What is Astrology Counseling?
I’ve been in therapy for 10 years. Therapy has helped me work through so much. I've worked through an eating disorder, codependency, people pleasing, trauma, family dynamics, and so much more. Needless to say, I love therapy. I’m grateful I’ve had the privilege to access therapy when I needed it.
Spirituality is an essential part of my well being. I can’t remember a time in my life where I wasn’t interested in astrology. But it wasn’t until about 4 years ago that I started studying astrology formally. Astrology has always been a part of my wellness, just like therapy.
When I got my very first astrology reading, it pieced together much of the work I was doing in therapy. It was a different perspective, and it was equally helpful. I remember thinking in that moment - it would be so great if my therapist could be here! Or if this astrologer could be my therapist!
I had no plans on becoming an astrology therapist, but it is my favorite type of work. Here’s how I conceptualize the integration of astrology and psychotherapy.
How Astrology Counseling Works
I like to say that astrology is therapeutic, but it’s not therapy. Let me explain.
Astrology counseling starts with a full birth chart reading. Your birth chart is a snap shot of the sky at the exact moment you were born. When I read your chart, I look at the planets, signs, houses, and aspects. I can see your unique gifts and struggles. I also compare your chart to the planets at their current position in the sky. I can see what areas of your life are in the spot light now. I can see how you show up in the world. I can get a sense of what types of work you might be good at. I can highlight the parts of yourself you might try to hide. And so much more! I can get more information about you from a birth chart reading than I could in 10 therapy sessions.
In my experience, birth chart readings are extremely validating. The first time I had my chart read, I learned one of my gifts was the integration of spirituality and mental health. And it was essential to my life's purpose. This probably sounds obvious, given the work I do now! But at the time, it was profound. This integration was definitely something I interesting to me, but I had no idea how to do it. And no one around me was doing it. I had no examples or mentors at the time. These types of insights can be so powerful and potentially life changing.
Before I got my therapy license, I was offering stand alone birth chart readings. The same question would come up over and over - what should I do with this information? My first thought was always - take it to therapy! Work on the blind spots. Work on strengthening your natural gifts. Heal from your trauma. Let go of what's getting in the way of your potential.
For example, I can see if you have people pleasing tendencies when I look at your birth chart. It’s like I have the best vantage point. Yet as a therapist, I have a whole different set of tools. We can get to know the parts of you that want to be liked. We can understand how this part got the job, and what it's afraid would happen if people didn’t like you. We can work to heal this part from it's burdens. This happens often with trauma too. I can see trauma in a birth chart, but I would use IFS therapy to help you actually heal from that trauma.
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What to Expect with Astrology Counseling
If astrology counseling is right for you, you'll schedule an initial session. You'll send me your birth data - your birthday, location, and the exact time from your birth certificate. I spend about three hours analyzing your chart before your session.
Your first session is 75 minutes. During this initial intake session, I will read your birth chart, and we will discuss your goals for therapy. After your intake session, we’ll transition to therapy. We will integrate and use the insights gained from your birth chart. These sessions are 50-60 minutes, and we may revisit your birth chart as often as needed. For example, many of my clients come to therapy around their Saturn return. Saturn return is the three year period in your late twenties that makes the transition from childhood to adulthood. Lots of parts get activated during Saturn return! I’ll be able to spot if you’re going through a Saturn (or any other major planet) transit during your initial intake. And then we can work on how to deal with the stress of major life transitions in therapy.
In short, astrology is the “what” and therapy is the “how.”
Astrology integrates so well with IFS therapy, which is the primary therapy modality I use. You may have heard IFS described as "parts work." I like to think of the planets as different parts of you. For example, Mars is the part of you that is assertive and takes action. Venus is the part of you that appreciates art and beauty. How you relate to these parts will depend on your birth chart and your life experiences.
Besides astrology, I also love to integrate tarot and meditation into therapy. As we say in IFS, all parts are welcome! Your spiritual practice, your witchy side, and/or your love of woo is welcome in therapy with me. Your skeptical parts are welcome too. You don't have to start with astrology counseling. I have many clients who ask me to read their chart many months after we start work together. I also have clients that never want to talk about astrology or spirituality at all!
My role is to be your guide and walk with you on your path. My intention is to make esoteric practices like astrology grounded, practical, and useful. I hope this post helped you understand astrology counseling a bit better! If this seems like it might be the right fit for you, schedule a free consultation.
