wise words

Thomas Moore

on the Art of Soulful Listening

by Marlaina Donato

Thomas Moore, New York Times bestselling author, Jungian-based psychotherapist, musician and former monk, has been an advocate for conscious living since authoring his first book, Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life. Twenty-three books later, Moore breaks ground with his latest release, Soul Therapy: The Art and Craft of Caring Conversations, in which he invites therapists, psychiatrists, spiritual directors, ministers and caregivers to cultivate deeper connection based on soulful listening. His timeless wisdom inspires all of us to live from a state of spirituality and conscious wonder so that we might bridge the chasm between cultural, political and personal differences.

What inspired you to write Soul Therapy?

We need more therapeutic conversations in all areas of life, and my book is for the ordinary person, as well as the professional therapist. We could talk to each other with the intention of befriending and offering useful care. Medicine is in need of an injection of this therapeutic talking and listening to add soul and spirit to an otherwise materialistic approach to the human being.

photo by Simone Anne

What is soul therapy inmodern times?

The ancient Greeks wrote extensively about the soul. Their word was psyche, so it takes very little effort to see how psychotherapy is about caring for the soul. The ancients felt that the soul’s natural home is in the “underworld”, and soul therapy sees it the same way. We are not interested in causing behavior changes or finding explanations for current problems. These don’t go deep enough. They do not touch the underworld, or deep narratives and memories of a person. For example, if a person complains