Author: Catherine Auman

03 Aug

Posted at 15:25h by
Of course, psychedelic therapy is still illegal in the U.S., however, Catherine Auman LMFT has been helping people process their experiences and gain the maximum personal and spiritual growth for decades. She was interviewed by Morpheus magazine for her expertise on the subject: Psychotherapist Catherine Auman talks about psychedelics and spiritual growth: The word psychedelics might make you think of hippies wearing beads laying in the park, staring at their fingers. You’re not the only one. The image of plant medicines has been highly filtered  by the propaganda. Although we are in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance, a lot of misinformation still remains. The average person is scared of psychedelics. But many also pound coffee or beer on the regular. It’s their way of relaxing. However, substances like LSD, Magic Mushrooms or Peyote don’t always provide mindless relief. In fact, plant medicine is quite skilled at bringing us face to face with ourselves. Or at least, what we have always considered ourselves. That’s right. A hit of LSD or Magic Mushrooms is closer to a pushy therapist than a beer buddy. We contacted longtime psychotherapist Catherine Auman to see exactly how psychedelics can assist in personal growth. We also wanted to know how it can be used for transformation and spiritual enlightenment. Here is what she had to say. First of all, how can the use of psychedelics lead to spiritual growth? Psychedelics give us a taste of a reality much greater than the one we are mass hypnotized into believing is true. What do we do with this taste? It is up to us to incorporate this greater awareness into our lives, and potentially this can lead to personal and spiritual growth. What other types of growth have you seen psychedelics facilitate in people? People report growing in their compassion for others, gaining a better sense of how to prioritize what’s important in life, experiencing less desire to indulge in harmful or addictive behaviors, and becoming more loving. What similarities do you see in mindfulness and psychedelic experiences? How can they support each other? Both mindfulness and psychedelics facilitate similar mechanisms: they both dissolve ego boundaries and direct one’s awareness inward toward the self. During both experiences, a person is intensely aware of what they are feeling and of timelessness, characteristics reminiscent of mystical states. What advice would you have for people seeking to integrate psychedelics into their spiritual practices? Know why you are seeking to use psychedelics– is it for an increased sense of joy, celebration, and ecstasy? Or psychological growth, understanding, and life change? Psychedelics offer us a preview of what’s possible — the rest is daily disciplined work. The payoff of this work is worth it, but you’ve got to do it. Find help from people who know more than you do about living in higher states of consciousness. What tools does a person need in order to integrate and make sense of their psychedelic experiences? Psychotherapy can be helpful. Learning from others’ experience is good. Read widely, especially in whatever spiritual literature calls to you. What precautions should someone take when preparing to work with psychedelics? If someone is not stable emotionally or mentally, psychedelics will not help and may be harmful. It is good preparation to get a full psychological assessment and to work with a trained guide. How can the practice of mindfulness assist in the process of integrating mystical experiences? The practice of mindfulness brings us back to the present moment, again and again. This is the same present moment revealed by psychedelics. And also by mystical experiences. All mindful awareness practices and psychedelic integration ultimately enhance a state of reverence. They enhance the sacredness of life. © 2019 Catherine Auman Previously published in Morpheus online magazine Work with Catherine Books by Catherine Auman

14 Jul

Posted at 11:00h by
People often ask me how transpersonal therapy differs from mainstream counseling. It differs in three major ways: how transpersonal therapists are trained, the context in which we hold therapy, and in some cases, the techniques we use or recommend to facilitate change. Transpersonal therapists receive training in the same mainstream psychology as other therapists that is necessary to pass licensing exams. However, we are not satisfied with that as we don’t believe the modern West has all the answers, so we acquire additional training into the psychologies of other cultures: Eastern religions, Native peoples, LSD research and other altered states of consciousness, mysticism, and the esoteric aspects of all religions which Aldous Huxley dubbed “the perennial philosophy.” This context we offer is open to spirituality and alternate ways of knowing, making the space safe for people who identify as ‘spiritual,’ i.e. those for whom spiritual search is an integral and compelling part of their life. Spiritual people are often reluctant to enter mainstream therapy with good reason, as few conventional therapists know how to honor what is outside their own mindset. Spiritual people want to be able to talk with their therapists about their experiences with altered states of consciousness, their thirst for higher knowledge and abilities. They want to be understood for wanting to be free, truly free, even if it means challenging the status quo of the mainstream culture. They want help to untangle unhelpful patterns from the past the same as other clients, but they want it from people who have gotten free themselves. The transpersonal context is one of support for alternate ways of knowing, of understanding that a person may not want to adapt themselves to a culture that is itself sick, and that ours is not the highest state of evolution possible. It’s knowing that sometimes the greatest things humans can know come from the heart rather than the mind, that compassion may be a greater value than consumerism, that striving to reach to one’s potential is more fascinating than owning and wearing the right brands. The truly transpersonal embraces the brands too, why not? But for people who have glimpsed a reality beyond that beckons and won’t let them go, it becomes of utmost importance to remove the blocks that stand in the way of resting in the quiet space where lies the Truth of who we really are. Techniques that transpersonal therapists utilize may include meditation, energy work, or other alternative modalities. The most important thing, however, is sound clinical skills, the ability to really ‘get’ the client, and the therapist’s commitment to their own ongoing growth. © 2026 Catherine Auman This article is an excerpt from Catherine’s book Shortcuts to Mindfulness: 100 Ways to Personal and Spiritual Growth   Books by Catherine Auman Work with Catherine

30 Jun

Posted at 16:11h by
Many of my clients do not want to take medication for anxiety and I support their efforts to find a holistic solution. Here are my top recommendations for mindfulness techniques for anxiety: 1) Practice some deep, slow breaths, all the way down, pushing your abdomen out. There’s a reason the Buddha is always pictured as having a big belly