Question 1

Are You Seeking Spiritual Guidance And A More Joyous And Connected Way Of Being?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

Relieving Suffering via a spiritual approach

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

Spiritual Counseling Can Provide You With Deep Understanding, New Perspectives, And A Freeing Path Forward"

Accepted Answer

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.

Sistrum Inc.

Spiritually Based Cognitive Healing Therapy

Ready to invest in yourself?

SBCHT (Therapy)