Have you entered unfamiliar territory where old maps are insufficient and previous ways of doing things are no longer working? Do you have a growing sense of emptiness that has become harder to ignore? Are you having trouble feeling truly joyful or connected to your life, your relationships, or to meaning or purpose?

Unfortunately, modern psychiatry and psychology are often ill-equipped to address these deeper issues of the human experience because they have largely become divorced from the very thing they were developed to study and treat—the psyche (the Greek word for soul). Thus, any treatment that endeavors to address one’s mental and emotional health to the exclusion of the soul will often prove inadequate. Consider, for instance, the fact that more people are engaged in therapy and taking psychotropic medications than at any other time in history; yet, it’s hard to deny that we seem to be in the midst of a mental health crisis of staggering proportions. Depression is now the leading cause of disability worldwide. To me, this says that we have ignored our souls for far too long, and we’ve done so at our own peril. In contrast, when we learn to align ourselves with our souls--that deep and abiding part of us which transcends our physical existence—we become our most authentic selves and have the lives that are uniquely fated for us. In short, we become the people we were meant to be. So, what is your soul crying out for? What is it trying to tell you?

It is often said that that which we most need to find is where we least want to look. It’s no wonder that in the world of folklore and fairytales, the most valuable treasures are guarded by the fiercest dragons. And yet, when we have the courage to face them, our dragons usually turn out to be our greatest teachers. I feel like my central role as a therapist is to accompany my clients as they become deeply curious about their dragons and the treasures that have yet to be revealed. I work best with adult clients who do not want to ignore the deep callings of their souls and who want to awaken to a higher and richer way of being.