A Healing Space

Befriending Ourselves in Difficult Times

By: Matt Licata

Narrated by: Susie Godfrey

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A gifted teacher explores how both hardship and joy can lead us back to the sacredness of ordinary life. 

Is healing a matter of solving a problem, curing a sickness, or making our wounds disappear? 'In my experience,' states depth psychotherapist and meditation teacher Matt Licata, 'true healing is not a state where we become liberated from uncomfortable feelings, but one in which we are free and flexible to welcome our complete experience - whether happy or difficult - more fully.' With A Healing Space, Dr Licata invites us to explore a more vital sense of wellness - one that does not put us in opposition to life's hardship, but instead welcomes all experience as part of the soul's majestic vastness. 

'While there is a part of us that very genuinely wishes to heal, awaken, and transform,' states Dr. Licata, 'there is a lesser known, hidden part invested in maintaining things the way they are.' Through metaphors and teachings from diverse traditions such as alchemy, neuroscience, mindfulness, contemplative spirituality, Buddhism and depth psychology, he illuminates the spiritual journey with profound subtlety and deep insight. If you've found yourself wondering why years or even decades of self-improvement, meditation, prayer or therapy hasn't resulted in a feeling of wholeness or completeness, you may be ready to try A Healing Space.

©2020 Ellen Coyne (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"A Healing Space is a brilliant weave of Jungian and Eastern contemplative wisdom. In this powerful new offering, Matt Licata guides us to a place of sacred refuge, where we can meet even our greatest moments of confusion and suffering with compassion and grace." (Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Compassion)

Deeply insightful; writing is a piece of art

The author's clarity and expertise gives confidence that we are on the the right road with the right guide. His skilful and kind approach is invitational and confident. He encourages us and models how we invite the lost and neglected parts of ourself back into our life in a safe and effective way. As we befriend these inner orphans, we reclaim our wholeness and life begins again in a new way that holds more joy, options, and connection.
Matt Licata's writing is like poetry, deeply human poetry that gives voice to our triumphs and traumas (both Traumas and everyday traumas). He paints both a realistic and hopeful portrait of the depth and heart of our humanity.
He is both aerates and scientist as he brings in the latest research on neuroscience to bear on our understanding of our response to life. Somehow the way he brings together the information makes sense, is clear, and understandable.
I experienced a tremendous comfort and an actual release of the pain, sadness, and shame that I did not know that I was carrying but that affected my daily living.
This book has had such a profound affect on me and the others who I passed it along to that I am either at a loss for words or have too much to say.
I will end with this: This book is transformational. It is not from a ten step approach or other formula. The transformation comes from standing in the face of truth, recognising it, and experiencing the soft edges of that reality as a safe passage however turbulent the waters my become. There is a confidence, a respect, an urgency when Truth comes to visit, especially with a hand held out to you telling you that you are not alone and you are not to be forgotten.
I have enormous gratitude for this author who has obviously taken the time become a formidable expert in this area through his study, his work with clients, and his first-hand experiences of stumbling in the dark like we have done and following the glimmer of light. His book brings us this light, and more, it creates a healing space within us.

Brilliant but…

Why oh why didn’t Matt Licata narrate this himself? It’s very hard to focus on what’s being said because of the narrator’s tone. It sounds like she’s putting on a relaxing ‘new age’ whisper-voice that somehow hypnotizes me. And so I’m having to keep rewinding because I completely miss large sections of the audiobook. Maybe I’ll get the hard copy…

Excellent advice on helping you improve your wellbeing

This book is amazing, I love the concept of letting your bad feelings/thoughts exist in your healing space along with the good ones. People are multi faceted, and his practice helps bring in all of your parts. Very well organized and easy to get around so you can revisit sections as needed. Great book!

Okay

It was difficult to listen to the narration. The prose merged into something not always making sense almost sounding like new age babble. The book didn’t live up to its title though there were some gems that I’ve heard before like what is painful needs to be held not healed.

Missing Matt’s voice

I’m only one third through but I have difficulty with the listening to the narrator… Somehow Matt’s beautiful writing and words are not the same when narrated by a female narrator.. She also talks too fast. I would have liked it more if Matt had narrated his own book.. I really hope he will in the future!