Methods & Philosophy

At some point in our lives, we may find ourselves facing a significant transition or major life decision.   For many, the decision process is called the “dark night of the soul.”   For others, it may be called spiritual madness.

Joseph Campbell outlined the hero’s journey in his book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces and Caryn has adapted Campbell’s model to address the therapeutic and spiritual healing journey using a Jungian approach.   

Caryn suggests the therapeutic journey is similar to that of the hero’s journey.   Campbell broke the journey into three parts: Part 1) Departure and Separation, Part 2) Descent, Initiation, Penetration, and Part 3) Return.        

The hero, living in the ordinary, topside world, receives a “wake-up” call.   Any number of events can create this call:   a dream or nightmare, a relationship crisis, or a major life decision or transition.   Many of us struggle with this step, resisting the need to ask for outside help.   When life continues to be problematic, the hero, often reluctantly, calls and schedules an appointment with the mentor/guide/therapist thus crossing the first threshold—beginning the inner work.   This step requires a lot of courage, hope, and deep breathing.   It then becomes the therapist’s job to create a safe container in which the hero can do his/her work.

The hero faces the crisis.   In the therapeutic setting, the characters in the story of your life are discovered, both allies and worthy adversaries.   The information may come in the form of projections or by exploring the underworld (the unconscious material) through the stories of your life, both waking and dreaming.   Together, the hero and the therapist slowly circumambulate and approach the wound (complexes) in order to face and digest the shadow (the disowned, unknown, repressed elements of the psyche that can be both positive as well as negative).   The tension of the opposites is held…the known vs. the unknown…until the treasure (new attitude or insight) emerges as a result of the hero’s hard inner and outer work.

The hero finds the road back, returns with the treasure, the reclaimed soul part, and experiences a rebirth—living in both the topside world and the underworld.   From this point, the work of integration continues.

Every soul journey needs a witness and a guide.   As an experienced traveler on the path to therapeutic and spiritual healing, Caryn guides and accompanies you on your journey.   By following the soul and where it wants to go for your development, growth, and healing, Caryn provides a safe container allowing and encouraging transpersonal soul work and integration of personal insights and images from the unconscious.

Journey to Wholeness

Caryn’s goal is to help people on the journey to wholeness by working through…      

• Disordered Eating Issues 
• Addictions & Self-Defeating Patterns 
• Recovery Issues including Al-Anon & Adult Children of Alcoholic Issues
• Divorce & Separation Issues 
• Parenting Issues 
• Spirituality Issues 
• Major-Life & Mid-Life Transitions 
• Dreamwork:   Exploring the Language of Your Dream & Uncovering Their Mystery & Guidance 
• Reclaiming the Body & the Voice