Symbol Story And Ceremony

Describes the psychotherapeutic use of metaphor in its three basic forms: symbol, story and ritual. Case studies are used to illustrate metaphorical strategies for facilitating new patterns of thought. Exercises are also offered to help therapists develop confidence in thinking metaphorically.

'Illuminate' demonstrates how, though the power of persuasive communication, one can turn an idea into a movement, as compared with the likes of Steve Jobs, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Starbucks, IBM, and more.

An extraordinary compilation of legends and rituals about nature's ever-present signs. From the birds that soar above us to the insects beneath our feet, Native American healer Bobby Lake-Thom shows how the creatures of the earth can aid us in healing and self-knowledge. “There are ancient secrets and lessons hidden in nature. If you seek for guidance, you will discover truth.”—Bobby Lake-Thom Much of the ancient knowledge that has been passed down from Native American medicine men, or shamans is in danger of being lost. Bobby Lake-Thom, a Native American healer known as Medicine Grizzly Bear, has sought to preserve this powerful heritage by sharing his wisdom and experience learning from the world around us. What does it mean if a hawk appears in a dream? What are the symbolic interpretations of a deer, a skunk, a raccoon? Lake-Thom, who has studied with the elders of many tribes, explains the significance of animal figures as manifestations of good or evil, and shows how we can develop our own powers of awareness and intuition. The first book of its kind, this practical and enlightening resource includes dozens of fascinating animal myths and legends, as well as exercises and activities that draw upon animal powers for guidance, healing, wisdom, and the expansion of spiritual influences in our lives. You'll discover here: • How animals, birds, and insects act as signs and omens • The significance of vision quests • How to make and use a medicine wheel • The role of spirit symbols—and how they affect the unconscious • Exercises for creative dreaming • The power of the earth-healing ceremony • How to increase your spiritual strength and create sacred spaces • And more....

Tayo, a young Native American, has been a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, and the horrors of captivity have almost eroded his will to survive. His return to the Laguna Pueblo reservation only increases his feeling of estrangement and alienation. While other returning soldiers find easy refuge in alcohol and senseless violence, Tayo searches for another kind of comfort and resolution. Tayo's quest leads him back to the Indian past and its traditions, to beliefs about witchcraft and evil, and to the ancient stories of his people. The search itself becomes a ritual, a curative ceremny that defeats the most virulent of afflictions—despair.

This book demonstrates some of the unique ways in which therapists can help complex and vulnerable clients considered "hard-to-reach", using arts media and play. Using a wealth of case studies, contributors describe their unique therapeutic attempts to reach clients who, for various reasons, seem unreachable. These moving therapeutic journeys are described in a phenomenological, auto-ethnographic way by the therapists themselves, as a series of "snapshot" glimpses into the therapy room. The therapists describe how combinations of art, play, metaphor, and imagination have helped them navigate the complex pathways to reach their clients. Each chapter is fully supported by the contributing therapists' own selection of theoretical ideas and analysis. The book will help therapists consider innovate creative approaches in their work with clients who have been deemed too complex to work with in individual therapy, emphasising the importance of play and arts resources in helping them achieve this.

Arguing that spirituality is not about religion but about living happily, this guidebook offers advice on the skills of the inner life—the mind and emotions—that are needed for a life of gladness. This examination discusses the requirements for happiness, explores their nature, and shows that mastering a set of five of them leads to bliss. The exercises in this resource are offered to spiritual seekers as a path towards happiness and emphasize that personal elation is not caused by external events, but by mastering the skills of the inner life.