people developing therapies designed to build emotional resilience , imparting a basic sense of stability from a developing sense of self .
The contemplative vision of life has a way of wiping the slate of our understanding clean , taking us back to first principles , namely , the fundamental value of our being .
This led me to develop Reflective Integration Therapy ( RIT ), the first fully contemplative method ever designed , and specifically tailored for clients on the autism spectrum . Its combination of teachings and reflective therapies allows our clients to make contact with the reality of their innate value and worth , a therapy that seeks not to ‘ cure ’ but to ‘ heal ’.
Viewing autism from a contemplative perspective turns our perception on its head , reframing its traits and turning deficits into assets , transforming them before our very eyes , and bestowing on autism the moderation it deserves .
spirit is acknowledged throughout each stage of the program .
The therapeutic relationship
In working with those on the autism spectrum , we are working with a population struggling to find a basic ‘ sense of self ’.
What those on the autism spectrum need more than anything is to feel that they can connect with and relate to other people . RIT builds a sense of connection . Being profoundly present to our client , we accompany them as they begin the pilgrimage to their own heart , discovering that love , not autism , is their deepest and truest identity .
Below : Rachael undertakes an RIT session with a client .
A silent revolution
Until now , mental health therapy has been synonymous with a great deal of talking . The fundamental need to make room for silence has been ignored for far too long . In silence , we make the journey into the depths of our own spirit , and it is there that we find healing and wholeness . Silence allows the autistic psyche to develop in its own way , and at its own pace , because for the autistic client , silence is the one form of communication that poses no barrier to growth .
RIT allows for the natural and necessary ebb and flow between silence and words , stillness and action throughout the entirety of its program . RIT does not shout in the marketplace . It is quiet . But all revolutions begin in whispers . www . rlharrispsy . com / rit
Healing the whole person
Until now , it has been unheard of that therapists should turn to forms of depth psychology in treating those on the autism spectrum , perhaps due to an over emphasis on their ‘ logical ’ turn of mind , assuming the inner-life of individuals on the spectrum to be something of a closed book , even to themselves ; but a closed book does not mean that the pages do not exist !
The practice of mantra meditation leverages the qualities of silence , stillness , focus and repetition ; meditation stills and settles the body , the mantra engages and quietens the mind , and the reality of their own
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