All posts by Rod

archetypes and therapy, shadow work, The King Within

The Sovereign Wound

The Emotional Wound Of The King

The emotional wound in the King archetype is a belief, or fear, that you are not good enough. This wound means always having a sense you need to do better, perform better, behave better, or achieve more. It embodies a belief or felt sense that, without these external “successes”, you have little or no intrinsic value.

Similarly, comparison with others damages our King energy and teaches us we are not good enough as we are. If we are valued by our comparison to others – in exams, sports or any other system that “ranks” us – we may feel good when we do well, but this is immediately followed by the fear of not being able to keep up this performance. We know that at any point we could fail and be “bottom of the heap”, thereby losing our status and ending up with no worth whatsoever.

Alternatively children may receive the message that they are not good enough through being subject to endless criticism and shaming, which demonstrate a lack of acceptance of the child as they are and send a clear message that they need to improve or change in some way.

The average child is given thousands of opportunities to learn he’s not good enough. The most obvious is constant criticism, either overtly or covertly. Overt criticism is obvious: “What did you do that for? Why did you do that? Can’t you do it any better? If only you’d tried harder! You’re useless…” You know the kind of thing, maybe.

Covert criticism comes in a million little pinpricks of insult, comments, poking fun, humiliations, and minor criticisms – or simply a lack of any praise – all of which diminishes rather than builds a child’s self-esteem. Regardless of how the message is delivered, the child senses its meaning – “You are simply not good enough.” Or, more likely, “You are not good enough to be loved / to be accepted / to be liked / to be one of us.” What might have been the message you received in your own family?

A caring parent who is wise enough to know how essential a strong sense of self-worth is in living a fulfilling life and achieving success will provide their son or daughter with plenty of positive support and encouragement. That’s the kind of feedback which both supports his developing self-esteem and allows him room to grow and develop as a person in his own right. If you did not have this experience, shadow work may be useful approach to personal growth.

Building a strong Inner King – video

A child who is blessed for what he does and who is provided with clear boundaries can internalize these positive messages. As he does so, he learns to manage his own life in a way that will serve him and, hopefully, allow him to serve the world. In essence, when a child experiences success he learns he is good enough and his sovereign energy grows. Sure, he may be unable to lead in all areas but he knows he can shine in many ways. And that in itself can be good enough.

However, when the opposite is true, and a child learns he is not good enough, perhaps not good enough to meet his parents’ expectations, or those of his teachers, friends or family, the wounding can be profound. He internalizes failure, not success. His self-image becomes one of “I can’t” rather than “I can”. One of “I won’t even try. I’ll fail. I have nothing to offer.”

Sadly for many children, the message they internalize is “I am nothing. I am worth nothing. I count for nothing.”

This is the Sovereign wound: anything which leaves you with a belief that you are not good enough to be the Sovereign in your own world. You may not feel it or know it, but it plays out, whether you are aware of it or not, in the way you present yourself in the world.

A belief that your achievements count for little or nothing. An unfelt sense of low self-worth which you act out all the time. You don’t want to be seen; you don’t deserve to be heard. You have nothing to offer, everywhere or in some particular areas of life. The specifics vary, the principle is the same: this is the wound of low-self worth, low self-confidence, low self-esteem.

The Sovereign wound seems to be the most widespread archetypal wound of all, for there are very few true Sovereigns in our world today. If you look around the current political, social, economic, environmental and business worlds you will be hard pressed to find many men and women who lead with power and dignity, with authority tempered by wisdom and discernment. You can find out how Sovereigns are made, not born, from this book.

The Sovereign wound is a wound which shows itself in many ways. An obvious one is perfectionism. You see, perfectionism is simply a form of trying hard to be good enough. Unfortunately, when being good enough means being perfect, you’re doomed to failure. Even if we were able to define what perfection means, how could anyone ever achieve it? Surely, it’s impossible to be perfect? The truth is we can only ever be “good enough”. And to appreciate that you are good enough is all that’s required of a Sovereign. This means to be good enough for the task at hand. To be good enough for ruling your kingdom as it is.

But what, you may say, is good enough? In practice, good enough means knowing you can lead with authority, feeling confident as you do so. It’s an internal sense of authority, knowing the rightness of your leadership, knowing you can lead (or if you prefer, since we are talking about the Sovereign here, “rule”) with wisdom and good judgment; knowing, in fact, that you are up to the job in every way.

Another aspect of the Sovereign wound is a lack of resilience. We see this in someone who can’t take the inevitable hits which life throws at him, someone who comes back weaker, not stronger, from these hits.  We all need resilience. There will always be people around us who are better or wiser than we are. There will always be people around us who simply want to take a pot shot at a Sovereign who’s showing up. We will all inevitably face criticism and we will all inevitably make mistakes.

The mark of a strong Sovereign with a fundamentally strong sense of self-esteem and self-worth is that he will bounce back from these dips, knowing that he is indeed good enough to do the job and that he can continue to rule using all of his authority, wisdom and justice.

Someone without resilience, who can’t take the hits and keep leading from the front, or someone who doesn’t have the strength to lead from the front in the first place, is unlikely to feel good enough. And to the extent that a man does not feel good enough to be the Sovereign in his life, he will fail at what he’s doing.

Sure, we all differ in our natural ability to cope with the demands that life makes of us. But given the right kind of encouragement, support and praise by our parents we all have the potential to develop a strong self-esteem and a powerful sense of self-worth. Sadly, a child’s self-esteem is a delicate thing, and so his sovereign energy needs careful nurturing to grow and develop into its fullness and maturity. That’s why all boys need a man they can look up to, a King who can offer them the consistent, clear, nurturing support of a father who understands what a Prince needs to develop naturally into a confident King.

Reproduced from Warrior Magician Lover King by Rod Boothroyd, by permission of the author.

The King Within

Helpful Techniques

 Stepping into The Best Part Of Yourself (aka your King, Queen, “Heart Centred Leader”, Most Powerful Self, etc)

Our internal Heart Centred Leader blesses and supports us no matter what. He / she sees our essential value, outside of any achievements or failure. In the eyes of our Heart Centred Leader we are always worthy of love, respect and care. She / he is there to support us and to help us find the support we need in the world. See more explanation of the concept of the “Heart Centred leader” here: https://tinyurl.com/heart-centred-leader  (redirects to https://exploringtheshadow.co.uk)

Here’s some guidance on “Stepping into Your Best Self”

1 Create a safe space (no interruptions, privacy, etc)

2 Relax, get grounded (a few minutes’ preparation so you can focus on the task in hand without distracting thoughts)

3 Stand up in a relaxed but “solid” way

4 Imagine the energy / image / presence of the finest version of the “best part of yourself” standing somewhere nearby. This can be an image of a powerful / regal / strong character from real life, or a fictional character from literature, the movies, TV, or an image of the finest version of yourself in your full power. The sky’s the limit!

5 When you have that image clear, or at least can imagine the energy of that person, take a physical step into the space where your Best Self stands, with clear conscious intention to embody her energy.

6 As you step in, allow yourself to open up to the energy of your Best Self. You will feel some difference: calmness, confidence, control, physical changes (feeling bigger), or energy flow – all these and more are possible. There is no right or wrong.

7 From this strong place, feel the power and calmness that is inherent in your body and mind. Make your decisions, review your life, reassure the worried parts of yourself as if you were talking to them right there and then, as if they were standing somewhere near you. If you wish, you can even imagine other parts of yourself are present, and talk to them. For example, ask your inner Magician (Transformer) for advice, or help solving problems. Give your inner Warrior (Action Taker) instructions about what needs to be done. Speak to your Lover (Feeling Body) and your younger self, your Inner Child, to reassure him / her and tell her she is safe. Do what you need to do. You can imagine any part of yourself standing nearby, and speak to them internally or out loud as if they were physically present in the room with you.

8 Practice this every morning for long lasting effects! If it doesn’t work for you, get the help of a coach, for example Francisco Cabeza West..

Step 9 Imagine the power of the Universe charging you up and supporting you

When you’re standing in the place of your Best Self (above) imagine connecting with the energy of the universe: the power of “the sky above” cascading downwards into the crown of your head, maybe imagining this as a stream of white or coloured light, while the energy of the Earth below moves upwards – again imagining this as a flow of energy represented by a colour or mixture of colours, a beam of energy supporting you from below. Spend a few minutes feeling your rightful place on the Earth, feeling the energy that supports you, and allowing yourself to experience a sense of your power and strength. You can also imagine that energy flow washing away stress, tiredness, anxiety and the like.

archetypes and therapy, shadow work, shadow work and archetypes, The King Within

Finding The King Within (Part 3)

Life Coaching and Sovereign Energy

Life coaching is a good way to lead a man to his Kingship so he can discover all the qualities and values listed here before it is too late.

Mission and Vision are powerful areas where life coaching using the archetypal model can really help you develop the parts of yourself which are not currently showing themselves.

You can probably see how the King’s vision for the realm provides direction and purpose for everyone in his Kingdom. He is planning for the welfare of the kingdom to come – not just for the current generation, but for generations to come. 

If you have a grandfather or grandmother whom you respect for what s/he did, perhaps for what they laid down as the foundations of your family, or their foresight in supporting future generations – perhaps including your generation – then you’ll probably understand what I’m talking about.

So, do you, as King, have a vision for your own life? Do you have a plan for what you want to achieve this year? Next year? In five years’ time? In 10 years’ time? Do you know what you want to leave behind on this planet when you die?

Having a vision which includes all of those things is the first step in finding purpose and direction in your life.

In my experience very few men understand the power of vision in providing drive, impetus and energy to their lives. And even when men do have a vision of how their future could be, even fewer seem to have the power and potency to bring that vision into being as a reality.

Videos – Vision, Mission and Purpose

Personal Growth and Development, Sovereign Energy, and Mission

This is an area where personal coaching can have a massive effect. Working alongside an experienced coach can allow you to find the Sovereign energy inside yourself, and help you bring it to the world with a clear vision.

Over the years, I’ve attended many seminars by the likes of Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Jack Black. Judging by the people I’ve met there, and what they say, it seems to me that only around 3% to 5% of any human population have Sovereign energy to any significant degree, or use Sovereign energy in their lives in a constructive way.

This is an absolute tragedy for the world. We all have power and potency, but it lies hidden in most people. Life coaching is desperately needed to bring it our – after all, compassionate but strong King and Queen energy is what the world needs most right now: you can read about these archetypes in my book Warrior Magician Lover King: A Guide To the Male Archetypes Updated For The 21st Century.

In truth, as children most of us are not brought up in a way which encourages the development of a strong self-esteem, or the expression of a sense of power, or an appreciation of the simple reality that our Sovereign energy can allow us to get everything we want in the world. This is explained in my book about the male archetypes.

Sure, for many people, simply coping with the demands of life is as much as they can cope with. But I want to be really clear about this. I don’t believe any of us lack Sovereign energy. There’s a wonderful expression used in the world of self-development as an affirmation: “All I need is within me now”. 

I absolutely believe this to be true. Sure, that energy  may need accessing. It may need bringing to life. It may need work before it is expressed.

But until that happens, few of us will be comfortable with standing in our sovereign energy and using it in the world.

Many men whom I’ve coached have found that the development of Sovereign energy can be a slow process. No surprise there! The world does not generally encourage Sovereigns!

Fortunately, you can work on this while getting support from the people around you. I, and other life coaches who work with these archetypal concepts, can bring you into a fuller connection with your innate power, wisdom and leadership. This is the unique value of archetypal coaching.

Perhaps the first step in fully embracing your own Sovereign energy is having a vision of how the world and your life might look if you were standing in your own Sovereign energy.

Having a vision of how your life would look if, in fact, you had easy access to your Sovereign energy, and a full appreciation of your Sovereign qualities. This is one of many things which Archetypal Coaching can do for you.

The King Within

Finding The King Within (Part 2)

But just what is the King’s archetypal energy?

You can understand more clearly the nature of King energy by thinking of the modern dysfunctional family where there’s an immature, weak, or absent father, or where leadership and King energy is lacking. Then, there is often chaos and confusion. The same is true of any business or enterprise where there is no strong leader.

And while the King is required to be a strong character, he need not be frightening: he can look upon the world with a firm and kindly eye. He can adopt a compassionate approach to others as he seeks out the truths which will guide him, and allow him to nurture others towards their own fullness of being. He is, in fact, a heart centred leader.

Sovereign energy also embodies authority and discernment. You see, being a King isn’t just about leadership. Kings do what is necessary to maintain harmony and order and protect their kingdoms.

So the King archetype also incorporates and allows the expression of the Warrior’s energy.

Podcast – Rod Boothroyd

This represents the aggressive force that a King might bring to whatever circumstances require it, perhaps when there is a threat to good order or safety in the Kingdom.

The power of deep authority lies in the King archetype. This is authority which has not been gifted on a King but which exists within him, within the individual King, at the deepest level of his being.

Another aspect of the Sovereign is that he knows what is needed. He can discern which course of action is required in any set of circumstances. And this is where the King accesses his Magician archetype and then acts with the support of his Magician’s deep knowledge of what is needed.

Podcast – Magician energy

When harmony is restored and the kingdom is running well, the King delights in his own humanity and in the humanity of his citizens. His Lover archetype shows this delight through the intimacy and connection he establishes with others in his realm.

All of this energy is naturally expressed as it flows through a man when he is able to take the necessary financial, emotional, psychological and practical steps to ensure his kingdom is prospering.

It’s the energy which allows his wife and children to feel safe and protected, so they can prosper in their own exploration of life and discover what life can offer them.

It’s the energy which supports his family, or his business.

It’s the energy with which a man encourages his wife when she decides to start a business, or to get more qualifications and establish a career.

It’s the energy which expresses itself in fathering of sons or daughters, where time is devoted to their welfare and attention is given to their interests.

It’s the energy of leadership in a business, where rebellious subordinates or workers need to be confronted and encouraged to come back into line with Sovereign firmness rather than harshness.

It’s the energy of compassionate managers and supervisors who seek to guide others with firm clear support and encouragement.

It’s the energy which allows healers, counsellors, therapists, mentors and coaches to support clients in their recovery, and to empower and support them as they find their way back to their own pathway through life.

Sovereign energy is the energy that allows you to keep your cool when everybody else is losing theirs.

It’s something you can find in yourself when everyone else succumbs to chaos and struggle – a voice of calmness and reassurance.

King energy is the power within you which allows you to make clear decisions based on an understanding and wise discernment of what is necessary, decisions which cut through the mess in your family, your work, or even in your country.

And of course if you haven’t had much experience of King energy from your father, grandfather or schooling, you may need appreciate some personal coaching to support you as you find the Sovereign within yourself, bring that energy into the light, and develop it so it is a fundamental part of your life. 

This is far removed from traditional counselling or life coaching. It’s much more about a process of being with another King who can work with you to clear the blocks to the expression of your own King energy and coach you to be fully present in the world. So you can stand, loud and proud, as it were, in the embodiment of your King energy.

Perhaps, if our world leaders had enough Sovereign energy, this would empower them to clean up the mess in the world. Let us hope they can grow into that place! (Read more about leadership and sovereign energy here.)

You see, in its fullest form, Sovereign energy is the energy which works for peace and stability, good order, nurture and for all the people’s needs to be met.

And it’s not just an energy which seeks these things for individual men, women and children. It’s the energy which allows the King to care for his whole realm, and allows him to be the natural guardian of nature, of the environment, of the animals and plants in his kingdom.

The King’s voice affirms without fear, and with authority and a sense of justice, that we are all equal, and that we are all entitled to the same human rights.

This is an energy which focuses on the positive, which maximises praise, and which seeks to bring out the best in everybody.

Mission and Vision

The Sovereign is also the part of your personality which is responsible for vision and mission.

When I do life coaching work with men whose lives are chaotic, I generally find that they have neither a vision for their individual future, nor for the future of their own kingdom.

They may never have formed a picture of how their life could be, or how they want it to be. They generally have no goals and aspirations for the longer term, even if they do happen to have short-term goals. They may not be clear about what they stand for.

Most of all men who lack Sovereign energy do not know what they would like to leave behind on the Earth as their memorial or legacy when they die. (See The Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying for some related information on this.)

Why does that matter? Simply this – a true King knows what he want to achieve before he dies.

Read Part 3 here.

The King Within

The King Within (Part 1)

The King Archetype

This is the part of your personality which is responsible for leadership, vision, purpose and mission in your life.

When we talk about leadership in coaching sessions we’re not just talking about leadership in your own life, but also your leadership of the lives of others for whom you have some kind of responsibility. This could be your family, your employees, your colleagues, your friends, and so on.

In some sense every one of us is a leader. The qualities necessary for successful leadership include wisdom, discernment, balance, strength, good judgement, fairness, clarity of decision-making, and a concern for the long-term benefit of all the people who fall within your remit area of influence. To what extent do these need developing in you?

Then there’s mission. Do you have a life mission? Something that equates to a life purpose, a reason to get out of bed in the morning which is personally meaningful? Something you would regret not having done when you die? We can work together in forming your life mission, which may change over time. 

And do you have a vision for your life? A vision is necessary to plan your journey. It’s like a destination, a goal, a desired outcome. In fact, you can have a vision for every area of your life: financial, family, employment, work, leisure, home…. 

The value of having a vision for every area of your life lies in the power of having well formed goals: they are massively empowering and give motivation and purpose to our actions. Without a vision, you have no destination in life. Which raises the question – where is your journey taking you? Would coaching help?

Sovereign or Leader Energy and You

In the archetypal model which I use for coaching men and women, leadership, vision and mission are part of the Sovereign archetype.

The idea of archetypes is very useful, because they serve as a useful shorthand to describe different aspects of our personality. The Sovereign archetype, clearly, is all about leadership of your own Kingdom or Queendom, or, to put it another way, your realm.

But whether you call this archetypal energy the “leader” in your life or the “Sovereign” makes no difference, really. Our objective in coaching is to strengthen and develop this area of your personality so that you can fully embrace your innate power.

In coaching, I start from the belief that we are all born with unlimited potential and power. Yet, as we all know, life has an unfortunate habit of suppressing or diminishing our personal power. For one thing, we don’t truly celebrate leadership, magnificence, success or achievement in our culture. For another, few children are brought up in a way that encourages the expression of this Sovereign energy.

The great news is that if your leadership potential, your Sovereign, is not showing up fully in your life, archetypal coaching can bring it out in all its majesty, power, and shining brilliance. 

So I’d like to develop your understanding of these concepts by showing you a video which describes the functions and importance of the Sovereign archetype.

A Video to Introduce The Sovereign Archetype (also known as the Heart Centred Leader)

The Sovereign takes the form of King energy in men (read on below), and Queen energy in women (click here to read about the Queen archetype).

The most important qualities of your Sovereign archetype are leadership, vision, and mission. 

Good leadership means leadership with justice, discernment and wisdom, leadership for the benefit of the whole kingdom.

That kingdom may be your family, your business, your world, or even just your own mind, your own life.

Good leadership is essential for success in any enterprise, at any level, and so it has been throughout the history of the world.

Leadership provides clear direction to the people for whom the King is responsible.

Leadership provides a sense of security for the citizens of the realm. It provides reassurance that someone is on hand who has the power and ability to take charge in a crisis, and lead his or her people through to a better place.

Whether the kingdom you are leading is a community, a business, your family, or yourself, is irrelevant. The principle is always the same: a strong King or Queen who can stand in his or her power and hold the wounds of the realm is a Sovereign who people will look up to and admire.

A Book Which Explains Archetypes In Full

In this book, Rod Boothroyd describes and explains all the characteristics of the four main male archetypes of King Warrior Magician and Lover in a way suited for our times. You can buy his book from Amazon.

Why Is There So Little Sovereign Energy In The World?

Very few men and women develop their full potential for leadership or express their full power in the world. But even fewer have a vision for their lives or a mission, a sense of purpose in the world.

This is where Life Coaching can be very helpful to you: it will enable you to access your natural leadership, power and potency in the world, and it will show you where you may be blocked or limited in expressing this energy.

In turn, this will enable you to find your own personal vision and “mission” in the world.

A vision is essential – it is your destination, your objective, your goal. Without knowing where you are going, it hardly needs to be said, you are unlikely to end up in the right place!

Some people think of mission as the thing “you just have to do”, the reason you were put on the planet. Others see mission as an expression of who you truly are, the calling which will most powerfully express your natural gifts and talents – and, by the way, give you the greatest satisfaction.

But however you see it, all these qualities – leadership, vision and a sense of mission – are necessary to achieve the levels of success in life and business which you desire. 

Working with you, I will use some extremely effective life coaching techniques which will quickly help you understand your vision, mission and develop your leadership, both in your own life and more broadly in the world – in your own Kingdom. You will truly become the leader in your own life.

Using this very special coaching method of working with your archetypes, we will build up your Sovereign energy where it’s lacking, and bring out your full magnificence and power if that’s currently in shadow.

Truth is, it’s hard to imagine what the magnificence of a human being in his or her full power and potential looks like until you begin to experience it for yourself.

But whether you access your leadership all at once, or build it up bit by bit, you certainly can become the person you were always meant to be, the person you were born to be.

Video – The Sovereign Archetype 

Kings & Queens Come In Many Forms

Think of the King or Queen archetype as representing the leader within you, the manager, the director, the chief – whatever word you care to use. When you develop this archetype into its fullness you embrace the qualities essential for the well-being of your Kingdom or Queendom.

Some of the most important are leadership (obviously), wisdom, discernment, happiness, and offering a space in which other people can explore and express their potential.

Sovereign energy also means being able to maintain order, integration, and integrity. It means controlling extremes of behaviour and feelings. It embraces stability, calmness and centredness.

For Sovereign energy is a balancing energy which maintains peace and harmony, purpose and function.

In its most mature form, a woman or man’s Sovereign energy embodies the full potency and power of the sacred masculinity and femininity which resides within all of us. This is the central archetype, around which the rest of a your personality and your entire unconscious mind is organised.

And because your King archetype is your central archetype, a lack of King energy is destructive to your power and presence in the world.

Part 2 of this article can be found here.

Shadow work facilitators, Shadow work practitioners

Shadow Work Coaches, Facilitators and One to One Practitioners

Listing of shadow work coaches, facilitators and therapists

All the shadow work practitioners listed below are certified and qualified by Healing The Shadow. You can read about Healing The Shadow, an organisation dedicated to training practitioners in shadow  work here.

Shadow Work Coaches and Practitioners (aka Facilitators) in one to one work

Conroy Harris

Conroy is a fully qualfied and certified practitioner in shadow work. He lives in Oxford and can be contacted on email or by phone: 
email: conroy.harris@hotmail.com
Telephone: 07867 785809

Sue Rayner

I have seen for myself how shadow work can heal emotional wounds as I’ve been working with Marianne for some time now. Before qualifying as a shadow work practitioner I completed a Certificate in Counselling Skills at the University of the West of England. I’m delighted to be practicing as a qualified as a Healing The Shadow facilitator.
Area: Bristol
Telephone: 07545 285655
Email: sue.rayner27@gmail.com

Francisco Cabeza West

Since graduating with a Masters in Peace and Reconciliation Studies in 2004 I have continued to research and undertake trainings in the different methods available to heal the wounds of personal and collective trauma. Becoming a Healing the Shadow Practitioner complements all the other modalities available to me in supporting individuals to cultivate renewed perspectives and apply these in the next cycle of their lives. My keen interest is helping people to light up, feel energised and fully alive which tends to involve making peace with their unresolved past. Shadow work has been one of the tools that has accompanied me on my experiences of working with adult survivors of child abuse and as part of end of life care for the terminally ill. What greater way to help someone than to facilitate the change that they want to be in the world at the time that they are ready to do so?
Areas: East and West Midlands (all counties) and on-line
Telephone: 07894 401733
Email: franciscocabezawest@gmail.com

Dan Hartley
Dan Hartley – Healing The Shadow Practitioner

I see shadow work as one of the best modalities for helping people let go of limiting beliefs, heal old wounds and transform the conditioning and stories that hold them back from fully claiming the life and relationships they deserve. It’s both humbling and a privilege to support people in this way. I’m grateful to have undertaken this particular journey with Marianne and Rod, two highly skilled facilitators who are great exemplars of this work.
Area: East Sussex
Contact: danhartley76@gmail.com

Richard Martyn

Richard Martyn practices in various locations around the south west of England. He may also offer sessions by Zoom. See his website here: Richard Martyn.

Laura Stoddart

Laura Stoddart practises in Devon, offering one-to-one Healing The Shadow sessions in South Devon and Frome (weekends only). You can read about Laura Stoddart here.

Ali Kirk

Ali offers Healing The Shadow sessions in Hereford & Abergavenny, and online via Zoom. You can see his website here: 
Ali Kirk, certified shadow coach. You can contact him by phone on  07792 405 660

Rachel Mitchell 

Rachel sees clients in her dedicated practice room in Bristol. You can read about Rachel Mitchell on her website. Or you can email her on:    Racheljmitchell88@gmail.com

Rod Boothroyd

Rod is a certified practitioner who works with clients on Zoom. Contact details here: www.strongfreemen.co.uk 

Marianne Hill

Marianne is the founder of Healing The Shadow, and offers sessions in her dedicated practice room in Frome, Somerset and online. Contact Marianne Hill here.

What Is Shadow Work?

Shadow work is a type of introspective work that involves exploring and integrating the darker, less desirable aspects of ourselves that we tend to repress or deny. It can be a challenging and uncomfortable process, but it can also be incredibly rewarding in terms of personal growth and self-awareness.

Here are some reasons why you might want to see a shadow work coach or therapist:

  • You feel stuck or stagnant in your personal growth journey. If you feel like you’ve hit a wall and can’t seem to move forward in your personal growth, working with a shadow work coach or therapist can help you identify and work through the blocks that are holding you back.
  • You struggle with self-esteem or self-worth issues. If you struggle with feelings of unworthiness, self-doubt, or shame, shadow work can help you uncover the underlying beliefs and emotions that are fueling these feelings and learn how to reframe them in a more positive way.
  • You have a pattern of self-destructive behaviors or relationships. If you find yourself engaging in self-sabotaging behaviors or attracting unhealthy relationships, shadow work can help you identify the root causes of these patterns and learn how to break free from them.
  • You want to deepen your spiritual practice. Shadow work is often a key component of spiritual growth and can help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your connection to the divine.

Overall, working with a shadow work coach or therapist can help you cultivate greater self-awareness, acceptance, and compassion for yourself and others. It can be a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation.

Shadow work involves exploring the hidden, suppressed, or repressed parts of ourselves that we might not be fully aware of. This can include examining negative emotions, past traumas, limiting beliefs, and unhealthy behaviors. Some benefits of shadow work compared to other kinds of therapy include:

  • Deeper self-awareness: shadow work can help you become more aware of your own patterns of behavior and thought. By identifying the unconscious aspects of yourself that may be driving your actions, you can develop a greater understanding of yourself and your motivations.
  • Healing of past traumas: this kind of work can help you confront and process past traumas you may have been avoiding or repressing. By bringing these experiences to the surface and working through them, you can begin to heal and move forward.
  • Increased emotional intelligence: exploring your shadow can also help you develop greater emotional intelligence as you learn to identify and regulate your own emotions. By becoming more self-aware, you can also become more empathic and understanding of others.
  • Greater authenticity: you may find it easier to embrace all aspects of yourself, including the parts that you may have been hiding or suppressing, when you delve into your shadow. And by accepting and integrating your shadow self, you can live more authentically and express yourself more fully.
  • Greater personal growth: you can develop a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you, leading to greater personal growth and transformation. By confronting your fears, insecurities, and limitations, you may break through emotinal and psychological barriers and achieve greater levels of self-actualization.

While shadow work may not be the best fit for everyone, it can be a powerful tool for those seeking deeper self-awareness, healing, and personal growth.