Counselor shares view that therapy is for all

Today on the American Counseling Association blog, Kathy Renfree writes "Try It, You Might Like It" in response to Thomas Moore’s latest blog entry with The Huffington Post, "Everyone Should Be in Therapy". Renfree writes,

"... as I progressed through my own personal struggles and growth I encountered the Thomas Moore that presented me with another growth opportunity. His books Care of the Soul, and Dark Nights of the Soul were a gift to me at a most difficult time.

Have you had the experience when something crosses your path at exactly the moment you are ready to receive the message? When you are able to integrate the teaching and messages without disdain or disrespect? Where you eagerly read on and on because your head nodding propels you through the chapters? The words on those pages jumped into my heart – often I would leave the pages to wipe a tear or two, or to call a family member or friend – the words leading me to rejoice in a connection – or to lead me to the very place of feelings I wanted so badly to avoid…and of course the place I needed to be the most."

She supports Moore’s view that everyone may benefit from therapy and shares, "That therapy – with the right therapist leads us to the place we need to be, genuine in our own life, generous to others and as counselors, the best example of the benefits of psychotherapy. I have always felt that in order to help clients grow and heal old wounds, it was imperative that I needed to be a client. This is, of course, my own belief – from my own experience."

Artist sees love as fuel of life in The Soul of Sex

On the blog, PoedyPencilPrincess: The Ranting of a Mad Artist, New Brunswick artist Jody Noelle Coughlin describes herself as "a painter and a writer, photographer, mother and wife." In yesterday’s entry, "A Beautiful Rainy Day" she blogs,

"Ian and I had a few hours to ourselves this morning so we went out for lunch and strolled around town. We went to the library and I picked up a book called The Soul of Sex by Thomas Moore. I am loving this book. It seems to be telling me the things I have known for so long about sex, love. Eros. It speaks about love being the fuel of life. It speaks about how sexual encounters change us even if we want to believe they were casual. I have always felt that. In fact, I have always been fascinated by the transcendence I felt when in contact with another human being. A kiss. A touch. These things all bear great meaning for me. Always have. Hopefully they always will.

So, I look forward to what else I might discover (or rediscover) within this book. I am glad I stumbled across it today. I also picked up Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Ian picked out A Mad Desire to Dance by Elie Weisel for me. So, I suspect I shall be completely drunk on literature in the coming weeks. I am glad. I could use the infusion."

Blogger considers soul in political discussions

New Brunswick blogger Gerald McEachern writes in today’s post, "Politics: where soul meets the real world" about the shadow of politics, nuclear power and the province’s natural resources. He suggests,

"Soul and belief have a long history. What is soul? To paraphrase philosopher Thomas Moore, the soul is a kind of interior workspace in which we work out issues between our internal nature (or spiritual being) and the physical world. In Jungian terms, soul might be seen as a waiting room between the conscious and the unconscious mind.

Our souls, putting aside any specific religious notions of the word, crave something more than mere survival. Our souls are aspirational. Our souls want to shape the world into something more than the sum of its parts. Everything we do, from the making [of] art to the creation [of] great societies is soul work."

While referencing a CBC radio interview, McEachern states, "... neither the voters nor the politicians want to look at the real issues. What are those issues? The issues, as always, are physical resources and human energy."

Contrasting developments in Alberta with those in New Brunswick, he asks, "But do we have the courage to do the soul work to create a better future for ourselves? Not if we listen our current political leaders. Real aspiration for this province seems to be in stunningly short supply."

Psychological sustainability has a place for soul

"Sustainable Workplaces - The Role & Soul of Work" on Sources Energy quotes Thomas Moore about soul in the workplace. In its description of psychological sustainability, the post includes, "Moore emphasizes the need for soul and meaning in the workplace as necessary for a fulfilled [psychologically sustainable] life, and observes that often, "We only consider function, and so the soul elements are left to chance. … Where there is no artfulness about life, there is a weakening of soul." When there is a weakening of soul, depression, emptiness and even physical illness can result." A diagram of sustainability shows internal and external elements that contribute to thriving workplaces.

Blogger recommends Writing in the Sand

Today Butterfly Bible Blog comments about Thomas Moore’s Writing In the Sand: Jesus and the Soul of the Gospels in a post about living the Gospels today. After quoting Moore’s four suggestions — respect people unlike yourself, deal with demonic urges, be a healer, stay awake — the blogger writes, “Now these paragraphs alone aren’t as meaningful if you haven’t read the book. In the book, Moore links all of these “ideas” to the stories in the Gospel in a powerful way. He goes on to say that it’s important to live with ‘the building blocks of a spiritual life: faith, hope, doubt, and wonder'... This is a book worth spending time with.”