In the first three parts of this series on psychosynthesis supervision, we explored spaciousness, power, and shame as lived, embodied experiences within supervision. Spaciousness invited us to slow down and listen for what is trying to emerge, power asked us to hold our influence consciously and ethically, and shame revealed the subtle ways it shapes our presence and professional self. This fourth reflection turns toward creativity, the quality that allows therapists and supervisees to engage fully with what arises in sessions, to notice patterns, symbols, and emotional currents, and to bring themselves alive in the work.
Psychosynthesis Supervision: Creativity in Practice
In my recent supervision workshop, we explored creativity in practice. Creativity is central to the work we do as therapists and the space we hold for clients. O’Donohue’s blessings remind us that this is a practice rooted in attentiveness, wonder, and the courage to begin again.
“A morning when you become a pure vessel for what wants to ascend from silence.”
—John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us.
In psychosynthesis, the Self is the inner ground from which creativity arises in therapeutic work. O’Donohue’s words name that experience clearly. They remind us that therapy and supervision are spaces where silence, receptivity, and presence matter. Holding a blessing like this can act as a subtle orientation – a context in which both therapist and client, or supervisor and supervisee, can pause, notice, and allow something ‘more than’ to emerge.
Starting a New Day in Every Session
Creativity in psychosynthesis begins with becoming attuned to that still place inside via the psychosynthesis identification, disidentification and self-identification reflective meditations. By identifying, then disidentifying from the parts, and identifying with the self (made up of awareness and will), therapists can enter sessions grounded, receptive, and self-led. This supports the emergence of insight, intuition, and the natural flow of creative thinking in therapy and supervision. Each moment of awareness is like starting a new day.
Blessings and Metaphor as Creative Tools in Therapy & Supervision
Psychosynthesis has always welcomed creativity through metaphor, symbolism, and the imagination. Blessings offer a way to:
- Provide a subtle reflective context for therapy and supervision sessions
- Encourage spaciousness when attention feels constricted
- Explore symbolic or emotional material that might otherwise not be available
- Support attunement between therapist and client, or supervisor and supervisee
Becoming a Vessel for the Call of the Self
To become “a pure vessel” is not to be empty, but to be receptive. It is to trust that the psyche has its own call, and that our role is to listen with attunement, allowing insight and meaning to unfold.
In practice, this might look like:
- Pausing before responding
- Allowing silence to unfold naturally
- Inviting the therapist or client to sense what lies just beneath their words
- Using imagery or metaphor to shine the light on what feels unclear
- Approaching the session as a shared inquiry rather than a demonstration of expertise
When we work this way, therapy and supervision become creative acts that honour both clinical skill and the subtle movements within the therapeutic process.
A Quiet Invitation
O’Donohue’s blessing reminds us that therapy and supervision are spaces where something new and creative can arise. For me, this the quiet invitation: to meet each session as a morning, fresh and unguarded, ready to receive whatever seeks to emerge from the silence.
