“Care of the soul” is a phrase you don’t hear too often. Its heyday was in the 1800’s and before when it was used to describe the religious instruction, guidance, and healing conversations between a pastor and his parishioner. It is a root of what later became psychotherapy (literally, healing of the soul) through the work of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and others.
Although the phrase may be lost to history, it still forms the heart of any genuine healing and growth of the personality. Most mental illness arises from discord between your ego and your soul, between who you think you are and who you are meant to be. Your soul is the carrier of your gifts and talents, your deepest values, and deepest love. It holds the seeds of your destiny, your individuality, and your unique contribution to the world.
It is your soul that leads you to psychotherapy. It wants to heal you; it wants to help you achieve your full potential. It wants you to become most fully yourself. But it needs help communicating to you. It sends you dreams and signs, symptoms and synchronicities, but you’re not sure what to do with them, or how to interpret them. So you seek out help to make sense of things, to find your path, to find your home.
If you ever pursue psychotherapy, keep the care of your soul at the forefront of your search. It is the core of your true self and that part of you that lives forever. Place it in the care of someone who will give it the value, respect, and honor it deserves. When you choose a therapist, listen to your soul.