Whole Person Counseling and Therapy

 

About my Portland Oregon counseling with an existential authenticity focus

 

 

What is personal authenticity?

The genius of Western traditions of thought and transformation includes the recognition that the individual, the unique person, matters deeply.

Not only does the mystery of Life seemingly embody an underlying Unity as Eastern traditions understand, but also that Unity seeks expression through your unique, individual, authentic self.

Who you are - the difference that you are - does matter.

The Hassidic master, Rabbi Zusya, expressed this on his deathbed when he said: "In the world to come I shall not be asked: 'Why were you not Moses?' I shall be asked instead: 'Why were you not Zusya?'"

Supporting you in your efforts to become your own person, there is within a drive to individuate, to actualize, to manifest the unique and authentic self that you are. You intuit this need when you long to become your "real self" - to become more your own self.

When you honor this drive by living in accord with your authentic self, your life can be vital, passionate, purposeful, indeed sometimes blissful.

When we dishonor this calling, then we may lead lives of quiet desperation, feeling alienated and meaningless, seeking purpose and value everywhere but within. Then these emotional pains become the very call of your nature to a life of authenticity.

Paraphrasing existential psychotherapist James Bugental, personal authenticity can be defined as living in unqualified accord with the givenness of your own unique nature.

The challenge of personal authenticity is to have the courage to live a life of one's own - inner-directed, autonomous, ceaselessly responsive to and expressive of the unfolding inclinations of your own deepest nature.

If you are called to more authentic living, then consider counseling with a focus on personal authenticity as a support.

How does authenticity-focused counseling differ from other approaches?

Nowadays our culture is so devoid of authentic expression, that parents, society, and schooling typically fail to teach us the life skills needed to mature into and live an authentic life.

Lacking such education, how do we develop into authentic persons? How do we awaken to the importance of living authentically? Where do we learn the basic life skills that will enable us to mature into fulfilling authentic Self-expression?

To answer this need, I offer my clients authenticity-focused counseling which emphasizes the discovery and development of the life skills that promote and support authentic living as you consider the issues with which you are working in your life.

Which authenticity skills are developed?

There are many ways to conceive the life skills needed to live authentically. I teach them as skills of self-discovery, skills of self-definition, and skills of self-efficacy.

Skills of Self-Discovery

Self-contact allows for the discovery and integration of your authentic nature. Before we can be our authentic self, we need discover it. Skills of self-contact include learning to live with:

Presence - Being, present in the moment, with your direct experience of your self and life.

Focusing - Sensing into your felt sense of the unfolding self. (For a detailed discussion of the Focusing technique originated by Eugene Gendlin, please see the Focusing button on the left .)

Wholeness - Radical permissiveness for the experience of and embrace of all of your nature.

Self-Acceptance - Reconciliation to the givenness of your self and your life as it is.

Self-Esteem - Valuing your self and the givenness of your nature.

Living as Process - Living as a dynamic, vital process, not a static conceptual identity.

Skills of Self-Direction

Self-definition allows for the articulation of the unique inclinations of your own authentic nature. Skills for self-definition include:

Values Clarification - Defining your own values, beliefs, opinions, and posture in life.

Uniqueness - Comprehending the difference you are and the value that your difference is.

Boundaries - Distinguishing you to yourself, your relationships, and your world.

Skills of Self-Efficacy

Efficacy is your capacity to be the difference in your life that manifests a life lived authentically. Efficacy skills include:

Personal Autonomy - Inner or self-direction and self-regulation.

Agency - Living as the cause, not the effect of your life.

Personal Responsibility - Being accountable for your life as it is and it isn't.

Will - Applying intention to self-directed purpose.

Choice - The privilege and responsibility of creating your life through your conscious choice.

Decision Making - Formal skills of decision making.

Commitment - Passionate commitment of your abilities and resources to the authentic life you choose to live.

Self-Assertion - Expressing your self in the world as the difference you are.

Authenticity-Focused Counseling Programs

Although so many of our personal issues derive from a lack of existential authenticity, few persons are conscious of their thirst for greater authenticity. If you feel such a calling, then consider counseling with a focus on personal authenticity.

My authenticity counseling practice offers individual session, group, and workshop programs. Individual 50-minute sessions are the principal method of doing authenticity counseling. Each individual session is different, for your unique needs determine the direction, pace, and content of a session. I also offer groups which typicall are 2 ½ hours long, often scheduled in the evening. Additionally I offer day-long an weekend-long workshops.

My current schedule of workshops is listed on the Events page of my website. To request to be added to my email and/or postal mail lists to be notified of future workshops, please click on the "Subscribe" button below.

Consider a free consultation

Counseling is a transformative relationship shared by two persons. So, it is important that you take the time to check out counselor with whom you might work. Is the chemistry right for you? Does the therapist's background and abilities meet your needs? Would a referral be appropriate? Because I believe that it is important that you explore such questions at no cost to you before beginning work, I offer prospective clients the opportunity to meet with me for a free 50-minute consultation.

How do you arrange a consultation?

The easiest way to arrange a consultation is to use the "Online Appointment Booking" link at the top of the page. There you can book a consultation (or any appointment) at a day and time of your convenience. Of course this can be done by phone (503.226.2771) or email, but my busy practice may result in my not replying to you in a timely manner.

My counseling office is located in Portland, Oregon. Directions to my office and maps may be found using the "Directions to My Office" link in the "About Michael" menu selection above.

 

 

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