Spiritual Threads in Psychotherapeutic Work
Across the Threshold. A New Way of Understanding Psychosis (and Spirituality)
In this audio talk with slides, Isabel Clarke explores why it is that some people adjust to life transitions whilst others find themselves in a different dimension, one often labelled psychosis. From her extensive clinical frontline NHS experience, psychologist Clarke argues that all humans possess two modes of experience that she calls shared reality (everyday) and non-shared experience (transliminal). Her talk offers a non-judgemental way of understanding people who hear voices and have other unusual perceptual beliefs, as well as recommendations on how to keep them safe and support them through what can potentially be a growth experience.
Interesting exploration of subjective experience …in the context of those experiencing psychotic episodes, together with consideration of the polarities of ‘self’ and ‘ego’, and ‘heart’ and ‘head’. I noted Isobel Clarke said, ‘therapy is about healing the relationship between the person and themselves’. I agree that this is at the core of our work. With a background in both Buddhism and working in psychiatric care, when those in recovery from a psychotic episode come to me, I imagine myself beside them as they recount their (psychotic) ‘dream’ – their transliminal experience. In so doing, I gain a sense of the essence of their dream (or altered state of consciousness), so that I may reflect it to them…for their own sense-making healingful process.
Wonderful speaker. The normalising of different experiences whether within one person or within members of one team who is caring for that one person is powerful!
I very much liked the clear formulations which seemed to me to have universal applicability as well as offering a practical tool for understanding states of mind that are becoming, or are psychotic. I also enjoyed the clear practical advice about management.