How can I help you? I’d like a sesame bagel and a black coffee, please. Sometimes, the answer is simple.
How can I help you? When I ask my clients, the answer rarely is. They want help with physical pain, relationships, making time-sensitive decisions, and breaking long-standing patterns. Some want a lot of input, some would like to be tended in silence, and some ask me to simply listen. I love that. It’s interesting and challenging. I love the distinctive people who choose to be my clients, and the way each person and each session requires something different. That is particularly true in this astonishing time when so many of us are on edge, overwhelmed, anxious, and uncertain about the future.
When offering a service or product, traditional business wisdom says it’s ideal to be very specific, name your offering clearly, explain concisely how it solves a problem, and target a “niche market.”
I understand that strategy, but mostly, it feels alien to me. I don’t want to target you as a demographic or distill all the possibilities of what might happen in a session down to a catchy sentence or two. I don’t especially enjoy talking about the work, but the odds are that I would enjoy actually working with you. Well, most of you. It’s not for everyone. (loved this)
In another time and place
In another time and place, I might be an old (ish) crone who lives under tall trees in a house surrounded by a lot of moss. You might sit for a while, talk things over in a safe space, be seen in ways you haven’t been before, and leave with new ideas about how to deal with your problems. You might relax outside under those trees or inside with incense and soft music and receive spiritual help on a deeper level than talking allows. You’d leave feeling changed, the world looking crisper, the birds seeming more interested in you. Wait, maybe that’s this time and place?
This may not be for you
This way of working may or may not be for you.
I generally don’t like labels, but today we’ve got to call it something.
I am not
I am not a traditional therapist or a licensed mental health counselor, so I will not diagnose you or walk you through a prescribed set of steps or questions. Although I have a graduate degree in psychology, I am not a psychologist. Although the future factors into sessions, I won’t predict yours. My goal is to help you prepare for the possibilities and create a future you can feel passionate about.
What I do
I do intuitive counseling, psychospiritual counseling, ecotherapy, and shamanic healing (among other things). My own label for these things is Personal Evolution Counseling® because that’s what we are doing; individually and collectively, we are evolving. We all have different skills and attributes to bring to the table.
I can show you how to meet your personal pantheon of spirits. I can teach you a method to commune with the nature around you in deeper and more powerful ways. We can help your spiritual body regain and retain its integrity and strength. We can fight burnout beyond overly simplistic suggestions to add more “self-care.” We can create a tailored spiritual practice that fits you and your lifestyle. I’ve created different resources to help with these goals: books, audio courses, monthly gatherings, in-depth mentoring, and apprenticeships.
At the heart of it, though, are the individual sessions in which you are my sole focus. We work together on your unique goals, intentions, and mission(s).
“You’re extraordinary,” a client said recently. They then cataloged our sessions’ physical, emotional, and spiritual effects.
How can I help you?
How can we help each other?
How can we help each other?
You are extraordinary. I am saying that to you. These are astonishing times. We each have specific talents, qualities, challenges, and opportunities in our lifetimes. I frequently ask myself how I can be most helpful with my specific combination of attributes and circumstances at this particular time on Earth. Many of you have been asking your version of this question. What is my purpose? How can I take care of the other beings I care about – humans, animals, plants, the land? How can I take care of myself? How can I be useful and not be overwhelmed? How can I make a difference?
I don’t care about labels or niche markets. I won’t over-promise results or flatter you to keep your business. “You are greater than you know” (to quote a wise old family friend). I will help you see what that “greater” looks like, be honest support through the ups and downs of this tumultuous time, and figure out how we can help–together.
Wishing you a peaceful heart,
Mara
Join me
Photo by Fabian Burghardt
How can I help you?