James Finley (Part 2) – Sacred Psychotherapy: Bringing Depth and Spirit to Healing, Suffering, and Trauma

Ep. 109 (Part 2 of 2) | Dr. James Finley, clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, scholar, poet, and author of the powerful memoir, The Healing Path, has an extraordinary breadth and depth of understanding about trauma and the alchemical effects of adding a depth dimension to therapy. Here, he shares about his own experience of trauma and healing, the therapeutic effects of introducing the depth dimension to his clients, the dynamics of anger and forgiveness, the path of longing, and how love gives itself away in the preciousness of each moment, rendering ordinary life sacred. James’ profound understanding of grace is unmistakable, beautiful, riveting—both from personal experience and as a student of Thomas Merton, who introduced him to the wisdom of the mystics at the Trappist monastery, Gethsemani.

Practically everything James says is both a poem and a revelation, so whether you are Christian, Buddhist, or atheist, this conversation offers a therapeutic wisdom and understanding of trauma that goes way beyond the norm, as well as a transmission of infinite love, bottomless mercy. At the end, James laughs at how he is talking: “I can’t believe I’m talking like this…a traumatized kid from Akron, Ohio. It’s not coming from me; it’s flowing through me. All I’m doing is passing on what was passed on to me. So as it catches fire in you, it might pass through you into others.” Recorded August 17, 2023.

“Each person I meet is an infinitely loved broken person.”

(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2

• A story about the root broken place: Is there an end to love? (01:22)
• The bottomless abyss of love gives itself away in the preciousness of this moment, which renders it sacred (02:58) 
• We can’t bear being unconditionally loved (04:17)
• The path of longing: one longs to be freed of suffering, but there is also the longing that is an echo of God’s longing for us (05:21)
• The “thorn in the flesh” is your teacher and reminder, and how powerlessness unites us all (07:53)
• The “set aside” prayer in James’ memoir The Healing Path and the recognition that we live in bottomless mystery (09:36)
• A deeper way to understand lies in the deep acceptance of the limits of our understanding (10:55)
• The first pillar of three-fold practice: finding a quiet place for a daily rendezvous with God, discursive meditation, journaling (12:01)
• When you ask for help, that is the prayer—the prayer from the heart (15:34)
• The second & third pillars of practice: a teacher/guidance and community (17:08)
• James’ daily meditation practice and passing on the lineage, heart to heart (20:01)
• What is James’ attitude toward death? (24:19)
• How can I learn to die of love, at the hands of love, till there’s nothing left of me but love? (28:07)
• Accepting death you have freedom from the tyranny of death in the midst of death (29:15)
• Learned helplessness can transmute into a profound capacity to surrender and merge (31:30)
• How God enters through the wounded place, and the parable of being broken and whole (35:01)
• James’ thanks and his upcoming book on the mystical depths of the Enneagram and psychological and mystical discernment (37:50)

Resources & References – Part 2

• Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain* et al.
• The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani
• Turning to Mechthild of Magdeburg (on James’ Turning to the Mystics podcast)
• St. John of the Cross, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross,* includes The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, The Living Flame of Love, Letters, and The Minor Works
• Gabriel Marcel, French philosopher and leading Christian existentialist
• Guigo II, Lectio Divina, Turning to Guigo II (on James’ Turning to the Mystics podcast)
• T.S. Eliot, “I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope…”
• St. Teresa of Ávila, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 1,* featuring The Book of Her Life, Spiritual Testimonies, and the Soliloquies
• James Finley, Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God*
• Dan Walsh, metaphysics professor, longtime friend & mentor of Thomas Merton 
• The five stages of grief (the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross model), On Death and Dying*
• Dr. Bob Weathers, addiction educator, coach, good friend of James Finley (see Deep Transformation episode #98, The Future of Addiction & Recovery: Wherein Lies the Hope?)
• Spiritual Directors International 
• James Finley, The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation*
• James Finley’s podcast: Turning to the Mystics, hosted on the Center for Action & Contemplation website
• James Finley, Merton’s Palace of Nowhere*

* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.

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Student of Thomas Merton and clinical psychologist, Dr. James Finley teaches how connecting to our Divine indwelling can transcend fear and shame and awaken our True Self. A faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, he is the author of The Healing Path and Merton’s Palace of Nowhere, and the host of CAC’s podcast Turning to the Mystics.

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Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell