The Future Face of Psychology

Kyra Mesich, Psy.D.

Psychology is the study of emotional and mental wellness. Unfortunately, in psychology's recent past, the field has struggled to earn the reputation as a "science," and has thus shunned much of its roots in hypnosis, dream analysis and other practices that acknowledged the unconscious and the soul.

Luckily, though, patients' demand for holistic healing will close the circle for the field of psychology. In other words, psychology of the future will look very much like healing methods of the past, including an understanding of the connection among mind, body, and spirit. In the coming years, psychologists will incorporate ancient practices such as herbalism, shamanism, energy healing and dream interpretation. The reason for looking to the past will be simple. These old, effective techniques acknowledged the reality of our soul and our connection to nature.

A large part of the emotional and mental suffering we endure in our modern world is directly caused by the disconnection from our soul, our energetic essence, and nature. Bringing back the old practices will heal the scars from that separation. Modern psychotherapists can already incorporate these old ways into their current practice if they choose. The resources exist for counselors to study disciplines such as flower essence therapy, shamanism, energy healing, and psychic development. Following is a brief definition of what each of these practices entails, and how it enhances the psychotherapeutic process:

Flower Essences
Flower essences are mild herbal remedies made from the flower of particular plants and trees. (Note: Please do not confuse flower essences with essential oils used in aromatherapy. They are completely different.) Flower essences are taken internally, and are used primarily to aid emotional and spiritual concerns. Flower essences are currently made by several manufacturers throughout the U.S. who also offer training programs for practitioners. So, rather than recommending Prozac or other psychotropic medication, a psychotherapist could offer or refer a client to flower essence remedies, which work more safely and more effectively to heal emotional pain such as depression, anxiety, abuse recovery, and addictions.

Shamanism
Shamanism is an ancient practice which acknowledges other realities and the vastness of our soul. The shaman learns to navigate other realms to search for the soul-based solution to a patient's illness or problem. Shamans know that a person's soul can be injured by harsh conditions such as abuse or trauma. Hence, the shaman may search for a client's traumatized soul part to retrieve, may bring back a power animal to strengthen the client's energy, and can uncover the underlying cause behind the patient's current symptoms.

As with flower essences, a psychotherapist could choose to study shamanism or could refer his/her patients to a shaman for a healing. The beneficial effects of the shamanic healing could then be incorporated into counseling. By allowing shamanic principles into the psychotherapeutic process, the counselor acknowledges the reality of the soul and assists the patient in becoming whole and well again. In that way, the client and therapist will be able to work through remaining issues in therapy far more successfully.

Energy Healing
Energy healing, such as Reiki, helps us become aware that we are energetic beings. Reiki practitioners know that energy healing sessions can loosen emotional blocks, aid the healing of old emotional wounds, and allow the client to become more aware of the actions he or she can take to improve their current situation. Its obvious how these effects of energy healing could assist the psychotherapeutic process. Counseling can sometimes be overwhelming for those clients who are dealing with deep, resilient issues or recovering from abusive situations. Energy healing is a great adjunct to ease the therapy process and create greater harmony and understanding for therapist and patient.

Psychic Development
As I mentioned earlier in this article, much of our modern-day emotional suffering is a result of being disconnected from our true essence. This includes a lack of understanding of our psychic abilities. Many people suffer confusion, pain and torment because they pick up visual, auditory, or emotional psychic information, which they have no way to understand or process.

When psychic awareness enters the arena of psychology, patients will no longer be labeled as psychotic when they hear the voices of spirit guides, no longer medicated for depression when they are actually strongly empathic, and no longer scoffed at for following their gut intuition over logical evidence. What this means is the patients who really are mentally ill will still be helped, while the people who are actually struggling with psychic abilities will not be diagnosed, but instead will receive guidance in ways to understand, control and develop their abilities. Of course, on the other side of the coin, think of how different psychotherapy would be if counselors could openly use their own psychic abilities to intuitively know the most efficient ways to help their clients.

This is just a sampling of the practices that will be incorporated into psychology in the coming years. Many therapists around the world already do. When mind, body, soul, and nature all come together in the psychologist's office, the result will be tremendous empowerment for both client and therapist.

Kyra Mesich has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and is the author of 'The Sensitive Person's Survival Guide' and 'Modern Meditation:Going Within.' She is currently accepting a limited number of new clients. Contact Dr. Mesich at 612-827-3163 or www.KyraMesich.com.