When I was initially thinking about how to define my private practice and the work that I do, I was inspired by one of my favorite books from childhood, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, by Mercer Mayer. In the book a maiden goes on a quest for her beloved who has been kidnapped by the troll princess and seeks help from a salamander, a fish, Father Forest and finally the North Wind. While the other beings bestow important and helpful gifts, it is the North Wind who carries the maiden east of the sun and west of the moon to the troll castle where her beloved is being held captive. The wind is a powerful force in nature as well as an important symbol for spirit in many cultures.
For me, the ultimate goal of psychotherapy is to get to the spirit, the essence, of who you really are. The work of psychotherapy includes examining and modifying unhealthy behaviors, developing practical tools for being in the world in an authentic way, acknowledging and repairing the effects of trauma, and learning to have a loving/compassionate dialogue with ourselves. This, of course, is an overview of what happens in psychotherapy. I have always believed that what drives us and carries us through the work is the resilience of the psyche. And by the way, when the maiden in the story arrives at the castle of the troll princess she doesn’t simply rescue the prince and leave. She has to work as a maid, slaving away while the trolls taunt her and throw dirt on the floor! In psychotherapy, our inner spirit/psyche carries us but we have to do the work with consciousness and effort while our bad habits and negative beliefs about ourselves taunt us and throw dirt on the hard work we’re doing. Eventually we get to a place where we can begin the work of communing with the less tangible aspects of ourself.
May all your journeys be blessed!
Elicia at Windjourney
