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Tarot images show the human journey of life

Tarot illustrates the human journey of evolution and growth -- making it ideal as an adjunct for psychotherapy.

The Tarot deck, comprised of 78 cards, has fascinated humans for hundreds of years. Today it is enjoying a resurgence, attracting people of all ages, including adolescents and young adults, as well as people who define themselves as non-traditional thinkers and those interested in a wider exploration of spirituality -- the very kinds of folk who would welcome the opportunity to use Tarot in a psychotherapy session.
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The deck is divided into two sections -- known as the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. "Arcana" is the Latin word that refers to "secrets," meaning that each card offers an image that allows for contemplation for personal growth and spiritual development. The Major Arcana typically relates to significant life situations and life lessons, and the Minor Arcana relates to more ordinary day-to-day situations. The symbology of the cards is rich with kings and queens and popes and hermits, and the deck's four suits speak of feelings, thoughts, worth and identity -- the very topics that people bring to us in the therapy room.

Carl Jung, the great Swiss psychoanalyst, offered us the perspective of archetypes, the collective unconscious and synchronicity to explain our connections within our universe and the truth of seeming coincidences -- picking a random card -- that are in fact deep messages that we are invited to unravel. With a little study, it's easy to notice correlations with several therapeutic approaches, including Jungian depth psychology, the psychoanalytical view of the unconscious, the story telling of Narrative therapy, humanistic-existential theories, transpersonal psychology, sandplay and sand tray, and process-oriented therapies.

Although some people quickly write off the Tarot as superstitious fortune-telling practice -- or worse -- most professionals use the images for sessions that are productive in the here and now. The popular Facebook group known as Therapists Who Tarot, which is comprised of both curious and experienced professionals, has nearly 2,000 members.

​The fact is...

In psychotherapy, the rich images of the Tarot serve as a beautiful adjunct to facilitate exploration in therapeutic and similar settings for self-knowledge, personal growth and spiritual development in individual, couple and group sessions.
Traditionalists tell us that the Tarot is something to "read," but  when embodiment, mindfulness and improvisational play are added to the experience, the learning is enhanced, and  the Tarot becomes a multi-faceted vehicle for growth and self-understanding. Increasing numbers of psychotherapists, coaches and consultants are using the Tarot  to mine the unconscious for new perspectives, ideas and solutions.

With knowledge of the Tarot's basic symbol system, as well as a willingness to investigate our inner selves, these cards offer a rich variety of routes to growth, insight and change.

Tarot cards serve well as prompts for journaling and other writing projects, whether it is "free writing," an assignment as simple as, "Tell how this card's image reflects your own life at this moment, or, "What is the most interesting figure in this card for you and why?"

​Tarot can integrated with psychodrama and drama therapy sessions as a powerful warm up  for individuals and groups, and the images of characters on the cards can be key players for an actual psychodrama session.

​When activities of art making are added, the images offer opportunities to be used in conjunction with vision boards, mandala designs and free-form doodling.
With Family and Systemic Constellations, the images can be revealed as information from "the field" and stimulate new insights about the system in question.

Caution...

It should be said that some people are fearful of the cards, due to misunderstanding about their exploratory nature. If your people do not like the cards, term them "evil" or "occult," then do not use them.

Resources
  • To watch Karen's  YouTube video about using Tarot Cards and Images in Clinical Settings with Individuals, click here.
  • To watch Karen's YouTube video about using Tarot Cards and Images in Clinical Settings with Groups, click here.
  • To attend Karen's ongoing certification class for helping and healing professionals, click here.
  • To purchase Karen's in-depth video trainings on the Practical Applications of Tarot Cards and Images in Clinical Setting with psychodrama, click here.


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  • Hello
  • Training
    • Events
  • About
    • About Karen
    • Collaborators
  • Contact
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Books
    • Press & podcasts
    • Methods >
      • Psychodrama
      • Family Constellations
      • Sand tray
      • Tarot
  • Sand tray figures for sale
  • Blog