I run a Women's Group in my private counseling practice in Richmond, Virginia. Eight women, ages ranging from 39 to 50, come together for two hours every Thursday evening. Their careers span a wide spectrum: doctor, administrator, loan officer, house cleaner, printing specialist, small business owner, advertising salesperson, strategic planner. All of them have been in individual counseling with me, some still are. What do they have in common? Abuse as children and its lingering effects: low self-esteem, poor communication skills, troubled relationships, difficulties in the world of work. What draws these women together week after week? Pride which comes from confronting difficult patterns of thinking or behaving, delight which comes from creative self-expression, connection and warm affection which comes from sharing the journey of self-discovery with others.

I've been a Psychosynthesis practitioner since 1973. One of the most distinctive facets of this approach to counseling is the assertion that there is a source of guidance, an inner genius if you will, that can help us identify, address and transform the traumas, challenges, and issues that confront us in living. In Psychosynthesis, we call this source of wisdom and inspiration the Higher Self. Our job as "Synthians" is to help our clients connect to their Higher Selves; two of the most powerful techniques for helping them do this are mental imagery and mandala art.

Mental Imagery is a hypnotherapeutic technique. I ask my clients to close their eyes, relax, tune inward and focus their attention on the issue that is the subject of that counseling session. Through mental imagery they "get a picture of it," a broad, creative, expanded, often startling view of the subject of our inquiry. Through mental imagery they get a wholistic snapshot of how their feelings, thoughts and behavior patterns interrelate and interact. But from where do these images come? They are whispers from the Higher Self that come into our field of awareness from relaxation, meditation, dreams, and altered states of consciousness.

What do we do with a mental image once it comes to mind? We draw a circle and within that circle we sketch, color in, or paint a likeness of it. This symbolic drawing is what we call mandala art. Mandala means "healing circle" in Sanskrit. Mandala art is thousands of years old and has been found throughout the world; in ancient rock petroglyphs, in Tibetan Buddhism, in Native American spiritual practices, virtually everywhere.

Mandala art brings us an experience of wholeness in many ways. We use our bodies and fine motor skills in the act of drawing. Our mental patterns are reflected in the specific forms and structures we create. Our feelings are reflected in the use of color. We draw these images to document, remember, study and continue to learn from them time and time again. Since 1973, I've been using mandala art to explore, understand, and learn from my own life experience, and I've been using it in my clinical practice to help my clients do the same. I've personally drawn more than 2000 mandalas, and I've helped my clients draw, interpret, and integrate many thousands more.

How is the use of mental imagery and mandala art valuable? They shift our attention from the outer world of roles and responsibilities to the inner world of needs, drives, desires, creativity. Their use is relaxing, refreshing, and energizing. Mandala art is a private process of self-exploration and self-expression that requires no outside help. It can help us see how our energies block or flow, where our defenses or resistance lie, in what patterns of thinking or behaving we are stuck. It helps us acknowledge failure, celebrate success, or portray inspiring events from which, through reflection, much can be learned. And it is powerful to share with others. Through mandala art, inner truths can be shared with family and friends in honest and open ways. This can encourage and teach our loved ones to connect with and share with us their own inner depths and thus open our hearts to the healing power of unconditional love.

Michael H. Brown, Ed.S., is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Clinical Hypnotherapist in Richmond, VA. He can be reached at 804-222-0483, by email at Mbrownlpc@aol.com.