Akins Counseling

Whether we are conscious or them or not, trans-generational patterns in our family system influence who we are today. Unhealed traumas and unfinished business, commitments and decisions, secrets and information withheld, even systemic racism and collective hatred - can have a profound impact on our personal psychological and spiritual wellbeing.

These legacies left behind remain in the “ancestral or family field” in the form of psychological complexes and belief systems that are passed down through generation after generation. Much of the turmoil and shadow we see in the world today is because these unconscious belief systems have largely gone unexamined.

By unlocking the past and deeply exploring our ancestors who have gone before us, we can learn to avoid the traps that these invisible patterns have played out in our lives.

In Ancestor Healing work shops, you will learn how to work with patterns and beliefs that have been passed down through your family tree. These patterns and beliefs will help to give clarity and understanding to who you are today. Knowledge of your family tree is very helpful to this process but is not necessary for you to attend.

What you will experience in an Ancestor Healing workshop:

• An overview of beliefs on the death and dying process and how cultures honor their Ancestors
• How trauma causes soul fragmentation and how to retrieve these lost parts
• How to scan the subtle body and tune into your Ancestral memory
• How to identify familial complexes that you may be unconsciously living
• Regression techniques to loosen and unravel unfinished business in your family lineage
• Integration techniques to bring this process into your everyday life
• A better understanding of your family tree
• A loving blessing ceremony to remember and honor your Ancestors

I offer coaching as an alternative to therapy for those who want find the path that is right for them by setting their own agendas. 

In depth coaching, we will explore the archetypes (living energies that contain ideas and information) that guide and shape your journey as we focus on the source of your physical, emotional mental and spiritual well-being. These archetypes are parts of the psyche and when learned, understood and worked with, they will offer gifts to help you achieve your goals. They reside in your depths!

In depth coaching we follow the path of the hero’s journey. This myth was explored and made famous to the public by the late Joseph Campbell. In the hero’s journey, one begins their journey with a intention and preparation followed by the journey itself, and ends with a return to Self bringing all the rich treasures one has found along the way. The card in the tarot that represents the onset of this journey is The Fool.

son of the myth being this: Everyone can be a hero to their own process as long as they are willing and able to choose and are capable of change.

Here’s a snapshot of what the hero’s journey looks like:

Stage 1:  The Call 

to change or heal. An inner uneasiness, discomfort or feeling that you need to change or to heal. The motivation to step onto the path.

Stage 2:  The Leaving 

of a safe way of doing things. Breaking the denial that has kept you in safe territory for years where you may have ignored the nudging from your psyche to do/be more. Here, you begin the journey toward change and you begin to face your fears through this unchartered territory

Stage 3:  The Courageous Act 

where you put aside your ego, become humble and and walk the road of trials and lessons of life’s challenges. You do what is necessary in order to complete the task at hand.

Stage 4:  The Return 

where you come home to yourself having transformed in such a way that you and other notice that you are different than before.  You have reclaimed your lost self and your very presence can be the gift that you bring back to help others.

If you’re ready to allow the unconscious archetypes be your source of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well-being, then depth coaching is for you. Listen for the call and begin your journey today!

Since the beginning of time, man has understood and relied upon dreams for guidance, wisdom and survival. Civilizations and cultures have understood this crucial process as sacred, as God’s way of talking directly to us and as psyche’s way of guiding us forward. This creative realm, accessible to everyone, is a realm full of deep meaning, a creative space for ideas and discoveries. Indigenous peoples call it the Dreamtime. It is a sacred place, a temenos, where we can meet ourselves, our ancestors and others which sometimes may not even involve sleeping and come as a waking vision instead! 

The wisest part of yourself resides in this dreamtime temenos. Call it your dream maker - the one who gives you the stories and patterns that shape your life. This wise part sees the whole picture of you - your conscious and your unconscious story - and not just the picture that seems to be “all there is.” 

Dreams give us a clue to the back story and if translated accurately, can help us to see the patterns that we live - for better or for worse. For instance, dreams can help us to discover where it is that we get stuck in our lives, where we project things onto other people and our unconscious alignment to archetypal fields which result in patterns that show up in our life over and over again. These patterns are “unconscious” which means that we are not even aware of what it is we might be doing. But that wise part of us - our dream maker - knows everything! And like a faithful friend, is constantly trying to guide us back to our authentic nature by giving us deep hidden treasures that lie buried in our psyche. 

If you’re interested in understanding the patterns that are shaping your life, dreamwork may be for you. I work with clients who want to delve deeper into their self exploration and either want to incorporate dreamwork into their healing process or who prefer working their dreams in a group setting. 

Narcissus was a hunter who was known for his beauty. One day, as he was walking in the woods, the nymph Echo saw him and fell instantly in love.

Suspecting that he was being followed, Narcissus called out “who’s there?” to which Echo replied “who’s there?” When she finally showed herself to Narcissus he shunned her - which devastated her - and she lived the rest of her life fading away until only an ‘echo’ of her existed.

Nemisis, the goddess of revenge, noticed how unfair this as and so one day she lured him to a pool of water when he was thirsty. When he stooped down to drink the water, he saw a reflection of himself and instantly fell deeply in love. With himself. He did not realize that this was only his reflection. Unable to gaze away f he became fixated with his own image and therefore fixated with how others saw him.

He eventually realized that it was impossible that his love (for himself) could never be reciprocated by anyone else and so the desires of passion to be loved, caused him to melt into a gold and white flower.

Do you suspect that someone in your life is a narcissist? A co-worker, sibling, parent, lover?

OR

You are not sure but you experience some of the following:

• Constant stressful interactions with someone?
• Often being blamed (and being asked to apologize) for something you didn’t do? Having your reality negated which leads you to feel confused?
• Second guessing yourself and thinking that maybe the relationship problem is your fault?
• The other person tries to control everything in your life - your friends, things you wear, things you do?
• The other person constantly criticizes you?
• You are often “gaslighted” making you feel like you are out of touch with reality and that you’re losing it?
• You are sick a lot?
• You experience the silent treatment as a form of projected punishment?

If any of these sound familiar, you may be in a narcissistic relationship.

In this group we will discuss:

• The stages of being in a narcissistic relationship - what to expect or validation for what you have already been through.
• How a nice person like you got tangled up in such a mess like this. The effects of narcissistic abuse.
• How to heal and live your life - even thrive in your life going forward.

We will explore:

• The spiritual implications of being involved in this type of relationship. Practices to release toxins trapped in the body.
• Practices and Exercises to balance the chakra system after such prolonged exposure to emotional abuse.
• The spiritual gifts you have acquired from going through such a harrowing experience. What such abuse does to the Soul.

AN INTRODUCTION TO YOUR ENERGETIC ANATOMY

This is an online event limited to 10 people.

You are an energy being! And, you have centers in your energy field called Chakras that correspond to your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. Depending on how “balanced” these energy centers are determines your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

Many spiritual traditions include a model of the chakra system. And many of these systems differ in where the chakra’s are located, how they function physically, etc. But most agree they are valid centers in our subtle body that help us to understand the levels of consciousness and how to raise the vibration energy that is at the heart of who we are.

In this introductory course we will learn the basics of the chakra system and how to utilize these teachings as a modality that can help us on our spiritual journey.

In this workshop, you will learn...

• qualities that define your lower and higher nature
• emotional, physical and mental conditions related to each chakra
• practical exercises for balancing the chakra system to energize your life
• sacred symbols related to each chakra center
• music that corresponds to each chakra
• a diagram that integrates everything you learn that will help you deepen into your spiritual life

And you will experience...

• guided imagery through the chakras
• community of like minded seekers

Come... as we travel the energy body together!

When we are children, we naturally learn how to identify with the "ideal" parts of ourselves - the parts we feel loved for - such as politeness and generosity which are usually reinforced by society through family, teachers, churches, etc. Learning what is "good and proper" behavior causes us to bury in the shadow what is "shameful and sinful" and doesn't fit our accepted image such as the negative emotions and behaviors - shame, addiction, jealously, rage, lying, greed, suicidal and homicidal tendencies, etc. These buried shadow qualities lie just underneath our awareness, masked by our more accepted selves.

Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness’s of other people. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious. The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely. Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. Carl Jung

Because the shadow is so deeply buried and unconscious, it is difficult to recognize in ourselves. Psyche, who is always tending towards wholeness, tries to "see" it by projection of our disowned parts onto others.

In this highly self-experiential workshop, we will dive into the shadow and befriend parts of ourselves we have lost. You will journey with - and to - yourself by using breath, music, imagery, and regression techniques. Bringing awareness is only the first step in this journey into your soul. We will move into healing, resolution and integration of these "shadow wounds" to release new energy and find the gifts that lie hidden within them. Discovery of these gifts will assist you in your ongoing spiritual and psychological growth.

Topics to be covered:

• What Shadow is and how it affects your life today
• Life review of Shadow Wounds
• Owning Your Shadow
• Trauma and how it affects the Soul
• Unblocking "frozen" inner states caused by past trauma
• Shadow and physical body symptoms
• Letting your Shadow characters emerge and experiencing their stories You will experience:
• The honest and courageous path of working with yourself
• A deeper awareness of yourself and your individuation journey - Integrative Breathwork
• Guided imagery
• Regression
• Like minded individuals who are moving towards wholeness You will leave with:
• Exercises to help you continue working with your shadow - Embodiment techniques
• Practical applications
• A better understanding of who you really are

Cost: $250

San Pedro Spiritual Development Center • Winter Park, Fl

The use of breath in healing and self-exploration is as old as spirituality itself and has been a part of nearly every mystical tradition in the world. Breath is what connects us to Spirit and can be the courier for consciousness and an awareness bringing technique that we can utilize in our lives.

Integrative Breathwork is a catalyst that enables spiritual seekers to enter into a non- ordinary state of consciousness. By using breathing techniques and evocative music, one can enter into the rich inner dimensions of one’s own psyche or soul. It is in this place that one’s Inner Healer can emerge and can guide the healing process. We can encounter physical or emotional blocks which impede our connection to ourselves and our higher calling. Integrative Breathwork can help release these emotional or physical blocks that interfere with our connection to Self.

INTEGRATIVE BREATHWORK IS AN 11th STEP ACTION TECHNIQUE

Integrative Breathwork may help with...

• Addictive Patterns
• Relationships
• Healing Trauma
• Depression & Anxiety
• Co-dependency
• Grief
• Major Life Transitions
• Finding a like minded community of seekers

NOTE: Integrative Breathwork is a powerful modality and not designed for everyone. Contraindications include but may not be limited to: Diagnosis for severe mental illness including bi-polar, heart conditions, pregnancy and other physical conditions. All participants must be interviewed prior to attending their first workshop.

Who is Mary Magdalene? She has been imagined as a Jewish princess, a priestess of Isis, a prostitute, the wife of John the Baptist, an immigrant to Ephesus, France or India. Some say she was always a virgin, some say she was the mother of Jesus’ children and the founder of the Merovingian dynasty. Others after the 6th century insisted on labeling her as a whore. For many saints like Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Sienna, she was the inspiration for action rooted in contemplation, mercy and fierce compassion.

She has inspired countless artists, theologians, saints, composers, poets and novelists. She has also inspired the regular lay person to act with compassion, courage and conscious love.

Even after 2000 years, she remains a mystery and a figure that is radically controversial and debated.

Perhaps she herself is fighting to find her rightful place in our psyche. Perhaps she is trying to teach us how to be conscious love. Perhaps we need her more today than ever.

Join us as we begin a deep dive into learning who this incredible Apostle to Jesus was - the only woman in a group of twelve - and what it was she contributed to humanity.

We will begin with the book The Gospel of The Beloved Companion cited above. Be sure and get the Second Edition translated with commentary by Jehanne De Quillan.

This group is the beginning of a study project. Most likely, we will not get through the entire book in 6 sessions. A group vote will be taken to see if the group would like to continue, finish this book and start another or continue individually on our personal journey.

A love offering is suggested to offset any expenditures.

Finally, the group is limited in size to no more than 12 people. So if you’re interested, please let me know as soon as possible. You do not need to have any prior experience or knowledge of Mary Magdalene or her place in religious history.

Have you ever felt like you have experienced other life times? Many people have felt exactly the same way. Sometimes these memories come in our dreams and waking visions, sometimes in a remembrance of a place or something someone says and sometimes in a spontaneous memory.

This is because every time you reincarnate, you bring the memory of experiences in your soul and in your body with you. Your soul remembers everything about you - the knowledge you gained and the life altering experiences - both of which influence your karmic history. It’s like a photographic flash record captured by the soul. In Buddhist terms it is called a samskara also known to us as a psychological complex.

These life altering experiences freeze in our systems when any kind of trauma is experienced and the soul will reenact these memories lifetime after lifetime. This is because the soul is trying to “master” the trauma to get completion. Freud called this “repetition compulsion” in modern day psychology. It is important to understand the re-enactment of these memories because they make up the patterns that can interfere with a peaceful and productive life.

The imprints of trauma freeze in all of our subtle bodies - including the physical. In past life regression or (Deep Memory Process) we want to “wake up” these memories. This “waking up” is the beginning of the process which is then followed by a cathartic way of working with the body using psychodrama and gestalt. The final healing of the complex occurs in the Bardo (place in-between lives). It is here where we experience the healing of unfinished business including reconciliation, connection and maybe even forgiveness so that the spirit can return to source healed and free from the memories of that lifetime that have caused us challenges in this life time.

Past life regression or (Deep Memory Process) is a powerful therapy that helps you to remember the stories of your soul and to heal and then clear the impact that these stories have had on your personal life.

As children, we cannot understand how external factors and painful experiences influence and shape our core beliefs and behaviors. When we experience events such as abuse, divorce, deaths and other traumas, parts of us can stay stuck in the past, replaying the traumatic event. We unconsciously experience, process, respond and react to life’s events through distorted feelings that are filtered through the eyes of our wounded Inner Child.

Indigenous cultures offer rites of passage or initiations - usually around the onset of puberty - as experiences for both psycho-spiritual healing and growth. This initiatory process is regarded necessary for healthy functioning. The initiation consists of challenges that if navigated successfully, will enable the child to leave behind the ways and roles of childhood and take on those of adulthood. The result is transformational and the adult now learns to live a bigger story - one that transcends the traumas of childhood without living as a victim.

Our culture has no rites of passage and as a consequence, we have learned coping skills and behaviors that have masked our pain and kept us from living from our mature adult self. We live from a place of being “needy” as opposed to living from our authentic self where we are “needed” in the world.

Regression technique is used primarily in individual sessions. Using regression also helps to heal the trauma in the body making it much easier to reclaim the gifts that were lost in the traumatic experience. The process also helps one to integrate parts of the trauma “story” and learn better ways to behave and react when we do get triggered. In a larger group session we have more days to work and so other techniques such as Integrative Breathwork and mask making are used.

Inner Child workshops are designed to help you:

• Discuss the effects of ‘soul loss’ and ‘soul fragmentation’ and how to heal it.
• Describe the stories of your Inner Child
• Practice regression techniques in dyads
• Apply healthy communication skills between your Adult Self and your Inner Child
• Create a mask representing guidance and protection for your Inner Child
• Integrative Breathwork
• Apply Jungian, Transpersonal and indigenous approaches to healing

Collage Yourself!!!!!

Could making your own “Soulcollage” put you on the path to true personal enlightenment?

A lot of people have made collage at some point in their lives and there are many reasons for doing so, such as creating a wish board or images to express what you want over the coming months. The SoulCollage(c) Process was developed by Seena Frost. This empowering technique teaches you how to create a deck of collaged cards which reveal particular aspects of your personality. This in turn helps you understand the many facets of your life and allows you to access your own inner wisdom. Says Seena: “Images have a way of bypassing the chatter of our logical minds and nudging our deep soul wisdom where intuitive answers can be found and spoken”. Most SoulCollage cards are made intuitively.

The deck is like a personal tarot deck but with crucial differences: you decide which cards you want to make, you can have any number of cards, and no one reads them except you. Creating and finding meaning in your cards can be a truly empowering experience.

Once you’ve made a few cards, you can use them for guidance and to find direction in your life. You do this by asking an important question and then turning over several cards for answers. You learn a special way to take on the role of each of the cards you’ve picked so that “they” can answer the question from their own particular point of view.

All you need is some images, scissors, a glue stick and get ready to discover your most authentic self!

NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY and NO!!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN ARTIST!

Cost: TBD

Black Bear Lodge • Blue Ridge, GA

Join me for a deep exploration of Psyche and the tale of forbidden love. We will get to know this mortal girl who dared to fall in love with a God and then the trials and tribulations that followed for her. From naive innocence to creating mature and immortal love for herself, we’ll follow the story and how it correlates to a soul-based psychology that can help us understand the deeper work we each need to embrace as we continue our individual path to individuation.

Cost: $75 each group • $405 if paid in full

Are you ready to step out onto the Heroine’s Path? To wake up to your true nature and unlearn all of the things you’ve been told about yourself that just aren’t true? If so, this personal growth group is for you!

When a woman wakes up to herself it is never done in isolation. Indeed, it is the very nature of the feminine soul within a circle of women that is necessary for healing. On that journey we find our way back to the repository of the Divine Feminine where we can touch our deep source of feminine natural instincts, guiding wisdom and power. Connection with this deep inner knowing and reality is a woman’s most treasured experience.

This group will begin with a 6 week dive into the challenges that you are facing in your life. Continuance and frequency after the first 6 weeks will be determined by the group.

Meets weekly for six consecutive weeks.

Limited to 5 spaces