Embracing Uncertainty Using Soul-Centered Psychological Perspectives (2-3-minute read)

September 23, 2024 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.Leave a comment

a soul-centered perspective can provide the strength and fortitude to stay calm in the midst of chaos, holding space for oneself and the world, not falling into panic

Life’s uncertainties can be overwhelming, causing fear and anxiety. But what if we could find a way to embrace the unknown and transform it into an opportunity for growth and self-discovery?

This thought-provoking article explores the wisdom of spiritual teachings and psychological insights to help us navigate uncertainty and find deeper meaning in our lives. From confronting our inner shadows to accepting paradoxes, this captivating read highlights the importance of managing anxiety and embracing ambiguity. Discover how uncertainty can be a transformative crucible, leading us towards wisdom and ultimately a more meaningful existence.

Depth Psychology in Daily Life: Unconscious Projection in Work, Money, and Relationships

May 17, 2023 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.Leave a comment

Jungian psychology uses the idea of projection to describe how we use pre-conceived biases and lenses to manage or project our expectations onto others

Blog post by Dr. Bonnie Bright and Dr. James Newell Watch the Replay: Depth Psychology in Daily Life: A Community Conversation” with Dr. Bonnie Bright and Dr. James Newell Read Part 1 of this Blog series: Depth Psychology in Daily Life: Making the Unconscious Conscious in Work, Money, and Relationships Depth psychology is a field that explores the unconscious aspects of the human psyche, seeking to understand the underlying motivations and patterns that guide human behavior. By bringing these unconscious motivations, beliefs, and behaviors to light and integrating them into our conscious awareness, we can achieve greater self-awareness and personal growth. Because the […]

Childhood, Trauma, Personality: How our Coping Mechanisms Affect Us Unconsciously

November 15, 2022 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.Leave a comment

How and why do our personalities develop the way they do, and what do they have to do with our wounding? Dr. Gabor Mate’ was born in Hungary in 1942 during the Nazi occupation. His grandparents were both killed at Auschwitz and his father was carted off to a forced labor camp, leaving his mother alone with her newborn son. To hear Dr. Mate’, now a medical doctor based in Canada, tell the story, his mother called the doctor at one point and asked him to come because her baby (Gabor) just wouldn’t stop crying and she didn’t know what […]

Seeking Personal Transformation? Soul-Centered Coaching Psychology Offers Powerful Possibilities

November 9, 2022 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.Leave a comment

Try soul-centered coaching free of charge - Jungian, Transpersonal, Archetypal and Depth Psychology - Learn to overcome obstacles and tap into more freedom, creativity, and joy

Feeling called to experience soul-centered coaching and to create more meaning and joy in your life? Contact us today to see if free sessions are available through Advanced Student Practitioners pursuing certification through the Institute for Soul-Centered Psychology and Coaching The word “psyche” actually means “soul” in Greek (Hillman, 1989), and the Greek philosopher Heraclitus posited the importance of the soul as long as 2500 years ago (Hillman, 1995). C. G. Jung, widely acknowledged alongside well-known pioneers like William James and Sigmund Freud as one of the founders of the field of psychology, emphasized the importance of soul in his […]

Soul-Centered Resources in the Time of Coronavirus

April 13, 2020 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.

In the midst of pandemic and these challenging times , I continue to believe there is an invitation!…not only for each of us individually to step into ourselves more fully—to face our fears, to eliminate what is no longer serving us, and to truly let our Soul Self take over the navigation of our brave and beautiful lives—but also for each of us to come into better relationship with the anima mundi, the World Soul, that knows we are all interconnected. While I have been writing on this topic for many years, I’m currently also personally taking my own time in this […]

A Revision of One’s Calling: A Journey through Embodied Experience—An Interview

May 11, 2018 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.

At age six, Elizabeth Wisniewski was diagnosed with a rare eye disease, and when her retina detached at 14, she lost vision in her right eye. At age 21, while undergoing her 30th eye surgery, everything went terribly wrong, and she lost almost all her vision in her left eye as well. Though she was devastated by her future without sight, Elizabeth’s natural curiosity and passion for learning led her to pursue a degree in political science and environmental studies and then, in a significant shift, to earn a degree as a doctor of chiropractic. She also became a yoga teacher and […]

Confronting Signs of a Society in Decline: An Interview with Journalist Chris Hedges

March 27, 2016 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.

As a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Chris Hedges carries with him nearly two decades of experience reporting from war-torn countries like Yugoslavia, El Salvador, and also Gaza and South Sudan. In this capacity, he has witnessed the decline and disintegration of multiple societies, a perspective which has surely influenced his capacity regard the decline and potential destruction of our own modern culture that seems severely out of order. He has been described, more than once, as being “dark,” which, from a depth psychological perspective, I’m quick to assure him, is actually a compliment. Depth psychology insists we look under the […]

How Many Climate Scientists Does It Take?–Media, Perception, and Soul Loss

May 21, 2014 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.Leave a comment

American psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton identifies our very human tendency to ignore difficult realities and overwrite them with thoughts and beliefs that are more palatable as “psychic numbing.” This allows our ego to distract itself enough that it doesn’t have to engage with inner and outer voices and images and movements that go beyond the mainstream consciousness (in Shulman-Lorenz & Watkins, Toward Psychologies of Liberation). When we witness instances of ecocide (ecological suicide) in the world around us, take note of how wasteful and damaging our consumer-oriented culture has become, or are faced with dire news about how climate change […]

Regarding Change: Holding the Tension Even When it Hurts

January 21, 2014 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.Leave a comment

When challenges arise for each of us, it is easier to turn to denial or distraction rather than holding the tension of what’s arising long enough to allow the self-regulating function of the psyche to take over. C.G. Jung suggested that the opposing attitudes of the ego (which gets us through some tight spots, usually by choosing the path of least resistance) and the unconscious or greater “Self” (which has our personal growth and spiritual awakening at heart) can be mitigated and even transcended if we are willing to regard the reality of our struggle and hold the tension long enough […]