Psychosynthesis is a psychology of soul, with its eye not only on ones history and symptoms, but also on a purposeful and hopeful future, giving individuals the capacity to reorient their lives in the direction of purpose, meaning and values.
Psychosynthesis has also been described as a psychology of the (higher) Self, in that the realms of human experience also include matters of soul and spirit, alongside physical and emotional experiences, thoughts and mental processes.
Therefore, behind our many identifications resides a deeper knowledge of Self that can be felt, nurtured and strengthened with compassionate attention, a process Dr. Roberto Assagioli referred to as ‘Dis-identification’. It is the action of attending to this more integral sense of Self, that includes both the uniquely personal and the transpersonal, that lies at the heart of Psychosynthesis in practice.
Dr. Assagioli, the founding father of Psychosynthesis psychology, stressed the importance of the human ‘impulse towards wholeness’ and of the longing and striving for a more authentic and truer experience of Self, recognising the unfolding potential inherent therein. As that conscious connection to Self becomes more integrated, the relationship inevitably extends beyond the personal to a sense of connection and responsibility towards a ‘greater whole’, which can be expressed in terms of the planet, our ecological footprint, community, our contribution to something meaningful, and our interconnectedness with all things.
Personal crises and difficulties and the inevitable resonance with past wounding will often spark a desire to explore the psychological and relational worlds more deeply, and with greater purpose. Working within a Psychosynthesis framework, the focus will concurrently be on what might be unfolding at the level of soul, spirit and Self, and the inherent opportunities that these aspects may bring.
For further information and resource materials please go to www.psychosynthesis.org