Overview
Each unique expression of our life is a whole world waiting to be known, asking to be understood in a distinct way, and every moment can be experienced as a treasure that is pregnant with the possibility of discovering greater depth in, as, and through the wonderful complexity of the mind and the natural world. The more one learns to unravel these constellations of the soul, the more self-knowledge, maturation and intimacy can thrive. When embodied through safe, professional and socially just practice, therapists can help to establish a healthier relationship with both self and others (the ‘other’ here includes the natural world), and a (re)integration with what remains unexpressed and yet painfully disturbing to the self.
Shahar’s academic research has mainly been focused on integral, ecological, and spiritual approaches in treating trauma, addiction, depression, and anxiety, using mindfulness, depth psychology, and body-centred interventions. His Ph.D. research was an attempt to think more broadly and deeply about the phenomenology of addiction in dislocated societies. Shahar’s other research interests include group therapy, interpersonal relationships, and the role of psychotherapy in culture. As a meditation practitioner and instructor, he draws on years of study with prominent non-dual teachers from various traditions at monasteries in India, Nepal, and Thailand.