The Transpersonal, one could think of as one giant container that can hold all of the beliefs, meaning-making, set of values, all of our differences into one soft landing.
The idea that one belief system is better than the other is mute in the Transpersonal realm. And this is just one clinician’s viewpoint on Transpersonal; another clinician may have a slightly different take and that is also the beauty in the Transpersonal.
A world where there is no hierarchy of differences is the Transpersonal and this is assuming good intentions. This does not permit evil in the world or more severe personality disorders to rein terror.
How does one transcend themselves in the world? How do you see outside of different parts of you that show up? Maybe younger parts? Used and abused parts? Childhood parts? In what ways do you integrate the parts of yourself and give them what you need? And what does integration mean? Integration can be personal to each person, but put simply it can mean how you change yourself and adapt after the things you learn about in life.
The Transpersonal can mean spirituality in so many definitions of the word. Spirituality could be a word that an atheist turns up their nose to and yet an atheist can also find ways to transcend themselves through other ways in which they would not use the word spiritual.
A Transpersonal perspective offers no judgment to how other human beings make meaning out of their lives. It is a holistic, whole-person approach.
It is kind of tricky isn’t it?
Transpersonal is also complex and a bit magical in a sense. It offers relief in the world of having to pin down information about another person. It releases the pressure to always know why and just be with what is happening now.
Transpersonal emphasizes the mystery that is the human experience while honoring whatever background, stories, histories, choices a person is coming in with to a counseling session.
Therapy is a leap of hope and a brave one at that!
Keep up the good work out there.
Lots of love,
Chelsea