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Sistrum Inc.
Spiritually Based Cognitive Healing Therapy
Are you experiencing dissatisfaction with or a sense of emptiness in your life, but can’t quite put your finger on where it stems from? Do you feel that something significant is lacking in your everyday experience, struggle with an ongoing sense of inadequacy, or wonder why feelings of fulfillment are always fleeting? Perhaps you’ve sought therapy, but want to explore the human condition and your experience along a more spiritual avenue. Or maybe you’re still suffering after years in traditional therapy and want to perceive and hopefully relieve suffering in different, deeper ways. It may be that you’re seeking a more intrinsic connection to the energetic oneness of the universe so you can make sense of what your lived experience is, develop a spiritual practice and truly feel like and live as your authentic self.
Do you want to feel whole, complete, and connected no matter what is going on in your life?
Constantly feeling incomplete or like something significant is missing from your life can create ongoing feelings of frustration, loneliness, or unease. You might have tried varying therapies and different healing avenues in an attempt to make sense of your human experience and find relief, but still, find yourself suffering and in a place of discontent. Or, it might be that your life is going well, but you innately know that there is a deeper and more connected way of living and experiencing relationships with others, yourself, and the bigger world. You might be seeking spiritual guidance, a new perspective, and meditation practices that can help you better manage life’s inevitable difficulties and live with more flexibility, fluidity, and contentment.
Unlike traditional Western therapy, Eastern spiritual disciplines are not concerned with the improvement of the personal self. Rather, these doctrines understand the Western conception of the “self” or “individual” as one with beliefs rooted in free will and volition to be the root cause of suffering. Eastern teachings assert that this autonomous individual self is also illusionary and that it is the universal life energy—and not the individual thinker or doer—that is the source of all thinking and acting.
Within the free, the dynamic, and ever-changing flow of universal source energy, nothing the apparent individual self did, or can ever do could have been any different in that particular moment in time, yet that apparent individual self has mistakenly assumed itself to be the source of its life direction and accomplishment and, insomuch, continues to suffer.
This nonduality perspective is the underpinning of our approach to spiritual counseling and takes a very different approach to healing and growth than traditional Western therapy. In therapy, much of the work is centered around developing the individual, fortifying his or her strengths, and helping one heal and maximize potential through enhancing one’s sense of empowerment, will, and choice.
In spiritual counseling, however, we learn that will and choice are not as independent as one may think. The goal becomes not to connect with personal identity primarily, but rather to tap into fundamental, universal identity and realize that there is a non-personal, spontaneous flow of life that the individual is not separate from and that one's identity is a reflection of that flow. In insomuch, the individual is an expression of the universal, creative energetic force that has formed the individual's paradigm and not in as much control of his or her actions as humans have consistent behavior responses to the environmental, spiritual flow of life. And, in adopting this perspective, one is able to develop a deeper sense of connection to everything, let go of guilt, shame, and blame, and, therefore, relieve suffering to move forward in life with fulfillment.
Whether you are seeking a therapeutic experience, a spiritual path, or both, we can help. With the support, guidance, and instruction of an experienced spiritual counselor, you can explore your human experience, connect to something bigger and deeper than yourself to feel more centered, balanced, and alive.
Through various spiritual explorations and considerations, we can help you look at the everyday experience of life through new eyes. Through this exploration, you can begin to realize that life is happening and that you’re doing less than you likely believe to make it happen. Just as blood moves through your body and breath flows into your lungs, there is an inexplicable energy that connects us all and guides our human experience. How in tune we are with the energy is determined by your openness along with your choice of action.
If the ideas presented in initial spiritual therapy sessions feel esoteric, we can work backward and in detailed examination until you come to the understanding that what happened and is happening couldn’t have and can’t happen any other way with the current "you" and your placement within your universe and paradigm. As you begin to understand that there is no “you” doing anything, but in a constant state of "reaction", it becomes natural to let go of the guilt, shame, blame, regret, and discontentment that have kept you feeling stuck, in pain or experiencing a sense of emptiness or lack in your life. You can stop blaming yourself for things of the past and, rather, use your newfound insight to break down situations on a deep level. You can realize that what happened occurred because life chose to express itself in that particular way at that particular time and your response brought about the outcomes you experienced.
We understand this spiritual perspective isn’t for everyone. We believe that there are many spiritual paths, and if you are just becoming interested in spirituality, we can use mindfulness, meditation, and/or other less abstruse approaches to serve as a gateway into this deeper work. In conjunction with spiritual counseling, we can also draw from traditional therapy approaches, which can help you navigate the specific challenges and relationship issues that inevitably come up as you move through life. Together, we can find and explore a path that resonates with you as you embark upon a spiritual, healing, and energetic journey.
If you are open and ready to clearly and consciously examine your experience, spiritual counseling can help you tap into the inexplicable source of energy of life. Rather than fight against the natural flow of energy, you can accept life as it is and understand that change happens all the time. Feelings of struggle, failure, and anxiety can be alleviated and replaced with intrinsic feelings of freedom, fullness, and ease. It is possible to connect with the oneness of it all, feel more deeply connected to yourself, others, and the greater world, and develop a new, more fluid, and flexible way of experiencing your life.
Feelings of unworthiness, uncertainty and dissatisfaction are seemingly at an all-time high in modern times. We are, in essence, a society ripe with negative thinking. Cleveland Clinic studies show that each person has an average of 70,000 thoughts a day, 95 percent of which are repeated every day. And, of all those habitual thoughts, a whopping 80 percent of them are negative!
As humans, we are hardwired to pay more attention to negative experiences than positive ones. This was critical for survival during periods of evolution and can occasionally still serve us well when danger is present. However, in today’s world, very few of us are in a perpetual state of danger. Most of our negative thinking stems from societal messaging that we subscribe to. Some of that messaging promotes ideas that we must be beautiful, accomplish great feats and accumulate wealth in order to be “whole.” Losses, significant life transitions, traumas and daily stress can also trigger ailments like depression and anxiety, which can rob us of our aliveness, cause feelings of inadequacy and keep us questioning the purpose and meaning of our lives.
Feelings of inadequacy and unhappiness have become the cultural norm, but you don’t have to live that way. If feelings of perpetual anger or sadness, anxious thoughts, lack energy or defensiveness are impacting your ability to experience joy, meaning and productivity in your life, we can help you reframe your perceptions of yourself and your experience. With help, you can begin living a life of balance, intimacy and joy.
When we experience anxiety, depression or other emotional conflicts, the most common reaction is to resist or avoid. Most people will do anything to not feel discomfort. But, unless feelings are experienced openly and with full awareness, they go “underground,” obstruct full expression and drain vitality. In order to flourish, you must face painful feelings and heed their message. These feelings are often wake-up calls that can help you integrate the previously unaddressed parts of yourself. When you develop this awareness, you can realize your full potential and live in your wholeness.
In safe, nonjudgmental individual sessions, I will support you in opening to the difficult aspects of your life. Through a process of awareness and acceptance, I can help you transform anxiety into peacefulness, anger into resoluteness, fear into fearlessness and sadness into compassion.
Through sessions, you can also begin to realize that there is not – nor has there ever been – anything wrong with you. There were only things that you were told, shown and then believed, that made you think that your belief system is “right” and therefore if you aren't able to achieve your goals or obtain your wants you are less than whole, not deserving or capable..
Through various forms of spiritual therapy and more traditional psychodynamic approaches, we can help you see, accept and let go of your perceived deficiencies and complexes so that you can connect to the radiance of your essential nature and create your existence.
In adult counseling sessions, we’ll also explore and dispel unproductive mindsets. You can begin to realize that most things that happen in your world are essentially out of your immediate control, which can elicit relief and a sense of freedom. We’ll encourage you to take responsibility for your life; however, once you understand that what has happened, is happening and will happen in your life could not have happened or will not happen any other way, based on your choices you can let go of guilt, shame, anxiety and fear. Once we break down your stories and fears, you can begin to learn healthy ways to express yourself. You can experience situations, rather than act out or withdraw. You can turn complaints into requests. You can reframe how you talk to yourself and others and quell self-created, unproductive misconceptions about who you are.
With our help we can facilitate an effective approach to healing; it’s possible to feel more fulfilled, shift out of negative thinking and accept yourself and your experience completely. There’s no need to continue suffering. Once you accept and let go, you create space for positive change. By fully embracing your emotions and experience, pain can dissipate. You can cultivate a sense of ease, enjoy peacefulness and live a life of joy.
Whether you are talking about your feelings or not, they are still there. In order to truly become unstuck and experience relief and healing, you need to deconstruct the stories you’ve been telling yourself and shift into a new and healthier perspective. And, although it may feel scary to think about sharing your experience with another person and really feel your feelings, doing so often comes with so much relief. We’ll never push you to disclose anything you’re not ready to. We will move at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Ready to invest in yourself?
While therapy does require time and financial investment, remember it is a temporary process that can help you shift the course of your life.
If you’re struggling in one or many aspects of life, we invite you to consider therapy as a critical investment in your well-being. Through shifting perspective, increasing self-awareness, coming to a place of acceptance, and embracing change, you can not only experience relief but also truly enjoy increased productivity and more happiness in your life. We believe that is invaluable.
SBCHT (Therapy)
$199.99199.99$Every monthSpiritually Based Therapy- Bi-Weekly 60min Spiritual Therapy Sessions