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Jewishlens
Therapy through a Jewish Lens
September 7, 2017
“Surely, this instruction {Torah} is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get if for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it? No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.” Deuteronomy 30:11 - 14
What constitutes therapy through a Jewish lens? It begins with the idea that our core we are all spiritual beings, and that this aspect of ourselves is our most powerful ally in healing. Through a Jewish lens, every human being is seen as containing a spark of the Divine, and the charge of the therapist is to help them access it.
I practice Internal Family Systems therapy, which teaches that each of us consists of a system of parts and that these parts can be mediated by an entity referred to as Self. Self in IFS has compassion, clarity, tranquility and other qualities. I define Self as the Soul.*
Practicing psychotherapy through a Jewish lens means seeking to collaborate with the essence of spirit within each individual, including eastern traditions which are consonant with Jewish thought. The word “Namaste” which is translated “May the God in me see the God in you “ encapsulates this approach.
Judaism can be a powerful pathway to spiritual wholeness. Judaism is my personal lens. I do not believe it is the only lens, or even the superior lens. It is just the one that works for me.
* (Others might be more comfortable thinking of Self as Wise Mind. For some the idea of conceiving of Self as their Best Adult Self” has more resonance. )
To learn more about Connie Seligman and Internal Family Dynamics, please click the button below.