Episode 32 Best Practices for using Tarot Cards in Counseling Sessions, with Paula Spare

The Holistic Counseling Podcast

How much do you know about tarot cards? Are you interested in bringing tarot into therapy for your clients? How do tarot cards compliment CBT?

MEET PAULA SPARE

Paula is a former educator and classically trained musician. She left teaching due to illness which led her to study yoga and Ayurveda for the past 15 years. During that time she returned to her love of the metaphysical, which led to the birth of Open Key Tarot.

Recently, she received her Masters in Counseling and is working towards removing the stigma and taboo of Holistic modalities in counseling. She is passionate about ethically enhancing traditional theoretical modalities (CBT, etc.) with archetypal tools like Tarot.

Connect with Paula on Facebook and Instagram. Visit the Open Key Tarot website.

IN THIS PODCAST:

• How can tarot cards help therapists with clients
• Using tarot with CBT
• Introducing a client to tarot cards

How can tarot cards help therapists with clients

Tarot cards can be beneficial for clients who are stable and do not struggle with psychosis. They are grounding tools, and when a patient is feeling more grounded, they can receive more benefits from it.

Although, tarot cards do need to be tied to a theoretical orientation.

Somebody’s who’s having a hard time with, for example, money … and feeling like they’re completely drained, you could have a deck of cards … you could have [the client] shuffle the deck, take a look at which one they pull out and say: “let’s talk about this”. (Paula Spare)

You can use the cards as conversation starters to get to the deeper meanings and findings behind a client’s thought processes.

Using tarot with CBT

Tarot cards can act as conversation starters, and they encourage clients to think about the deeper meanings behind what they feel when they interact with a card.

Therefore, tarot cards can be used alongside CBT as a mental health technique to get a client talking and interacting with their thoughts.

You’re not doing a reading for them at all. It’s just like “we’re going to talk about this today … how do you feel about looking at something that would be a good visual to bring you back, would this be something that would be helpful?” and it may not be helpful for them but its an idea that you can use as a toolbox. (Paula Spare)

Introducing a client to tarot cards

First, spend a few sessions with the client to get to know them better before introducing tarot.

Once you think that they may be open to them, ask them “how would you feel about this? Would this be something that you are interested in doing?”

Demystify them for your clients. Let them know that there is no magic involved, no spells; just conversation starters and something that you can use in-session to prompt some deeper discussions.

A medium is anything that just helps somebody get to the core of their feelings … any help that it can give you in a session with somebody, and it helps them tune in a little better, I’m all about that. (Paula Spare)

Bring both skepticism and an open mind to the table. It is okay to dip a toe in and explore.

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Resources Mentioned And Useful Links:

Reinvent your Counseling practice with Holistic Mental Health Strategies, with Katy Rader

Free 8 Week Email Course with Lisa Lewis

Practice of the Practice Podcast Network