In a counselling session you bear witness to certain events throughout your life, without judgement or interpretation. A sacred space is created between counsellor and client. By methodically developing deep interest in these phenomena – questions, feelings, and images arise, which connect you with who you really are in body, soul and spirit. You begin to find meaning in your crisis points, life patterns and relationships; you begin to recognise your life themes and connect your own biography to the bigger picture.
In separating the essential from the non-essential, you gain clarity and are then able to ‘map out’ your life – learning where you are, where you’ve come from and where you are going. You learn to perceive your deeper intentions, and begin to gain a sense of freedom to be who you want, and to do what you want with your life.
When our experiences remain undigested and unintegrated they work unconsciously in us – they interfere with our true intentions, and how we meet others. They act as a screen through which the outer world is filtered; we meet the present through what has happened to us – through the veil of our insecurity, fears and wounds of the past. We become defensive and judgemental, and hinder our capacity for human warmth, growth and understanding.
Biographical Counselling and Biography Work seek to engage and enliven the 'eternally healthy' part of the human being which, despite inevitable difficulties and trauma encountered throughout life, remains intact and able to promote one's own healing and self-awareness.
In a biography workshop, we work together in a group. Through the artistic use of imagery, colour, clay, movement and dialogue, we discover what the phenomena of our experiences can tell us. This helps us to answer our existential questions. By learning to read and listen to our own life stories, we can find new sources, new strength, and meaning for the future. Every workshop is thoughtfully designed for a specific theme or group.
"Every experience of our lives contains the mystery of our whole existence. It is a crystallisation, a condensation of past and future, of what we have been, and what we can become."
- Margli Matthews, Co-founder of the Biography and Social Development Trust