What is Conscious Reality Therapy™?

As a coaching, counseling and psychotherapy practice, Conscious Reality Therapy came about as a result of a lifetime of study, practice and application of both Western and Eastern psychology, philosophy, meditation, and spirituality.  It goes beyond therapy; and is more a way of living that leads one to an ease of being with whatever life happens to bring along.

After extensive formal training in Western psychology and psychotherapy, years of counseling individuals and couples, and a lifetime of study and practice of Eastern psychology and philosophy, I realized that although Western psychology has its value, on its own, it is not sufficient to relieve human suffering.  Even Freud himself said, “the best I can offer you is common, everyday unhappiness.”

Although I may seem to stress the extensive training, experience, and learning that I have done, it is really more about what I have unlearned that is the key.  No amount of academic learning, or abstract thinking can relieve our suffering; but rather only as a result of a genuine letting go, or unlearning, of unconscious conditioning, and habitual patterns, can one arrive at a true psychological and existential peace.  This is available to all.  It is our birthright.

My approach to coaching and counselling is about unravelling the knots and threads of unconscious and habitual conditioning that are at the very root of human suffering.  During the course of treatment, I often invite clients to bring their attention to the body, and explore what it is “saying” about the pain or issue at hand.  The subconscious is the storehouse of all suffering, and the body is where it finds expression.

"I have nick-named him 'the tunnel walker', as I feel that no matter how dark or how deep an inner tunnel might be, he is completely capable of walking into it with you... or, to go into it to reach you... or, even at times, to stay there beside you, even in that one deep spot, no matter how long you need to be there for healing to unfold."

K. Beaudoin, Vancouver, BC

This practice then leads to the primary method, which is to invite a state of loving, unconditional presence into the therapeutic process, within which the true healing takes place.  However, having said this, I would like to stress that there is no agenda per se.  The key element is a trust in the process itself, which is collaboratively explored.

What does this mean to me as a client?

As a result of all my learning and unlearning, I came to realize that a marriage between the methods of West and East makes the most sense in terms of a way to address psychological and existential suffering.  The outcome is a way of being between therapist and client that is grounded in deep respect for where the client is at, in the moment.  A gentle invitation is then extended to look deeply into, and collaboratively explore where you may be “stuck” in the unconscious conditioning and habitual patterns that are at the root of all suffering. 

Psychotherapeutic approaches may be employed if appropriate.  These approaches, when utilized, will always be in line with my cardinal way of being with clients, which is non-directive.  To best express how this transpires, I would like to quote my pre-eminent mentor, Carl Rogers, the creator of client-centered psychotherapy:  “each client has within him or herself the vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes, and self-directed behaviour—and these resources can be tapped by providing a definable climate of facilitative attitudes.”

However, it should also be noted that Conscious Reality Therapy is not about “fixing” or “curing” problems, but is rather a gentle process, which brings about a clear seeing into the root of what causes our suffering, and also, therefore, into what leads to our happiness and contentment.  As we invite an unconditioned atmosphere into the therapeutic process, a natural, safe, and spontaneous healing begins to unfold.  This is not something magical or strange, but is merely a way of getting in touch with the strong sense of aliveness or existence that we all share as a common experience at the core of our being.  This is where true healing takes place.

As we bring this sense of presence and clear seeing (conscious awareness) more deeply into our everyday life, we begin to experience the natural falling away of the unconscious conditioning and habitual patterns that led to our suffering in the first place.