'Spirituality is completely ordinary. Though we may speak of it as extraordinary, it is the most ordinary thing of all. Spirituality is simply a means of arousing one's spirit, of developing a kind of spiritedness. Through that, we begin to have greater contact with reality. If we open our eyes, if we open our minds, if we open our hearts, we will find that this world is a magical place. It is magical not because it tricks us or changes unexpectedly into something else, but because it can be so vividly and brilliantly.'
—Chögyam Trungpa
Rinpoche
'It's how things really are: we are fundamentally alone, and there is nothing anywhere to hold on to. Moreover, this is not a problem.'
– Pema Chödron
'If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation.'
—J. Krishnamurti
WHAT I DO
The therapeutic work that I do combines elements of depth psychotherapy with principles of Buddhist meditation to create a skillful approach to the inner world, one that can both scale the heights and plumb the depths, working both the spiritual and the embodied aspects of our lives.Depth psychology originated with psychoanalyst Carl Jung, who emphasized the value of intuition and emotion in navigating our inner world. In depth therapy, we cultivate a relationship with the ‘Self’ in its largest sense — the totality of our souls, including aspects of ourselves that have been disowned, repudiated, or rejected. We approach this larger Self with respect and patience, with intelligence inquiry and honest curiosity.
I find this open, aware, warm approach to be a natural complement to the open, aware compassion cultivated in Buddhist meditation. My depth psychotherapy practice is grounded in a Buddhist perspective. I have studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism — Vajrayana Buddhism — since 1988, and have found certain aspects of Buddhist meditation practice to be extremely valuable in my work as a therapist.
Buddhism for me has two essential aspects:
Wisdom: the understanding that
reality is an ever-changing process empty of any fixed identity – that
reality is a verb rather than a noun
Compassion: the healing power of
opening one’s heart towards oneself, towards other beings, and towards
the world
These two keynotes of Buddhist practice provide a grounded yet spacious
container for the process of deeper self-understanding. As we unfold
our inner being, we step naturally onto the spiritual path. We learn to
use the difficult aspects of life to expand our wisdom and compassion,
rather than struggling to fabricate a life that is somehow magically
free of it.
My clients are seldom practicing Buddhists, but I have found certain
aspects of meditation practice to be extremely valuable in therapeutic
work. We don’t necessarily need to have a formal meditation practice in
order to start bringing awareness and compassion into our lives – although there is no doubt that a regular practice can be of enormous
benefit.
See my article “Wisdom and Compassion:
Buddhist Psychotherapy as
Skillful Means” for a more detailed discussion of this subject.
On the therapeutic side, I am trained in a number of modalities, including EMDR I and II, Systemic Constellation Work, Somatic Experiencing, and archetypal astrology. So we have lots of different ways to approach whatever you might bring in. I work with trauma, PTSD, depression, grief, anger, anxiety, physical symptoms, career change, parenting, midlife issues... the list is long. I am not, however, an addictions specialist. If you're currently in an addictive relationship with a substance, it's best to seek someone who is.
© 2005 Kerry
Moran
