Jacob Gotwals ← Be the wisdom we need.

ACAT 009: Psychotherapy as a Creative Process with Tejal Murray

Apr

2014

In this episode (recorded in January 2014), I interview Tejal Murray, who recently completed a master’s in art therapy / counseling at Southwestern College. Find out: How Tejal’s background as an artist supports her as a psychotherapist How Tejal handles her own emotional reactions that arise when working with clients What it’s been like for ...

ACAT 008: Attracting New Clients

Apr

2014

In this episode (recorded in November 2013), we talk about various ways of attracting new clients: what we’ve tried, what we like, what’s worked for us, and what hasn’t. Find out: How some of our most influential mentors have used podcasting and blogging to create relationships of trust with their followers Why Emilah prefers to ...

Resolving Conflict in Marriage: Responding to a Challenging Request

Dec

2013

When you receive a challenging request from your spouse, how do you handle it? In this article, I show how you can resolve conflict in marriage (and other intimate relationships) by using empathy, discernment, and mindfulness of balance—balancing space for yourself, space for your partner, and space for each other. A Conflict on Sunday Morning ...

Why You Need Many Spiritual Practices

Dec

2013

All paths don’t lead to the same destination; different approaches focus on different things. In this post, I compare Buddhism, psychotherapy, New Age approaches, Integral theory, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and a few other approaches to personal and spiritual growth; I offer my subjective impression of what each approach tends to explore and ignore. Anything you ...

When Someone Invites Intimacy, Then Pushes You Away

Dec

2013

Are you involved with someone who repeatedly invites emotional intimacy with you, then pushes you away? These dynamics can be frustrating and confusing. Just when you get clear that the other person has no interest in intimacy with you, he says or does something that opens your heart; then, when you reciprocate, he withdraws, meeting ...

How to Cultivate Lucid Dreams

Dec

2013

For years, I’ve had a spiritual practice of cultivating lucid dreams (dreams in which we’re aware we’re dreaming). Here’s what I’ve learned about what we can do when we’re awake to increase lucid dreaming when we’re asleep. First, try to be as present as possible while you’re awake, by doing a wide range of spiritual ...

The Magic Question for Overcoming Obstacles in Meditation

Dec

2013

Sometimes, when I’m meditating, everything goes smoothly—but often, it doesn’t. Often, things go okay up to a certain point, then my presence plateaus. When I notice this happening, I ask myself a magic question: “What’s blocking my presence?” Then, I look to discover the answer—and inevitably, I become aware of an emotional/energetic complex that had ...

ACAT 007: The Challenges and Rewards of Creating a Business Website

Dec

2013

In this episode, we talk about how creating and revising our business websites has helped us connect with clients and clarify our marketing strategies. Find out: How having a website can help you connect with new clients How you can find out who is visiting your website How creating and maintaining a website can help ...

ACAT 006: Creating Classes and Workshops

Nov

2013

In this episode, Emilah shares her approach to offering classes and workshops for clients. Find out: Why offering classes and workshops can be helpful for business How class/workshop content can arise spontaneously How Emilah organizes class content across class meetings How Emilah prepares for each class meeting How much material to include in each class ...

ACAT 005: Structure, Fluidity, and Presence in Sessions with Clients

Nov

2013

In this episode, we discuss the roles of structure, fluidity, and presence in sessions with clients. Find out about: How Emilah structures intuitive life coaching sessions with clients How we handle the challenges of managing time in sessions with clients Why Emilah finds managing time during energy work more challenging The pros and cons of ...