Craig Jarman, M.A.

Find your Calling

Some know exactly why they are here and pursue their calling with conviction. For many, however, this calling is only vaguely intuited or entirely unknown.

Rather than a meaningful life, they live without direction and purpose.

Such feelings of boredom and frustration are not to be ignored, for they ensure that one remains in search of this deeper Self.

At some point, it becomes obvious something isn’t right. So begins the search for one’s true Self, one’s greater potential.

Given sufficient time, effort and introspection, something is seeded in the psyche. In symbolic terms, this is the annunciation and birth of the divine child – that creative core of one’s being.

Having been surfaced and brought to consciousness, this Self does not sit idle. As one’s calling, it introduces a new set of demands. One’s deeper Self is insistent. It must be honoured. One has little choice in the matter.

Utilising a range of modalities including Dream Analysis, Sandplay and Voice Dialogue, the process by which one discovers and articulates one’s calling may be accelerated.

If you are looking to engage in this work, tap the potential of your greater Self, contact Craig at craig@humanpotential.school for an obligation-free initial consultation.

A Self-Oriented Approach

Self-Oriented psychotherapy focuses upon what is required and being asked of us, by the greater Self.

As the Swiss Psychologist, Carl Jung discovered, there are two centres to the psyche. There is the ego, of which we are all familiar with and call ‘I’, and there is also the greater Self, which remains largely unknown, and operates at a level beyond our awareness.

Like an evolutionary drive, the Self seeks a greater conscious. The ego has the capacity to meet this aspiration, but needs to be prompted to do so.

Ideally the ego is aligned and attentive to the demands of the Self. When it is not, the Self will constellate whatever mental state or physical circumstance is required to garner the attention of the ego and draw it back into alignment with itself. This realignment may be approached willingly or unwillingly. Where we honour the demands of the Self, our process unfolds harmoniously. Where we ignore the Self, it becomes more troublesome and forceful.

Self-Oriented psychotherapy is designed to attune the individual to the demands of their deeper Self, and accept its guidance.

As a psychoanalyst, my focus is to attune to the emergent yet hidden process that is active within us all. The work is a creative process designed to foster a new consciousness. From this new vantage point, personal issues, dilemmas, negative patterns, emotional states or problematic patterns are seen in a new light, understood for what they have to teach, and thereby resolved.

Once existing challenges are addressed, new issues are revealed. The process is ongoing and aims to further refine one’s being.

Ways of Working

As a psychotherapist, there are various ways of working, and the approach may vary from one session to the next.

Generally I will focus on Dream Work and Sandplay.

Dream Analysis

A dream is message from one’s greater Self. This message cannot be understood from within the bounds of one’s current state of consciousness, however.

For this reason, to the untrained eye, a dream will appear meaningless.The dream is a riddle – challenging but never too difficult. Pitched at a level just beyond the periphery of consciousness, stretches our self-awareness.

Once we understand a dream, a light goes on. There is an ‘Aha!’ reaction.

To begin, dreams will tend to address any issues in one’s outer life. Having cleared this area, dreams will next turn their attention to inner material. So begins the inner journey. One is introduced to shadow aspects of oneself, to hidden sub-personalities and, ultimately, one’s deeper Self.

Thre dream analysts role is to provide a second set of eyes, an added light or focus, that may be used to look into the dream and bring out its meaning.

Sandplay

As with Dream Analysis, Sandplay is an extremely powerful modality which taps the power of one’s imagination.

Sandplay involves selecting a range of figure from a broad collection and arranging those figures in a sand tray to create the Sandplay scene. The figures we pick, and the scene we arrange, is a creative process that is guided by a deeper knowing. The imagination leads.

Although it began as therapeutic tool for working with children, it quickly proved to be as just useful in working with adults. Sandplay’s strength lies in its ability to visualise and engage in one’s current state. Once the scene has been set, the Sandplay maybe explored and reflected upon.

Voice Dialouge

Voice Dialogue allows us to listen to ourselves on a whole new level.

The process begins with the most dominant characters who are clear voices within one being, but who also drown out the other voices. Once listened to, however, they will quieten down and let others speak. In this way, one may discover and listen to a broader array of characters, who may not have been heard or listened to. Although the voices may conflict and compete with each other, they are all valid.

With Voice dialogue one needs to ‘get in character’. Those who have studied drama take easily to the process.

Psychodynamic Astrology

One’s astrological chart serves as a map of the psyche. It points to all the forces, aspects or characters active within a person. Although not a therapeutic modality in itself, an understanding of the horoscope serves as an invaluable framework for one’s personal process.

Horoscope calculations require your time, date and place of birth.

Homoeopathy

Homoeopathy is particularly useful in addressing not only physical ailments, but also a range of psychopathologies including depression, anxiety, loneliness, resentment and anger, confusion and confidence issues.

A carefully selected remedy serves to activate and release any trauma that has been locked in. This trauma may be the result of heartbreak, of a prolonged and difficult period in one’s life, a time of overwork, over study, the denial of one’s creative self, or suppressed emotions.

What is one's Personal Process?

One’s personal processis the unique development path one inevitably travels when exploring the depthsof one’s psyche. This is the path by which we realise our greater potential, andgive expression to the deeper Self. One’s personal process is an inner journey thatmay be reflected by parallel development in one’s life.

In alchemy, the alchemist would heat the vessel to effect change. Similarly, one’s personal process isquickened by turning one’s attention inward.

What conditions do you treat?

With a Self-Oriented appraoch to psychotherapy, the disturbance or state of dis-ease, its used to lead the way. Rather than label and seek to eradicate a particular condition, Self-Orientated therapy involves embracing and exploring the issue. Within every conditon, there is a lesson waiting to be learnt.

I view mental and emotional disturbances as powerful messengers and passageways, and as conditions to be embraced and explored in full - the ‘dark night of the soul’ tends to be a key part of one's journey.

Often a particular condition will bring someone to the point where they are compelled to work on their personal process. Depressions, heart breaks, loss of meaning, anxiety, anger and other crises, are often entry points.

One's personal process need not be prompted by any particular crisis, however. A search for meaning and purpose, a desire to challenge oneself and an inner curiosity are equally valid reasons to explore one's personal process.

Resolving one issue will often precipitate another. Often, I find myself working with individuals on an ongoing basis.

What if I need to cancel a session?

Cancellations with a 48 hours notice minimum attracts no consultation fee. Otherwise, a cancellation fee of 50% will apply.

Does Psychotherapy work?

Depth psychotherapy, which engages the creative unconscious, serves to resolve immediate issues as well as stir dormant, and seemingly new challenges. While maintaining a focus on their personal process, clients tend to feel that they live a richer, more meaningful, life.

How long does the process take?

Sessions are an hour long and may be scheduled weekly or fortnightly (or bi-weekly where required). I encourage clients to begin with a commitment to at least six sessions.

Psychotherapy is an ongoing process which may last for months, years or even decades, continuing so long as the work proves to be fruitful. Tangible results from the work may be noticed after a few sessions. The deeper process gains momentum with onging work.

How do a I prepare for my first session?

Prior to your first session I would encourage you to reflect upon what you would like to work on. Also, take note of any dreams that appear in the lead up to that first session.

How long is a session?

Each session is aproximately 60 minutes.

Sessions start and end on time, so please allow ample time for travel. Please arrive right on time, rather than early.