We are influenced by two very different presences: Spirit and Soul. Soul has passion, movement, desire, darkness, calling, depth, wholeness, and ever-changing form. Spirit is light, blessing, clarity, eternal, transcendent, pure, complete, calming. In isolation, their incompleteness causes troubles; together, their marriage brings forth human creativity and transformation.

This workshop explores how both spirituality and soulfulness may be cultivated for healing purposes in therapeutic conversations. The self-relations approach to psychotherapy, developed by Dr. Gilligan, will be presented as a practical approach to resolving difficult human problems. Based on diverse practices such as aikido, Ericksonian hypnosis, Buddhism, and performance arts, self-relations looks to reorganize mind/body relationships so that disturbing experiences (such as traumas) can be absorbed, held, transformed, and realized as resources. In self-relations, symptoms are seen as awakenings of a person's soul or center, and therapeutic conversations are seen as midwifing these awakenings to full realization by touching Spirit to Soul. Thus, we don't try to "get rid of" depression, anxiety, or other "acting out/acting in" expressions, but instead invite them into a human relationship of "sponsorship", where their healing and helpful nature may be realized.

Some topics are:
--six principles for bring Soul and Spirit into therapeutic conversations
--a six-step method for transforming a presenting problem into a solution;
--3 exercises for accessing inner wisdom (in yourself and clients);
--Sponsorship: the relational process of touching Spirit to Soul;
--how to connect the cognitive self to both Soul and Spirit;
--specific applications to different types of problems (depression, addiction, anxiety, traumas, and couples work).

This workshop promises to be both practical and inspirational. It is based on non-ideological premises and effective practices that promote connection and openess to all forms of the "negative other". We hope to see you!

About the workshop presenter.

Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D., is a licensed Psychologist practicing in Encinitas, CA. Originally a student of Milton Erickson and Gregory Bateson, Stephen has developed his own work of radical awakening in self-relations psychotherapy. He is the author of numerous books, including The courage to love: Principles and practices of self-relations psychotherapy, The legacy of Erickson, Therapeutic trances: The cooperation principle in Ericksonian psychotherapy, Brief therapy (Ed. with J. Zeig), and Therapeutic conversations (Ed. with R Price), The courage to love: Principles and practices of self-relations psychotherapy, and The legacy of Erickson. He is currently editing a book on self-relations approaches entitled When Spirit touches Soul: Explorations in self-relations psychotherapy. His workshops promote both the professional and personal development of therapists.