494: Soul Work For Uncertain Times with Francis Weller

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, I’m sharing an incredibly rich and soul-stirring conversation with psychotherapist and author, Francis Weller.

Recently retired after 43 years in practice, Francis shares profound insights from his fieldwork—sitting with grieving people for over four decades to understand what the individual and collective psyche are trying to express through symptoms and suffering. We delve into how grief saturates almost every human experience, from addiction to childhood wounds, and how our culture often teaches us to avoid it.

This episode explores the concept of "soul work" and how indigenous traditions offer profound wisdom on community, ritual, and the "primary satisfactions" that keep us strong and fluid. Francis illuminates how Western individualism has ripped apart these vital connections and what it has cost us. We also discuss his new book, In the Absence of the Ordinary, Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty, and how it couldn't be more timely for the times we're living in.

Learn more about Francis Weller's work on his website and find his newest book here.

To view The Eternal Song, the film that Francis Weller described in this episode, go here:

https://theeternalsong.org/

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