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!