If clients ask, I tell them that I am a contemplative psychotherapist. What does this mean? It means that I listen and respond out of a contemplative, loving, compassionate space.
As an ordained Presbyterian Pastor (USA), I spent 10 years in parish ministry cultivating my relationship with God and my Truest, highest Self through prayer and meditation. As a Yoga teacher, I teach and practice different types of meditation and mindfulness. Yoga is different because of its focus on the breath. We use slow, deep and deliberate breathing to quiet the mind, reduce stress and return to our peaceful center. Utilizing the breath in therapy helps us reconnect with our center where perpetual peace abides no matter what else may be going on in our lives. I have also spent 2 years in a post graduate program in contemplative spirituality at The Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM. It is affectionately known at the “underground seminary” because the type of person that is drawn to the Center seeks to embody and live out of love that transcends any one spiritual tradition. Each of these aspects of my experience shows up in my contemplative psychotherapeutic work urging me to respond from a still, grounded, centered place.
Therapy is a safe space where we can trust that we will be heard and validated allowing us to heal from our emotional wounds. With awareness and resolution comes a more reliable sense of ourselves as lovable and loving. This transformation allows us to continue letting go of our small, separate self and live into our True Self. Through therapy and mindful processes, we acquire qualities like loving kindness, equanimity, compassion and confidence that flow out of us naturally like water from a spring.
Contact Elizabeth or call 561 866-6607 to learn more about contemplative psychotherapy.