Cathy Hubiak Zimmerman, MA, LPC

Cathy Hubiak Zimmerman – Boulder CO – Contemplative Psychotherapy – Transpersonal Psychotherapy – Hakomi Integrative Somatics – Dreamwork – Mindfulness

The COVID-19 Challenge

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In the midst of this COVID-19 crisis there is so much uncer­tainty, so much we do not know.  What comes with this uncer­tainty is a funda­mental question of our own survival, whether it be concerning our health, our family’s health, our liveli­hood and even our life alto­gether. How will we survive? We are faced with inse­cu­rity which can give rise to anxiety, fear and even panic. We are feeling the fragility of the human condition. And we are  sharing this inse­cu­rity with all of human kind across the planet. Simply put, we have never expe­ri­enced a crisis of such magnitude known to anyone who is alive today.
The question is, how can we navigate this challenge so that we are not making matters worse? What we don’t want to do is contribute to further panic and aggres­sion for ourselves as well as the planet. How can we work with our state of mind which can either fuel our anxiety and create further unnec­es­sary suffering or come into a place of strength and calm; expanding a place of confi­dence in our capacity to be with whatever shows up- no matter what!
Something is being asked of us of a higher order now. It is not about asking why this happening to us- it is more about why this is happening FOR us. In what ways can we actually use this challenge to cultivate our heart, our courage and our confi­dence? The Chinese symbol for “crisis” is trans­lated as “oppor­tu­nity”. I choose to view it as such.
The good news: We have been given the inherent qualities which can help us to navigate through these troubling times. It is our birthright. We all possess the confi­dence that is needed at this time. We all have what we need! We can get through this. This is a time for positive transformation.
When you read my website, you will see that this is how I have been working ther­a­peu­ti­cally all along. If you would like to join me in working in this way, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I welcome working with you in trans­forming these chal­lenging times into times of empowerment.

Contemplative View: Honoring the Wisdom of the Client

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A premise of contem­pla­tive psychotherapy is that we are all intrin­si­cally awake and that we, as humans, are good and that we naturally possess qualities of compas­sion, intel­li­gence and courage. This differs from the view of original sin that sees humans as funda­men­tally flawed.

We hold a view that our negative qualities, behavior and action are based on confusion and misun­der­standing- a temporary state, if you will. This is likened to the clouds covering the sun and sky. Our clarity, spacious­ness and warmth is revealed as the clouds part ways. Our sanity can then shine through.

So it is of utmost impor­tance that we, as contem­pla­tive psychother­a­pists hold a space for the wisdom and goodness of the client and reflect that back to them. Their intel­li­gence can be accessed and revealed if we trust that it is always there. We go beyond the limited lens of pathol­o­gizing. The client knows all too well how to do that! This encour­age­ment, that we all have what it takes to open to our most painful predica­ments, is the working rela­tion­ship between the contem­pla­tive psychother­a­pist and the client. This view is the good news that is the foun­da­tion for the way that we work!

What is a contemplative psychotherapist?

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The creden­tials for a tradi­tional main­stream coun­seling psychology degree and that of a degree for the contem­pla­tive psychother­a­pist are one in the same. This rigorous standard is required by the State Board of Regis­tered Psychother­a­pists. However, the approach of these two kinds of therapies differs.

The tradi­tional and more main­stream counselor applies the theories and knowledge learned in their univer­sity training to the issues of the client. The system of ideas, maps, concep­tual framework and overall knowledge are the resources for working with the problems and predica­ments clients bring. This is one way that knowledge brings change.

But there is another way of “knowing”. A contem­pla­tive way- one that is open and intuitive, an intel­li­gence that gets to the heart of the matter in the most simple way. This knowing goes beyond theo­rizing and psychol­o­gizing. It comes from the natural insight that reveals itself through personal inquiry- one that requires a grounded stillness and warmth. This awareness is what provides a path toward movement in the rela­tion­ship with the client and for the client and their issues.

As a “contem­pla­tive”, beyond my univer­sity training, I have been trained in the art of stillness through medi­ta­tion. For the past 45 years, I have practiced “letting go”, in “being with” and trusting in my capacity to know what needs to happen through medi­ta­tion. This allows me to be with others in the same way, helping others to “be with” the suffering, the confusion, pain and fear that we all face. It is my calling and my life’s work. This is the only genuine and long-term way that I have found that actually brings joy, confi­dence and purpose.

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I believe that we, in all of our human chal­lenges, pain and vulner­a­bil­i­ties, have the wisdom to find our way into a sound and mean­ingful life.

Self-Acceptance

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The irony around change is that when we can accept ourselves just as we are, only then can we change. To actually allow ourselves to be as we are is an act of kindness. I see this as perhaps the most important aspect of the work we will do together.

Courage

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Touching our anxieties with a gentle hand is the pathway to courage and confi­dence. Through mind­ful­ness of the body, we can increase our awareness and cultivate the strength and resources to meet those fears. We would be exploring the waves together.

Spaciousness

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Having the view that we are not as stuck as we believe ourselves to be and that the chal­lenges in our lives are not as solid as we think, can bring a relax­ation and a sense of humor. It is my view that we are more spacious by nature than we know and that our lives have enormous possi­bility. I hope to bring a larger view.

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I bring together the wisdom and view of ancient contem­pla­tive tradi­tions with the skillful means of contem­po­rary psychology.