The Pilamaya Integration Psychotherapy (IP) training — like all the Pilmaya training offerings — has deep roots in prayer, and you can hear the story of how this offering emerged from that sacred space in episode one.

In this latest episode, we track that thread but move on to explore that specific part of the training that teaches student therapists (who wish to) how they can work with Spirit in the therapeutic space.

For those who've listened to Episode 3, you’ll already know the IP training is built from a unique multi- dimensional foundation called the Nine Dimensions and that one of these is the dimension of Innate Wisdom [D7]. Remembering this can perhaps better help us to understand how it is that Spirit, in this work, can bring more of that dimension into the therapy room.

But what do we really mean by Spirit? And how is that different from talking about Soul?

It’s a juicy topic and co-hosts, Shaura and Susan, waste no time diving deep into a way of working they both clearly relish and feel passionately about.

Inspired by her visits to the ancient temples of India, Susan tells Shaura how she now greets every new day honouring her own connection to Spirit (substitute the term you prefer here) by lighting incense to burn in the pot of geraniums on the doorstep making the gesture not only an offering, but an explicit message to the space — indoors and out — about what is important in her environment [D1] and home.

And Shaura says whilst she is never separated from Spirit, no matter what she is doing, if she too wants to be more explicit about that connection, especially in her therapy work, she will light a candle or use sound or some other scent as an invitation.

The duo touch on other rituals, including creating an altar in their homes, and agree that for many of us in this line of work, creating and relating daily to a scared space — and working with clients who are seeking more meaning in their lives by doing the same — is a privilege.

Shaura, who is also a trained Interfaith Minister, created not just a workshop but an entire module dedicated to Spiritual Counselling as part of the IP training and explains why it was important to hold back on this training until towards the end of the whole IP course.

Susan reminds her that in her own IP training this was the module that unleashed poetry (often a feature of our new podcast) into the training group’s dynamic, making it one of her favourite training elements, prompting Shaura to then share an insight into how and why poetry can quickly open the therapeutic space to more soulful work since the voice of the therapist becomes a ‘vehicle’ for the flow of life that was moving through the poet at the time of creating the poem.

There's an invitation to listeners to share what they think about the topic so don't be share, email us or share your comments on the various listening platforms. This is a topic we will be coming back to … 

Subscribe to the free Pilamaya Podcast monthly newsletter for show notes that accompany each episode: 

https://pilamaya-podcast.beehiiv.com/

Find out more:

The Pilamaya Centre: https://thepcip.org/

Contact the Hosts:

shaura@thepcip.org

susan@thepcip.org

Production credit

Sound Engineer: Tom Fox at ⁠⁠⁠Moorcroft Studios⁠⁠⁠

Original artwork credit

The original artwork for the Pilamaya Podcast is by multi media artist & healer Hilary Calverley.

Inner & Outer Landscapes  

(Charcoal, acrylic paint & water soluble oil pastels on watercolour paper.) 

Instagram: hilary_calverley_

Multi media artist & Healer ⁠⁠⁠⁠hilarycalverley@gmail.com