Biographical Counselling
Biographical Counselling takes the psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of experience equally into account. It considers the relationship between body, soul and spirit and works holistically with each in mind.
It is an approach that fits well in supporting individuals (and groups see here) who are at a cross-roads, who have questions about their life, have a wish to develop a meaning framework for who they are, what life is about, and what their life purpose might be. Biographical Counselling is also helpful in addressing repeating life themes, questions about work, relationships, experiences of living with illness, trauma and the potential of post-traumatic growth.
The approach draws on the combined process of working with the past, addressing current experiences in the present, and intuitions about a future that is calling for us to deepen and realise a deeper sense for who we are. The work aims to strengthen a person’s experience of their core sense of self, or ‘I’ and it encourages clients to take up their agency in truthful and authentic ways. Spiritual aspects may not be easily perceptible or conscious, but through developing an imagination for these phenomena, we are able to position ourselves within a meaning making framework that offers a wider context for possibilities and resources useful to your life questions.
Biographical Counselling takes a social constructionist approach to understanding relationships, family and a person’s early year’s contexts. It also has, as a backdrop, an understanding of ‘life phases’. These are seven yearly rhythms that indicate archetypal phases of growth and development, i.e. 0-1, 7 – 14, 14 – 21 etc, where each phase has a theme and over-arching gesture. When we look at our life through this lens, questions and experiences about old and new souls, karma, destiny and pre-earthly lives can arise.
Sessions may include conversations about meditation, mindfulness and the development of healthy habits. They can also include mapping and engaging creatively with drawing out your own biography (or life) chart.
The practice of Biographical Counselling is grounded in the core principles of counselling and psychotherapy as outlined by the national standards of the BACP and UKCP, however is particularly inspired by the work of Martin Buber, Bernard Lievegoed, Robert Sardello, Gudrun Burkhard and spiritual researcher Rudolf Steiner.