I spent many years in therapy rehashing past events and traumas. If I could count the hours and money I spent bearing my soul to a stranger, I would be on the Forbes List of Richest Women. I did this because my mental health is as important to me as my physical health. However, a change of heart came about in 2021. After more than a decade of speaking to therapists, I was clear on where my traumas and hurts stemmed from and what caused them. This is an essential factor in any healing process. However, I didn’t experience a remarkable change in how I was moving forward and in how I was navigating my future. After much contemplation and in consultation with my mental healthcare provider, I decided it was time for a break. I felt overwhelmed by all the opinions, the various instructions on uncovering the “onion layers,” and the subsequent noise it was causing in my mind.

Now, hold up: Before we take even one step further. I want to clarify that I have significantly benefited from therapy in various stages of my life. I thank my medical healthcare providers for their patience and kindness with me. I am not, in any way, advocating for kicking therapy to the curb or for anyone to make unilateral decisions on their mental health plan. What I discuss in this post was not a snap decision. It was a calculated decision made in consultation with my mental healthcare provider, who continues to monitor my progress. Please talk to your mental healthcare provider before making any changes in your mental health journey. Back to the post 😊.

The most deafening noise in my mind was the feeling that I was constantly stepping back. Back into the past, back into old hurts, back into old fears. I wanted to move forward. I know what waits in the shadows of my past. It is a monster I have faced many times. I also know how its claws have infiltrated my life, but now I needed to be free of it. I no longer wanted to continuously recall things I could not change or cry and rage about relationships I could not fix. I wanted to take my battle armour and the book of my life and step into the next phase. The forward phase.

This meant, for me, looking at things from a different angle. Instead of focusing on healing wounds that have been scraped open and disinfected many times, I now needed to let it scab and allow that scab to heal. My path to this healing focused on my future and what a happy future meant to me. I knew I was seeking peace, but I did not understand what peace looked like to me, how I would recognize its face when I saw it, or how I would define it when asked. I only knew I needed peace.

So I set off on a journey to work a little deeper. To work on the soul. This is how I came to be curious about spiritual coaching. I admit I had no idea what this was. I didn’t even know what to look for or Google. Therapy? Nope been there, done that. Coaching? Nope, not interested in someone telling me how I should live my life because life will always happen in its own way. I eventually started focusing my searching and curiosities on meditation and mindfulness. Something I had already been briefly introduced to by an excellent psychologist who took over my care when I moved to Portugal. Her work in teaching me how to read the signs of my body, release physical tension, and let go of nervous energy made a huge impact. So, spirituality it was.

I am a perfectionist, so it makes sense to research this gig until the internet runs dry. I booked a few discovery calls with would-be spiritual teachers, mentors, or coaches, and I must admit I was a little put off initially. Some immediately went into the cost of the sessions without even paying attention to the connection (or lack thereof) we may have. Some almost immediately gave their opinions on my psychoanalytic medications and what holistic treatments I should instead start…Immediately! Big, big no! I will be the first to tell you I was not happy with being placed on medication. Still, it was prescribed and is regularly monitored by my treating psychiatrist, whom I trust explicitly, so telling me to just throw these out…Nope!

I began to feel a little defeated about this foray into “the other.” Then, truly by divine intervention, I found Amera Rose, a spiritual mentor. My questions became apparent, and I finally knew what I was seeking. I wanted more than inner peace, I wanted soul peace, and she was the perfect mentor to help me find this.

What I Learnt From Spiritual Mentorship

The serenity of this journey equipped me to ask more profound questions of my soul, to understand the hidden meanings of my dreams, and to explore my wants and desires without guilt or shame.

I learned many lessons from my sessions with Amera, but some stand out and stay with me. One of these was the lesson in what inner peace looked like to me. I learned that my need to feel secure and believe I am safe is one part of the peace puzzle. Feeling free or having freedom was the other essential part. I desperately needed to be free of my past, the fears that still haunt me, the insecurities that paralyze me, and the limiting beliefs that shaped me. I embarked on a journey to my deepest self, exploring all the hidden treasures, seeking the truths I so craved, and finding the peace that alluded me for many years.

The biggest lesson I learned was that listening to my inner voice is the most important step anyone can take in their journey. Not just listening but constantly staying in tune with this voice, continually tapping into it, and continuously creating islands of mental stillness so it may come forward. Some may call this prayer, others may call it meditation, and I call it my moments with my Higher Self. In this space, I could ground myself in the here and now to find my safe mental spaces and access them quickly and regularly.

The serenity of this journey equipped me to ask more profound questions of my soul, to understand the hidden meanings of my dreams, and to explore my wants and desires without guilt or shame. This was significant to me because although I knew I was seeking “more,” I had no idea what that “more” meant or looked like. Now, I knew.

How Do You Know If Spiritual Mentorship Is For You?

We are all on our journeys with different outlooks on life’s ebbs and flows. We are not all cut from the same cloth, and what inspires me and creates a sense of peace for me may not necessarily be what fulfils you. Spiritual coaching was for me because I was always curious about the deeper world around me and all that it entails. I always felt a connection between my soul and the purpose of my life’s path. However, you may not feel like this and may even view it as mumbo jumbo 😊.

We all get to a stage where we hunger for more, but we may need help to define what that means. We only know there is an inner calling to explore it. I cannot advise if spiritual coaching is for you because the journey is different for every person. It helped me immensely, and I have seen remarkable differences in dealing with stressful situations and handling complicated personal relationships. Most importantly, I have seen an immense improvement in how I see myself and speak to myself. I had unbearably low self-esteem and severely struggled with self-love and acceptance. I still struggle with this, but I now have markedly more periods of self-kindness than self-criticism.

Words Of Caution

We all have instincts, and the best way to proceed with seeking a spiritual mentor is to listen to your gut. If it feels off, it is. Look for mentors with international accreditations, certifications, and a reputable online presence. Don’t be swayed or bullied by those that make you feel uncomfortable or advise you to stop doing anything your medical healthcare professionals have instructed. Instead, engage with spiritual mentors who understand the value of medical intervention and work to complement this and not exclude it. Be wary of grandiose claims and “quick fix” slogans. There is no quick fix to life, there never was, and there never will be. Look for mentors as committed to the process as you. Those who take time to do thorough discovery calls, and offer questionnaires to know you better, are interested in what brought you to coaching and your goals. Just because we are talking about spiritual mentorship, the unseen and sometimes the unknown, does not mean all common sense jumps out the window 😊.

The Take-Away

Spiritual mentorship is a wonderful path to consider if you feel curious about “more.” When you ask deeper questions about your purpose, and want to explore the inner workings of your soul. It’s great jumping off point for exploring the stillness of your mind and the wisdom this quiet can bring. I would say if you feel like you are standing on the precipice of “next” but you don’t know what that “next” is and how it corresponds with the “more” or “other,” it can be helpful to you. This may seem airy fairy but if you are where I am, you know exactly what I mean by this explanation because you’ve felt it, wondered about it, and are curious to explore it.

Spiritual mentorship has opened the final door I needed to unlock, to access the core of what drives me. I have done the work and laid the groundwork for years, but I came to a point where I needed to cut the ties and explore on my own. To venture into the forest fully armed with the details of my story and discover all that awaits me on my soul’s path.

Love and light
Jeanne

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