what is psychosynthesis?

Psychosynthesis is a therapeutic approach conceived between 1909 and 1911 by Italian psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

The practice of Psychosynthesis begins with the premise that we each have the potential for fulfilment and joy in life, but our formative and on-going life experiences – things we have said and done, and things others have said and done to us – have prevented us from living out this potential. Instead, we have learnt to block off aspects of ourselves and live compromised lives by:

• Cultivating inauthentic ways of engaging with and relating to other people

• Developing unhelpful patterns of judging situations and circumstances around us

• Inventing and persisting in believing inaccurate and diminishing perceptions of ourselves

All of this results in dissatisfaction, anger, pain, fatigue and suffering. The work in counselling and psychotherapy lies in recognizing these blocks and using this awareness to make different choices and bring about positive change in life.

Over time, Assagioli’s approach has continued to develop with the inclusion of elements of Gestalt therapy, Psychoanalysis and various other psychological approaches.