How is it with your soul?
No, I’m not asking about your extensive collection of Aretha Franklin LPs but you – your soul. (Perhaps you’re already running for the hills from this kind of talk but hang around).
What do I mean when I talk about ‘soul’? Does it have to be ‘religious’? Try a quick Google and you’ll discover that it’s really hard to find a definition. Here are a couple you might find helpful.
Eckhart Tolle describes it as, ‘The presence that you are – beyond form. The consciousness that you are – beyond form. That is the soul. That is who you are in essence.’ A former teacher of mine, Mark Hartshorn, puts it this way, ‘when I refer to soul, I refer to something that gives life meaning. For some this will be a religious belief, but for others it will be nature, sport or art. It may be family, meditation or helping others.’
You may have faith or no faith. You may have your own sense of what soul means for you…or you may not. You can still be curious.
As part of my counselling practice I offer clients the opportunity to connect with their soul alongside their thoughts and feelings. Why? because I believe that we can achieve the best outcome if we engage with all aspects of our being – including the spiritual.
I know that I connect with my soul, the ‘essence of my being’, when I’m singing on the football terrace or in church or when I’m joining Aretha in a rendition of R-E-S-P-E-C-T. My soul is stirred when I’m sitting round the dinner table chatting with friends and when I’m taking in a majestic landscape. I feel a soul connection when I’m drinking coffee sitting with my dog and when a client has a new insight or understanding. All of these things give my life purpose and meaning.
How can therapy help? When you come to counselling, you may want to explore some big questions or feelings; Why do I feel lost and confused? Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? Why does my life feel empty? These are challenging questions and can stir up some difficult thoughts and feelings. Part of my role as a counsellor is to create a warm, welcoming space where you can feel safe and not judged. As your therapist I’m a companion on your journey, someone to be present as you discover new aspects of yourself. Not to give you answers but to help you find your own.
Not all counsellors will feel comfortable or be trained to help you unpack these (existential) questions and ideas, so it’s important that you find a counsellor who is able to work in this way. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more. You can go to the contact page to find out how.
In the meantime, why not put Aretha on the turntable, kick off your shoes and have a little dance? Discover what song your life could be singing.