Psychotherapy as Search and Care for the Soul / Psychotherapie als Suche nach der Seele und Fürsorge für die Seele / Psicoterapia como búsqueda y cuidado para el alma / La psychothérapie comme recherche et soin de l'âme / A psicoterapia como procura e cuidado pela alma /

Abstract

To capture characteristics of moments when the process of the soul comes to life in psychotherapy, a “soul research project” has been started. Analysis from a good outcome case illustrates how the experience of connectedness determines whether or not the soul shows itself; how this process can be experienced by paying attention to the body; and how rituals can be nurturing to the soul. The soul is understood as a bodily felt inner compass which gives direction to the individual life. This inner felt process transcends the limited self through the experience of belonging to a larger process: connectedness with people and nature, and for some, with more subtle energies that are not the same as everyday material reality. Therapists are encouraged to communicate an attitude of openness to the full range of human experience, and to integrate the client's spiritual life as part of their psychology.