What is Transpersonal Psychology? And what does transpersonal therapy look like?
Have you ever had a profound experience that…
left you speechless and were unable to put into words?
moved you so deeply that it brought you to tears?
felt a deep sense of oneness or unity?
questioned who you are and why you’re even here?
You, my friend, have touched the transpersonal world.
So, what is transpersonal psychology?
Transpersonal psychology is the melding of the traditional and spiritual world with modern psychology. Both worlds explore fundamental questions that humans have asked since the beginning of time. One question being, “Who am I?”
The spiritual world answers, “You are a spirit, a soul.”
Modern psychology replies, “You are a self and an ego.”
Transpersonal psychology honors the spiritual world and traditional world and weaves them together. It highlights the potency that we are more than just a mind. We are whole beings that encompass mind, body, and spirit. It honors ancient wisdom and brings it into the here and now.
Transpersonal psychology encompasses our longing to connect with something greater than ourselves, and uses this as fuel to heal, grow, and transform.
Transpersonal psychology in 3 parts:
1. It studies phenomena beyond the ego.
2. It is an integrative and whole person psychology.
3. It explores and fosters human transformation.
1. Beyond Ego
What does it mean to transcend beyond the ego? Transcendence comes from the Latin prefix trans, meaning “beyond,” and the word scandare, meaning “to climb.” When you transcend, you go beyond ordinary limits.
You see, the ego (meaning your sense of self-esteem and self importance) is concerned with being a separate self. The ego has a location: it is within the psychological process of the mind and is ultimately a thought that confuses our true Self with a fixed idea of self. Going beyond ego, transcendence, and self-expansion are words to describe the movement beyond the self, toward the other (meaning away from the idea of a fixed self that is separates us from all things and becoming more one with people, nature, etc.), and beyond space and time.
How does a person go about exploring the self beyond the ego?
Things like shamanism, mysticism, near death experiences, out of body experiences, plant medicine ceremonies, supernatural encounters, yoga, meditation, the birth of a child, and other exceptional human experiences are just some of the many examples.
2. Integrative and Whole Person Psychology
Transpersonal psychology is an integrative, whole person psychology because not only does it deeply explore the individual human, but it also recognizes the intimate relationship us humans have with the world around us. Humans have many layers to their experience. That is why transpersonal therapy aims to address the mind, body, and spirit.
How does transpersonal therapy address the mind, body, and spirit?
It explores the whole person through a plethora of lenses: existentialist, yogic, positive psychology, behavioral psychology, dance and movement therapy, depth psychology, gestalt, sports, holistic, somatic, ecopsychology, integral, contemplative, spiritual, societal, creative expressive arts, dream work, Jungian, and so many more.
3. Human Transformation
A potent aspect of transpersonal psychology is the transformative nature of it. A teacher of mine once said, “Transformative process is a journey in which there is not simply movement from one place or stage to another, but in which the landscape, the destination, and the journeyer shift and change as part of that movement” (Hartelius). Transformation is about the shifting and changing of a person and their worldview, where integration and true healing can happen.
How can we use the challenges of life as catalysts for healing and transforming? Can we zoom out and see the bigger picture to give us context for our suffering? Can we explore different ways to love and support ourselves and those around us?
Putting it all together. What could a transpersonal therapy session look like?
The wonderful thing about transpersonal therapy is that it could look a multitude of ways.
A transpersonal therapy session welcomes and holds the beauty of the present moment and everything that it encompasses. It recognizes your subjective experience; all the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, wisdom, and embodiment that you feel and know deep down. It can help you understand that you are more than just your mind. You are the one that experiences, the one that watches, the one that knows and is connected to something greater. Transpersonal therapy sessions give you the opportunity to explore the depths of your life (in both traditional and nontraditional ways) to help you heal and transform.
Here are some tools a transpersonal therapist may use:
Mindfulness practices
Meditation
Guided visualization
Dream work
Art
Music
Journaling
Somatic (body-based) focus
Yoga
Religious and spiritual exploration
Contact us to find out if a transpersonal therapy session could be a good fit for you.