“When soul is neglected, it doesn’t just go away; it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence, and loss of meaning.”
Thomas Moore
Martin Cassar
Human suffering, together with the loss of meaning that comes with it, always held a special interest for me, as do questions of the Soul, Love, and the manifestation of the Sacred in people’s lives. These themes have been explored, over the past thirty years, through intense self-discovery and various studies including Anthropology, Education for Sustainable Development, Transnational Cities, Parental Alienation Studies, and Gestalt Psychotherapy. Presently I am training as a coach in Transpersonal Psychology as well as an Executive Business Coaching.
Throughout my work and studies, the focus was mainly on the underrepresented, whether it was on sub-Saharan asylum seekers, the homeless population, or young people from difficult socio-economic backgrounds. This journey has helped me to understand what the effects on identity are during difficult times people experience. The choice to become a Gestalt Psychotherapist stemmed from the understanding that, for healing and support to occur, one needs to start from within oneself.
These studies support me in providing an integrated, holistic approach to my clients, where suffering is understood as a co-creation with the environment. By focusing on the here-and-now, presence and empathy, there is no longer a ‘hopeless’ situation; people are not regarded as ‘damaged’. It becomes instead a journey into the deeper self where, from being our enemy, shadows become our collaborators and teachers.
Future Directions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders are a debilitating aspect of suffering that is often glossed over and frequently misunderstood. Trauma triggers often go unrecognized and often thought of ‘anxiety’, ‘anger management issues’ and ‘mood swings’. It is my firm belief that psychedelic therapy is one of the most powerful ways towards providing support and healing in regards to trauma and unresolved pain. Through experienced gained by collaborating psychotherapy with various forms of therapeutic approaches, down the line I seek to continue on my doctoral studies in psychedelic studies as an effective tool in treating mental health disorders, enhance well-being and understanding consciousness in a more profound manner.
My approach to psychotherapy is best described as eclectic, using nature based therapy, therapy cards, art, breathing exercises, music and constellation work in working with clients. In addition, I keep an open line of communication in between sessions, out of the understanding that a therapist is first and foremost a supporter of the human soul as it journeys through its path of healing. In the place beyond time and space, connection becomes the most important part of the healing process.