2024 Annual Workshop – Ego, Soul, and the Restorative Function of Emotional Pain
Presenter: Leland Baggett, LCMHC
The is an in-person event
6 CEs from the NASW-Oregon Chapter
This workshop will introduce an original approach to psychotherapy based upon the premise that emotional healing is fundamentally a psycho-spiritual event. This approach integrates the values of authentic presence, intentionality, and meaning rooted in the Humanistic-Existential-Phenomenological orientation — with aspects of both Buddhist and Transpersonal Psychology. Its theoretical foundation is the based upon the interweaving of four elemental assertions.
The first assertion is the acknowledgment of the two-fold nature of the human mind, sometimes referred to as duality (or the dualistic mode of consciousness) and non-duality (or non-dual awareness).
The second assertion is that these disparate modes of consciousness are inherently compatible with the more personalized concepts of ego and soul, and can be re-contextualized as such to support a more deeply integrative healing experience.
This leads us to the third assertion, which is that the dynamic relationship between the dual and nondual aspects of the mind (i.e. our ego and our soul) is the unrecognized source of all our emotional experience, ranging from the deepest, most anguished pain to the most rarified states of joyful, loving peace — and all points between.
The fourth assertion has to do with a radical reframing of emotional pain as: a necessary and invaluable resource that not only serves the process of emotional healing, but also provides a direct path for awakening into the experience of our soul. In this sense, emotional pain is both a diagnostic indicator of the state of non-alignment between ego and soul, and a dynamic force that, when lovingly welcomed into our heart, can serve as a powerful agent for healing and transformation.
We will begin with a brief discussion on the four elemental assertions and show how they function synergistically as a seamless process of emotional healing and spiritual awakening. Following this, we will lay out an organic, present-oriented, experiential method for applying this process in clinical practice. There will be opportunities for questions and dialog, along with brief demonstrations and experiential exercises, depending on the needs of the participants.
Bio:
Leland (Chip) Baggett, M.A., LCMHC, is a psychotherapist and author, and is a highly respected thought leader in the field of humanistic/existential/transpersonal psychology, bringing attention to the interface between psychotherapy and spirituality. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Humanistic Psychology from the University of West Georgia, and is past president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology and the North Carolina Mental Health Counselors Association. In1988 he published a book of poetry, “So Where’s The Dawn”, which depicts the journey of emotional healing after the loss of a relationship. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and has maintained a private psychotherapy practice for over forty five years, working with individual adults and couples. He currently maintains his practice in Asheville, North Carolina.
Baggett’s academic and professional background, combined with his own personal journey of spiritual exploration, provides him with a unique perspective and a wealth of experience to assist individuals as they confront their own psychological or existential or spiritual crises. He has developed an innovative approach to psychotherapy that is centered in the relationship between emotional healing and spiritual awakening.
His approach to couples therapy emphasizes the impact of states of consciousness upon interpersonal dynamics, a phenomenon that is often overlooked. This has led to the development of a unique psycho-spiritual approach to couples work, which is presented in his book, “Waking Up Together: An Interactive Practice For Couples” (2009).
Chip and his partner, Natalie, love to ground their spiritual journey by tending to their home and gardens in the country just outside of Asheville, communing with the land and its abundant wildlife.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations received more than 3 months before the event date: 100% refund.
Cancellations received between 3 months and 3 weeks before the event date: 50% refund.
Cancellations received within 3 weeks from the event date: no refund.