About 麻豆原创 Spirituality
Honouring spirituality, belief and pastoral care in counselling and psychotherapy

I qualified as an integrative therapist in 2001, and as a clinical supervisor in 2006. Although I've worked in a variety of settings, including youth offending, substance misuse and at a women鈥檚 centre, most of my career has been working for a mental health trust within the NHS, both in primary and secondary care settings. Working with individuals, couples and families, I now work in private practice offering therapy and supervision.

My work is underpinned by a transpersonal philosophy, recognising the whole of the person. I'm interested in how spirituality connects people and our shared commonalities, while still respecting differences. I also have a curiosity about how spirituality can enhance wellbeing, which is the motivation for my current doctoral research around spirituality, counselling and psychotherapy.聽聽

I'd like to promote conversations around spirituality in all its forms and help therapists feel more comfortable working with it.

I am excited by the prospect of joining the spirituality executive at the 麻豆原创. I originally trained as an integrative therapist at Manchester University. During my training I remember making connections between spirituality and counselling. On reflection I sense my training was in some ways a spiritual process. My personal development, in all its turbulent glory, could be likened to an awakening, a dark night of the soul or even a re-birth of sorts. If training was partly about what Carl Rogers describes as 鈥渂ecoming a person鈥�, then for me, this holistically included facets of mind, body and spirit and has been a valuable aspect of my awareness as a practitioner.

For me, spirituality can have a multiplicity of meanings and many experiences could be described as spiritual; from meditative practices or physical exercises to playing music or being in nature. Therapy itself can at times, be compared to, or experienced as, a spiritual pursuit. Spirituality can also be an aspect of religion, faith and beliefs. It is important to recognise this and whatever these areas may mean (or not) to clients, especially if we are to embrace a global perspective and diverse approach within our work.

I value the work of the spirituality division and I hope that I can play some part in raising the awareness of spirituality within counselling. I bring a range of experiences to the role; I come from a mixed cultural and multi-faith background, being of dual Turkish and English heritage. My continuing explorations into my own faith and beliefs are an important aspect of my development. I am currently studying for a PhD at the University of Warwick using autoethnographic and biographical methods to explore the experiences of students coming from mixed cultural backgrounds. I have a passion for the expressive arts and spent some years working as a school music teacher. I am also interested in martial arts, qigong and yogic practices.

I am currently senior lecturer and programme leader for the MA in Clinical Counselling at Chester University. I believe in the transformative potential of education and seek to include spirituality in the educational and training work I do. I have recently co-authored a chapter with William West on religion and spirituality in counselling and psychotherapy:

Egeli, C., & West, W. (2023). Religion and spirituality. In T. Hanley & L. A. Winter (Eds.) The SAGE handbook of counselling and psychotherapy (5th ed., pp. 62-66). Sage.

Integrative therapist, supervisor and assessor.

My journey into counselling has been shaped by a series of significant life experiences. I initially trained in psychology but soon realised it wasn鈥檛 the right path for me, as I was drawn to working relationally and engaging deeply with the complexities of the soul. Realising this inspired me to embark on a transformative journey of self-analysis and understanding, which continues to shape my practice today.

My work is ultimately grounded in a holistic approach to healing, with a focus on cultivating self-awareness and self-compassion. I have received extensive training and gained experience in supporting clients as they confront their own mortality and those grieving the loss of loved ones. The work often involves exploring existential questions about the meaning of life, the nature of loss, and how we make sense of our existence. It鈥檚 in many ways a spiritual process - challenging but deeply rewarding.

In recent years, one area of my work has focused on supporting women who have experienced perinatal trauma, fertility trauma, baby loss and termination for medical reasons. I integrate body, mind, and soul in my work, using somatic techniques to release trauma held within the nervous system. Additionally, I provide specialist support for church leaders facing the challenges of ministry as well as clients preparing for or undergoing the ordination process.

To me, spirituality means seeking God in all aspects of life. It is the assurance each morning that I am not alone in my struggles, and that difficulties are part of the human condition. Spirituality acknowledges that suffering is inevitable, and while challenges will come and go, healing is possible within and through those experiences.

It also means embracing life in a symbiotic way, recognising that the interplay of good and bad, joy and sorrow, is intrinsic to the human experience. Rather than viewing challenges as something to be resisted, I believe spirituality invites us to welcome them as opportunities for growth and transformation.

From my experience during training, I feel there is an opportunity for development聽within the curricula of training organisations. I envision a shift towards cultivating a culture within educational institutions that acknowledges the importance of understanding and learning how to work with spirituality when clients bring it into therapy. To me, this is both an ethical consideration and a matter of competency. Recognising and addressing this gap in training is crucial for equipping therapists to engage with these issues sensitively and effectively.

I see my role as an advocate, promoting the聽inclusion of spirituality in psychotherapy training, sharing the work of the division, and building connections with members to better understand their needs. By encouraging聽dialogue and raising awareness, I hope to contribute to a more holistic and respectful approach to spirituality within the field of psychotherapy

I鈥檓 an integrative counsellor, trainer, researcher and academic and work as a Joint Programme Leader for the BSc and MSc Humanistic programmes at Metanoia Institute in West London. I聽 joined the Executive in June 2019 and have been asked to take a lead on promoting a continuing research culture and network for the division.

I've been involved in training therapists in the university sector for the last fifteen years and have particular research interests in exploring the relationship between psychotherapeutic theory and religious constructs, as well as considering how well therapeutic training programmes train therapists to work with spirituality, religion and mental health.

As a profession, I believe, we need greater research and training on the interface between spirituality and therapy, from defining the terms we use to understanding the associated benefits and problems for our clients. I look forward to hearing about research members are involved in and exploring ways of sharing relevant research.

Email: jane.hunt@metanoia.ac.uk

Charlotte qualified as a psychodynamic therapist in 2011, but is aware that each element of her life has contributed to her vocation.聽聽Studying anthropology in the late 80鈥檚 introduced to the work of Carl Jung who has since guided Charlotte鈥檚 personal and professional development; in particular, his notion of the collective unconscious that unites us all.聽聽Recognising our psycho-social nature, led her to further training in systemic family therapy.聽聽Here Charlotte found a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose, the bedrock of her practice.

Her work as a community cookery teacher synchronised with her therapeutic training, giving rise to 鈥榢itchen therapy鈥� 鈥� an embodied pathway to inner work, releasing instinctual, creative wisdom and healing.聽聽The practice evolved into a book 鈥撀�Kitchen Therapy, how to become a conscious cook 鈥�聽exploring the therapeutic potential of food, cooking and eating.聽

Since 16^th聽August 2016 Charlotte has been leading a life of sobriety, replacing, as Jung suggested in a letter to Alcoholics Anonymous founders, 鈥榮piritus for spiritum鈥�.聽聽This key turning point in her spiritual life, is today enhanced by becoming part of the Spiritual Division where her understanding of our communal nature can thrive.

I'm the editor of the 麻豆原创鈥檚 spirituality journal, Thresholds, and a counsellor working in private practice. I started out as a bereavement worker with Cruse.

Spirituality is a rich and often integral aspect of self. Yet it can sometimes be the quiet, if not silent voice in a therapeutic exchange. As the editor of the journal, and as a human being with a soul, I am aware that it is very hard to apply a quick label or to sum it up in a few words. That is one of its challenges. It is also one of its wonders.

Throughout my career in communications, I have worked with voluntary and community sector groups to build links, develop networks, and connect people. I would like to draw upon those experiences in my work as an executive member.

Please get in touch if you would like to talk about how we can work together to do this: thresholds.editorial@bacp.co.uk