Needing Orientation

Sometimes there's just a need to pull back perspective a bit, and try to get an idea where you are in the larger scheme of things. I was feeling this need in regard to the therapy I'm doing. Its formal name is Archetypal Pattern Analysis.

So I googled it and came up with a site for therapies available in the Pacific Northwest: http://www.nwtherapynetwork.com/about_therapy.html It's a pretty nice summary of what's available out there; uses a case study of one person's shyness to exemplify the approach of each type of therapies.

Here is the summary I found:

Archetypal Pattern Analysis:

All who want to reclaim their true identity and find their soul's purpose must undertake a deep journey.
There are specific archetypal stages in this transformational journey. These stages are not linear. They can be fluid, overlapping and sometimes fold back on themselves. The step between each stage is a choice to remain where one is comfortable or to open to an new, larger complexity in life.

The Ten Stages of the Journey of Archetypal Pattern Analysis.

• Hearing the Call To Transformation The individual is embedded in an ordinary world which is usually static but unstable and is called into a ‘special world’. The call itself establishes the goal of the special world.
  
  
• Wrestling With the Call and Accepting or Refusing The journeyer grapples with the call and their own openness to change. There are individuals who jump at the call and there are those who are more reluctant and sense the Guardians of The Threshold.
  
  
• Crossing The First Threshold This is a commitment to go forward and enter the special world. One agrees to really face the problem inherent in your specific call. This stage includes a decision that the truth of your own being is more important than aligning with your ego's idea of life. This inspires a stronger, deeper commitment to the journey.
  
  
• Allowing Oneself to be Mentored The energy of the mentor’s wisdom is called forth from crossing the first threshold. It becomes a patterning force that carries one through the journey. This unfolds into a deep vulnerability and allowing oneself to be known.
  
  
• Facing Tests, Obstacles, Allies and Enemies, Both Inner And Outer There is an encountering of new challenges, tests and learning the rules of the special world. You encounter the limitations of your own persona and shadow and cultural and family imprinting.
  
  
• Surrender and Commitment There is a deepening into a commitment to going forward, realizing you cannot go back.
  
  
• Wrestling Here a series of obstacles and challenges surface, and the individual is asked to face deep fears and defenses. It is an experience of finding your way through the eye of the needle. This is done to strengthen the individual in preparation for the final ordeal ahead.
  
  
• Surrender & Receiving Gifts A new level of commitment to the journey is attained as the Journeyer is poised on the crest of facing the great challenge of the final ordeal. This Stage includes commitment to the Self in the face of de-embedding from one’s old system. Gifts are given to be able to continue the journey, such as insight into limitations, complexes, and blocks to an open system. There is also optimism, excitement and magic as one experiences Archetypal Pattern Analysis succeeding and the awe of the psyche’s power, knowledge and guidance.
  
  
• Final Ordeal Contacting the Self releases large obstructing forces. Deep patterns surface, followed by claustrophobic fears and attempts to evacuate anxiety. The birthing process of the final ordeal comes in many forms, such as facing death, a personal sacrifice, horrendous villains, a crisis of the heart, individuation, finding one’s authority and facing one’s greatest fears.
  
  
• Returning with the Gift and Sharing The transformed individual integrates the experience of the final ordeal and the mentoring force and is now able to gift their community with this integration.
  Their life is now navigated by their soul's purpose.

OK. That was very helpful.