HEART
I use the metaphor of the heart to represent emotions, relationships with the self and others, compassion, and care. In his influential work The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis (1960) explores the multifaceted nature of human affection, categorizing love into four types: storge (familial affection), philia (friendship), eros (romantic or passionate love), and agape (unconditional, divine love). Drawing on classical philosophy and Christian theology, Lewis highlights how each type of love operates according to distinct emotional and moral dynamics. Notably, agape, often referenced in the New Testament (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13), is considered the highest and most selfless form of love. Lewis's framework deepens our understanding of how various emotional bonds shape human connection and well-being.

PSYCHE and SOMATICS — otherwise known as the dreaded psychosomatic
The word psyche in ancient Greek referred to the soul, breath, or life force — the animating essence of a person. The word logos connoted speech, reason, or inquiry. Combined, psychology originally meant the study or discourse of the soul. Over time, particularly following Descartes’ 17th-century concept of dualism — which viewed mind and body as separate things — Western thought began to fracture these elements (Robinson, 2020). By the 19th and early 20th centuries, pioneers such as William James and Wilhelm Wundt shifted psychology toward an empirical science, laying the groundwork for later behaviorists like John B. Watson to redefine psychology as the study of observable behavior (Schultz & Schultz, 2016). This divorce from the spiritual and embodied dimensions of healing has had considerable costs.

I view spiritual inquiry as essential to therapy, as it supports deepened self-awareness and access to internal and transcendent resources beyond the limited scope of the ego or intellect. Through spiritual connection, individuals can experience expanded wisdom, creativity, equanimity, and inner clarity.

Similarly, somatic awareness — attention to bodily sensation and experience — is foundational to my therapeutic work. The body is more than a vessel; it is a visible, tangible expression of our inner life and our lived history. In a world that often reduces the body to a tool or object, many people become estranged from their own physicality. Disconnection from the body can serve as a coping strategy for psychological distress and often contributes to chronic pain, emotional numbness, or chronic dysregulation (Van der Kolk, 2014).

Reconnecting with the body allows individuals to experience sensory pleasure, nervous system regulation, and meaningful presence. Informed by somatic psychology, I encourage clients to view their bodies not as battlegrounds but as sanctuaries — places of wisdom, resilience, and potential joy (Ogden, Minton, & Pain, 2006).

INTEGRATING HEART, SPIRIT, and BODY
My holistic psychotherapeutic approach draws from all these domains — heart, spirit, body, and, of course, the mind — to support clients in cultivating self-understanding, self-regulation, and healing. Mental health is not separate from emotional, spiritual, and physical health; rather, it is the synthesis of these aspects. As individuals nurture more balanced and compassionate relationships with all aspects of themselves, they begin to experience greater ease, connection, and vitality.

Healing, in this sense, is not simply the reduction of symptoms, but the restoration of wholeness.