiana:

Thank you. But I imagine that maybe you had some fears around inco, like, I guess blending the psychological and the spiritual on a professional level. Like as you know, I had a lot of fears around this and I found so many people also did. But how did you transcend some of that?'cause you've, it sounds like you've been incorporating it in some ways throughout your work. How what helped you be able to do that?

Aphrodite:

Just to be able to have that evidence-based. You know, basis for it that you bring, uh, through your teachings and and to know and just even knowing that we are not just our physical mentor and emotional, there is, we do have a soul that we need to honor. There is that part of us that we can't neglect and even just. Being able to hear some of that evidence-based and that bridge that you bring to the science and the spirituality has really helped me, again, feel more confident, but also do it in a way where I can back it up. Now, I don't have to be, it's not something I'm not doing anything wrong that I need to be fearful of or there's repercussions around. I am honoring the whole person. And that's been just really liberating to be able to do that.

Tatiana:

yeah. Yeah, I feel the same way as you know, and it's so exciting to see that there is such a body of evidence, you know, like it's not talked about enough. But that the evidence has been there for a while, just in hiding. And so, yeah, it's very comforting to know that we can talk about these things to, to our clients and give them permission to do the same, to talk about, you know, their soul. Needs and perspectives. Uh, and in fact that's a, an integral part of helping them heal and navigate life, right?

Aphrodite:

And I guess beforehand I would tend to do it, for example, through a cultural lens or or. Where it was more obvious when it was related to grief and loss in some way. But now just to be able to bring it up more comfortably and seeing the response I get from a lot of the, a lot of my clients really warms my heart. It's just, it's. It, and it just makes it so much more exciting as well, just to be able to talk about all that stuff that I find Fascinat, that I'm fascinated with as well. It just brings a new dimension to therapy.

Tatiana:

It really does. I remember for a period of time when I wasn't quite that confident to do it, I always felt like I was working with my hands tied behind my back. You know, like these insights would come into my mind and I didn't feel like I could share them. So yeah, it definitely creates a sense of freedom,

Aphrodite:

Absolutely.

Tatiana:

And depth. Yeah. And

Aphrodite:

And freedom. Absolutely.

Tatiana:

So I think we've already kind of answered this next question, but, and started making a bit of a case for it. But from your perspective, what value do you see for other psychologists and therapists in particular to embrace their spiritual selves? Or at least start being curious about spirituality?

Aphrodite:

I think. You are practicing from a place of wholeness, and I think, I believe that you can only really meet your clients where they're at when you coming from the most authentic place of yourself, uh, and I guess the most healed place of yourself. So just even being able to come from that place of wholeness and hold that space for your clients.

Tatiana:

Okay.

Aphrodite:

And approaching it with curiosity and integrity Again, rather than imposing any views. Not that we do that anyway, but it just allows, I guess, more expansiveness in our sessions, more freedom, as you said, you know, more depth that goes beyond just coping and symptom relief. It deeper. That's where the magic happens. I, I believe,

Tatiana:

Fantastic. And so what would you say if you had to pick one, one transformative aspect of embracing spirituality more fully, but both on a personal and a professional level for you, what would you say that would be?

Aphrodite:

I am all about this concept of SoulCare, not just self-care, anything that's going to nourish your soul, whether it's sitting. Like for me could just literally just being in silence and stillness. I'm not necessarily meditating, but even just sitting in stillness and silence surrounded by the most beautiful ocean view, I'm like, it's that awe and wonder that you speak of. Like, that just nourishes my soul. That just fuels my soul. Any big or small moments that truly connect at that deeper. Soul level. I think even just starting there, whatever that looks like for people, whether it's a minute a day, whether it's an hour, what, whatever time at what, you know, however many, much time you have, just to be able to really connect with yourself.

Tatiana:

Yeah. Yeah. It's more about the consistency, isn't it? Like you can start with the tiniest step, but as long as it's every day and build there. Yeah. Oh, how wonderful.

Aphrodite:

into what that looks like for, you know, for each person because everyone's got that something.

Tatiana:

Yeah.

Aphrodite:

so I would say just as a practice, just even starting there, that's been my consistent, I guess that would be the most consistent practice for me that I've. You amongst motherhood and running a household and you know, it's sometimes the chaos of it all. Just finding those moments.

Tatiana:

On that. Can I ask you has motherhood had any impact on your relationship with spirituality? And it's okay if it hasn't. I'm just curious.

Aphrodite:

It has, I don't know motherhood per se, but obviously the experience of motherhood as a catalyst for me to be more connect, connected to my spiritual, my sp that spiritual part of me. Uh, because when, especially when I. I did have to surrender. I couldn't control everything. I, there, all I, all the struggles in all the overwhelming, what felt like chaos and where I felt like I've lost so much of my, of the person that I knew. Spirituality did help ground me and reconnect to myself again. And I, and it's exactly what I needed to be able to I guess heal at that. Heal my wounds, meet my needs, meet those needs that were unmet for a long time, and also break the cycles for my girls because. For many of us moms, we feel like, you know, we're the worst moms in the world and we don't wanna damage our children. Uh, but it all starts from ourselves. And also seeing that when I worked with youth offenders and working in broken systems where the mental health of the mother was so important, uh, and. I guess the support of the mo, uh, being able to support the mother so she can be the best for her own children. Seeing that through that lens, but also through my own experience of motherhood as well, and with and in therapy as well, with the women, I worked with the men, the wellbeing of the mum is key, and I did everything I could. I didn't just settle in another sort of broken system. Or that we are in that motherhood system, that we are in that patriarchal system. I just couldn't settle for that. I knew there had to be more and finding ways, whatever way I could to help myself, but also help, uh, other women. I think that's where Spiritu spirituality played such a big part in my journey and my own, I guess, awakening.

Tatiana:

Yeah. Oh, that's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. I, you know, like I said at the start, I think for so many women that motherhood is a transformative experience, right? On so many levels. I mean, not for so many, for, I think for all women, but the degree to which it leads to tra to transformation changes, obviously. But it can be, uh. It can be a deeply spiritual process, right? Because you're right, it connects you with yourself or at least starts to spot shine spotlights on aspects of yourself that maybe you weren't even aware were there that

Aphrodite:

bypassing that shame and the guilt that's attached to, you know, the judgment. If you, there's this notion that we just, you know, we just go into motherhood knowing that being these naturally perfect moms and knowing what to do, but there's so much shame. Around around the struggle because that's not consistent with this image of the nurturing mother, I guess. But being able to question that and know that, and I guess feel that I couldn't just settle for that. There had to be another way. There had to be more and. And I think that's where, again, spirituality played a big part in that journey. For me,

Tatiana:

And the recognition, right, that, like that too, to be able to nurture into love. You have to start from a place of self-love and self nurture. Yeah. It starts with us, right?

Aphrodite:

totally starts with us and affect.

Tatiana:

Oh, absolutely. Well, thank you so much for sharing your experience and your insights with us. It's been such a lovely and nourishing conversation.

Aphrodite:

Just wanna say thank you as well. It's I just do be able to have this conversation with you and especially that connection with spirituality. It means a lot.

Tatiana:

And you know, before I let you go, I always have my guests recommend a book that they find transformational in the realm of spirituality to, to suggest to those listening who might want to be. Tapping into the like feeding their curiosity and learning a little bit more, exploring a little bit more about these concepts. So what book for you would be a perfect place to start?

Aphrodite:

A book for, uh, I don't know if it's a perfect place to start, but a book that has always really caught my attention. It's called'tThe key to self liberation', so it's. It's an encyclopedia of psychosomatics, so it's looking at all the psychological or origins of our physical mental conditions.

Tatiana:

Oh wow.

Aphrodite:

but there's such, yeah, so it does bring in a lot of, sort of more of those spiritual concepts as well and psychological basis to suffering physical ailments and or mental conditions. So it's been. It's been like a, uh, when I first came across it, and it was through Creatrix, one of the CX facilitators brought it up. It's just been, uh, wonderful just to be able to have as more of a reference rather than an actual Yeah. Book per se, but it's more like a reference book

Tatiana:

Oh, how fantastic.

Aphrodite:

by Christian. Oh, I can't even pronounce her name. Christian Bland. B double E-R-L-A-N-D-T.

Tatiana:

Okay, fantastic. I'm gonna put a link to that book in the notes. Find it.

Aphrodite:

it was that. It was out of print for a long time, but I believe you can get it again. You find it.

Tatiana:

It now. I mean, it sounds like it share very similar concepts to the work of Louise Hay. Right. With the, that you can heal your life and it talks about the emotional basis for ailments. Obviously that looks like it's much more comprehensive, just even by the size of that.

Aphrodite:

yes.

Tatiana:

Oh, so that sounds phenomenal. I'll definitely add that to the show notes, so anyone who's interested can have a look at it.

Aphrodite:

definitely.

Tatiana:

But why don't you tell everybody a little bit about, I guess, where they can find you if they wanna work with you. You've got some incredible things coming up in your remains collective sphere or universe.

Aphrodite:

so I do, uh, the best way to find me is, I guess through, through social. So either through Instagram or Facebook. Uh, and I can give you the links for those if you like. Uh, but I do have, uh, a group program coming up, uh, later in the year just, and I guess I'm just finalizing dates now, but I'm. For anyone that's interested in that, they definitely get in touch and also very much just I've, I'll have a, an opt-in coming out very soon around. It's a guide to. To, to cycle sinking. So working with your, the feminine your feminine wisdom and rhythm, and to be more in flow with your day to day in areas of productivity, self-care, nutrition, exercise. So that's something that's probably coming out a lot sooner. So I'll, uh, I can also pass that on to you as well.

Tatiana:

Yes, that sounds fantastic. I'll put a link to all of these, your socials, to the book you recommended. And when you have, when the opt-in is available, I'll update the show notes as well for anyone who's interested. But obviously going into your socials, it's probably going to be the best place to, to stay to date with where you're at.

Aphrodite:

For sure and I look forward to connecting with anyone that has an interest. I'd love to have a chat.

Tatiana:

I mean, I highly recommend anything that you that you produce because you are the mama of mamas,

Aphrodite:

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Tatiana:

but the most soothing, nurturing energy, and I know that they'll be in very excellent

Aphrodite:

Oh, thank you. Appreciate you saying that.

Tatiana:

Uh, well thank you so much for this conversation and for joining me again. Thank you all for listening, and we'll see you all next time.

Aphrodite:

Thanks. Bye everyone.

Tatiana:

Thank you for tuning into this episode of Integrated Wisdom. It's 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. Share it with others who you feel may benefit too. Meals will 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.