Kim Schneiderman
Psychotherapist, Author, Columnist, Writing Workshops

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From Mindless Din to Deep Mindfulness

The Journey of Spiritually-Oriented Psychotherapy

Several years ago, I participated in a group exercise at a job orientation that became a guiding metaphor about how to remain connected to my inner voice amid the noise of modern life.

The goal of the exercise was to walk from one end of a large room to the other, blindfolded, while navigating an obstacle course of napkin “landmines” that had been scattered across the floor. In order to make my way, I would have to hone in on the voice of a single colleague, who stood on the opposite side of the room guiding me step by step, while others, through cacophonous din, tried to drown out my guide by shouting a mix of good and bad directions. As I recall, it was a fun but difficult exercise, and I barely made it across.

Sometimes life can feel that way – like we are clambering through the darkness, unsure of which steps to take while distractions thunder around us. As for distractions, modern life offers plenty of them. From email, texts, advertising, social media, television and streaming videos, to family, colleagues, and friends, we are constantly being inundated with competing and often conflicting messages about how to lead fulfilling lives that will make us feel valued, loved, accepted, maybe even admired.

Ultimately, the questions become – how do we tap into the guiding voice that will lead us to our desired destination, steering us away from temptations and traps? And how do we embrace the journey with curiosity about, and compassion for our inevitable missteps?

Ask one who meditates, and they will swear by mindfulness – using breathing practices to observe our thoughts with emotional distance and objectivity. An artist, alternatively, will espouse the virtues of art, music, writing, dance, acting – as a mirror for reflecting our heart’s yearnings. A member of the clergy will likely direct you to practices and precepts aimed at connecting you toa higher power and universal truths, while a more classically trained psychoanalyst will invite you to probe unexpressed childhood feelings towards caregivers to free you from entrenched psychological complexes.

And they’d all be right, more or less.

That’s why if you ask a spiritually-oriented psychotherapist, you may find someone who embraces it all – mindfulness, creativity, religion, psychological inquiry, and more, as avenues to help people hear and follow that hushed inner authentic voice that whispers their truths – what some call the soul.

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Filed Under: Articles & Essays, Blog, Media Tagged With: Psychotherapy, Spiritual Counseling, Spiritual Guidance, Spirituality, Spiritually-Oriented Psychotherapy

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Reframe Your Narrative About Challenging Relationships

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Lesson 1:  Soul Narrative vs. Self-Defeating Story
Lesson 2:  Exploring the Power of Choice and Voice
Lesson 3:  Your Adversary as Your Personal Trainer
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Lesson 5:  Getting to Know Your Inner Antagonist(s)
Lesson 6:  Dialoguing with the Parts that Get Triggered
Lesson 7:  The Yoga of Character Development
Lesson 8:  Supporting Characters, Tools and Resources
Lesson 9:  Giving Ourselves the Blessing We Seek
Lesson 10: The Golden Happy Ending


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About The Author: Kim Schneiderman

Psychotherapist and freelance journalist Kim Schneiderman utilizes research-based methods to help people who are stuck – in a dead-end job, relationship, of life stage – imagine themselves as the star of their own stories with the power to reclaim their personal narratives. Drawing on the elements of a story that many of us learned in high school (premise, scene, plot, conflict, climax, resolution), readers will assign titles to different chapters of their lives, observe recurring themes, identify supporting characters, and explore how conflict creates opportunities for personal growth that can lead to a meaningful resolution. They will also be asked to examine how the decisions we make, both big and small, affect our storyline – the relationships we choose, how we spend our day, and how we nourish ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Unlike most self-help writing workbooks, most of the exercises in Step Out of Your Story are framed in the third-person voice, freeing readers to see beyond their usual point of view. Psychological research suggests that people are more likely to view their lives favorably when they see themselves as characters in a story. In a 2005 Columbia University study reported in the Journal of Psychological Science, test subjects who spoke about difficult chapters in their lives in the third person narrative displayed more confidence and optimism than those who recalled bad memories in the first person. By retracing their steps from the perch of the third-person narrative, people were more likely to regard their problems as something outside themselves – challenges they had conquered or adversaries they had defeated - instead of character flaws. Additionally, the perception that they had overcome obstacles left them feeling more confident to face the future.

Step Out Of Your Story

STEP OUT OF YOUR STORY

Writing Exercises to Reframe and Transform Your Life

Every life is an unfolding story, and how individuals tell their story matters. Recent Stanford and Columbia University studies show that how we view the story of our life shapes the life itself. Who are the heroes and villains? Where does the plot twist? How are conflicts resolved? Learn more...

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