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“Knowledge of the self is the mother of all knowledge. So it is incumbent on me to know myself, to know it completely, to know its minutiae, its characteristics, its subtleties, and its very atoms.”  – Khalil Gibran

I chose the name Intrinsic Alchemy to describe the one ultimate goal of the holistic counselling service I offer: Building a relationship to support you on your path to first discover, then most authentically express your truest self.

What is Alchemy? Modern Western society would see it as the quaint, archaic predecessor to chemistry, conjuring images of eccentric proto-scientists struggling in vain to turn mercury to gold. Whilst the concept does extend into the physical world, this unfortunate caricature neglects the deeper implications of the alchemical concept, ie: the transmutation of something, be it physical or otherwise into a higher form. This process begins with what’s most intrinsic to our lives, ourselves.

We’ve all grown up experiencing traumas, distress and imprinting from the people and world around us, experiences that consciously or subconsciously have shaped our perceptions, thoughts, feelings, personalities and hence ability to function and experience in the present. How many of us live our lives as passengers to processes, triggers, and emotions whose origins we don’t even recognize, or in other cases we might recognize but feel too at pain or fear to explore? If our inner landscape remains a disordered mystery, subject to countless subconscious influences and triggers, how can we possibly hope to manifest a life in line with our truest selves and deepest purpose?

“The greatest damage done by neglect, trauma or emotional loss is not the immediate pain they inflict but the long-term distortions they induce” – Gabor Mate

Returning to the alchemical analogy, “The Great Work” referred to the creation of a “Philosopher’s Stone”, a substance capable of turning base metals into gold, amongst other transcendent abilities, from a “Prima Materia” or original matter. Wherever we are in our lives, every individual has their own “Great Work”, the process of self-learning and understanding vital to the transformation of our current predicament to the purest connection and expression of our true selves. Only then can we affect the most profound and meaningful changes in our experience of the world around us, much as the Philosopher’s Stone of legend changed mercury to gold.

Delving into our internal processes, the experiences that created them, and the facades/mechanisms we’ve built around them can be a daunting, sometimes seemingly insurmountable endeavor. By providing a space of trust, empathy and safety I hope to facilitate the journey for wonderful human beings doing their own Great Work. To allow them to explore what’s going on inside them, the challenges faced past or present, where they might see themselves going and perhaps most importantly of all, the feelings that arise in the process. The journey is yours, but it’s not one you have to face alone. It is an honor to support you through what can be such a challenging, yet ultimately rewarding venture.

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious” – Carl Jung