Influences
As an integrative therapist, I utilize different approaches and modalities to my work with clients. Overarching all of these approaches is a general spiritual approach based essentially in archetypal, Jungian, narrative, and Transpersonal psychology.
If you've ever wondered what your therapist reads, this is a brief list of some of the major areas I am interested in and the influential books that have informed my work with clients in various key areas. I have attached below books, websites, and theories/modalities that I am deeply interested in.
Core Competencies
In my various trainings, certain competencies and issues transcend niche or specialization and apply to a broad client base. Whether they are are specific modalities, interventions, techniques or paradigms of how to understand issues, As a therapist I am constantly keeping up with current research and training in new modalities to add to my toolkit. Below are some of the influential texts connected to certain techniques of intervention, understanding issues, and core skills.
Narrative Work and Archetypal Psychology
Archetypal psychology is a cornerstone of Jungian approaches to therapy. It's basic concept is that there are core cultural stories and figures that can be found universally in the Human experience. These core stories and figures manifest again and again in cultures around the world, being modified by each culture but retaining their basic meaning. In archetypal theory then, Human beings are culturally and psychologically hardwired to recognize and relate to these core stories because of Jung's theory of the 'collective unconscious,' While I do not ascribe to all parts of the theory, the work by archetypal and Jungian psychologists has had a huge impact on popular culture through individuals like Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. Archetypal psychologists are very interested in religious and mythological story, how these older themes have been reproduced again and again, and what impact they have on current populations. This theory was particularly popular in the 1970s as part of the modern feminist movement, 1990s via the Mythopoetic movement. Criticism of the approach tends to be related to the concept of universalism often privileging western lenses over indigenous, cherry picking examples to fit preconceived notions, and lack of diversity. That being said, new approaches to diversifying the ideas and utilizing the methods of exploring narrative using this model but in new ways has formed, and has been very useful in my practice,
Narrative therapy is slightly different than the archetypal model, proposing instead that humans are socialized to adopt stories which can be dysfunctional, harmful, and perpetuate disempowerment. In narrative work, we work to uncover the narratives that clients hold and explore how they go on to influence values, core beliefs, boundaries, and other aspects of self concept. The crucial step here is to then replace or rewrite those core narratives to empower the client in their life.
The trouble is that often narratives are covert, resting in the subconscious just below full comprehension. My approach to helping to uncover these stories is through archetypal techniques to assist clients recognize the deeper desires and sub-narratives that exist, and one of the more effective ways to do this is to explore the external stories that interest the client. For example, a client might be dealing with unfulfillment and sadness born out of crippling self esteem issues. They may have grown up in a family where love was transactional, and learned early that receiving love only came with total compliance. Growing up the client learned to people please and developed weak boundaries resulting in feeling trod all over. One of the clients' major loves was mystery novels, where the heroes routinely solved crimes by disobeying the rules. This breaking of the rules both terrified but intrigued the client, the sleuths in these books became stand ins for the client's own desires and wishes. This is part of the specific modality called Bibliotherapy, utilizing literature as the space to explore.
Fandoms, Gaming, and Alternative Virtual Realities in Therapy
The essence of narrative work is to become aware of our story, and how that story impacts how we relate to ourselves and the world around us. Often, it is difficult to gain awareness of these very subconscious narratives. One effective way of uncovering these stories is by exploring through an external proxy, and something I am deeply interested in is the use of gaming, LARPing (Live Action Role Play), . This is where another of my passions come in, the use of 'worldplay' and fandom in therapy.
​
Essentially, the power of story and narrative work using fandom, LARP, gaming, worldplay is to give the client a space to test the waters, to edit the narratives they hold onto, and gain sovereignty. That is the essence of the mythopoetic movement and the archetypal reimagining's of many of the books above. We don't ascribe to stagnant stories, we retell them to fit with our needs now. The possibility of fandom in therapy is to look at how we as individuals and as a society express ourselves through shared stories. Fandom and constructed worlds have emerged, particularly since the 1980s, as potent grounds for self exploration and expression. As a LARPer and a geek, I have noticed friends and acquaintances using their love of video games, constructed worlds, superheroes, and other manifestations of geek culture to explore themselves. Fandoms and 'paracosms' become complex spaces of both interaction with others and interaction with subconcious parts of self. By exploring client relationship to their fandom, favourite character, story arc, video game landscape, etc,. we can dive deeper into those areas that in other circumstances may be difficult to get to and shine a light on the narrative work the client has already been engaging in.​
While the above books relate to gaming, role-play, fandom and superheroes, etc,. The technique can be applied to any story. Often clients coming from religious communities interact with the stories of their deities, spirits or saints in similar ways to how they interact with the stories of their fandoms. While on one level there is a stark difference to the client between a religious figure and a superhero, functionally the relationship can operate similarly and impact the client in similar ways. This is functionally very similar to an array of figures whether fictional, mythological, legendary, or 'real.' What I am very interested in again is how the relationship to story is impacting the clients life regardless of what that story or who that figure is.
Sub Cultures and Identities in Therapy
Subcultures evolve from people who share the same interests coming together. Like dominant culture, subcultures form in-group slang or vocabulary, hubs of socialization, unwritten rules of social etiquette and engagement, and very often impacts an individuals' understanding of self and relationships with the wider world.
​
Learning to hold space for the complex relationships between individuals and groups is a crucial aspect of specializing as a therapist, and with that specialization comes the need for cultural competency. As a therapist, while I work generally with people from many backgrounds, my major niche has tended to be the LGBTQ+, Geek, and NeoPagan communities. By extension, these communities have often overlapped and intersect with other community identities. Research into these subcultures has emerged over the past few decades, with some excellent resources, and my personal experience working with clients has proven how many complex relationships form between these various identities and community groups. Like fandoms, these subcultures offer individuals opportunity to express themselves and form relationships with others, and often have specific language and cultural rules. With the particular subcultures I specialize in, there is a great degree of intersectionality requiring fluency in each of these identities, and most of them carry social stigma and marginalization. As such, below are some of the fantastic resources available for some of the subcultures I work with:
Specific Identities
There is more than enough evidence showing an intersection between Geek, Queer, Kink, and Autism communities. Many of the associated subcultures below also tie in with these specific populations (though not in every case).
Non-Monogamy and Poly Relationships
Poly and ethical-non monogamy communities have evolved over the past few decades to include an increasingly complex and meaningful vocabulary, social etiquette, and forms of relationship. More than simply having multiple sexual or romantic partners, Non-M
Kink, BDSM, and Fetish Communities
The Kink community is a diverse collection of people who are interested in various practices involving fetishes, BDSM, and kinks. Aside from the physicality of such experiences, the community provides spaces to explore power/control dynamics, sensory experiences, aesthetic exploration, and role play.
