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Welcome from the editor

This is my first editorial forÌýThresholds and I would like toÌýstart by thanking all the peopleÌýwho have already made me feelÌýso welcome. I’ve crossed quite a fewÌýthresholds in the past year, includingÌýbeing made redundant after 10 years inÌýa seemingly ‘secure’ job and embarkingÌýon my second year of psychotherapyÌýtraining with all the challenges andÌýinspiration that brings. I’m now crossingÌýthe threshold of a new role as editor ofÌýThresholds. Shortly after my interviewÌýfor the role, I kept noticing the wordÌý‘threshold’ in books I was reading.ÌýWonderful how one’s awarenessÌýchanges with circumstances.

I am very fortunate to be studying at theÌýKaruna Institute, where an awareness ofÌýthe spiritual in psychotherapy is regardedÌýas a crucial part of the training of a coreÌýprocess psychotherapist. Core processÌýpsychotherapy is a mindfulness-basedÌýBuddhist form of psychotherapy, andÌýmeditation practice is integral to theÌýtraining. During every year of the course,Ìýthe students and tutors do a weekendÌýsilent retreat together – I don’t knowÌýhow many other counselling andÌýpsychotherapy training courses includeÌýsuch an experience.

Almost 10 yearsÌýago, I decided to do an eight-weekÌýmindfulness-based stress-reductionÌý(MBSR) course, where I was introducedÌýto mindfulness practice and, followingÌýthis course, I decided to go on an eight-dayÌýsilent retreat at a Buddhist retreatÌýcentre. I arrived at the centre with a bagÌýfull of books. At first I was quite reluctantÌýto give up reading and spend eight daysÌýwithout the distraction of the writtenÌýword. I reluctantly put down my booksÌýand let myself experience just being andÌýdoing sitting and walking meditation withÌýa group of strangers. I struggled with theÌýinitial instructions to focus on the breathÌýand was quite relieved when one of theÌýteachers suggested focusing on sound.ÌýThis felt much more freeing to me, myÌýbreath started to calm down and myÌýbody relaxed naturally (when I wasn’tÌýfocusing on my breath!). Listening toÌýsounds led to a feeling of spaciousness,Ìýwhich was a wonderful discovery andÌýextremely resourcing. It then becameÌýeasier for me to focus on my breath.ÌýSara Maitland, in A book of silence,Ìýacknowledges: ‘…with fewer things toÌýlook at, I see better. I listen to nothing,Ìýand its silent tunes and rhythms soundÌýharmonic’¹.

The world’s spiritual traditions haveÌýinspired their followers to composeÌýbeautiful music in praise of the divine.ÌýHow often do we truly listen to music?ÌýOxford, where I live, is a fine place forÌýchoral church music. Last Christmas,ÌýI went to a carol concert at Queen’sÌýCollege and was reminded of how muchÌýI enjoyed carols as a child. There wasÌýsomething extraordinarily comfortingÌýabout listening to a beautiful choir andÌýthen being invited to sing with them.ÌýTwo of our authors this issue writeÌýaround the spiritual power of soundÌýand silence. Devashree Prabhu givesÌýus a gentle and inspiring account of herÌýmeditative experiences with silenceÌýand sound; and Rosemary LaoulachÌýexplores her thoughts about silenceÌýand transcendence in counselling andÌýtherapy. Lina Mookerjee’s lead article is aÌýfascinating account of her struggle withÌýJung’s take on Westerners studying yoga.ÌýI’m also delighted that Robert Jeffery hasÌýshared his enthusiasm for The imitation ofÌýChrist, a book I read as a teenager. AndÌýWilliam West, Terry Biddington and PhilÌýGoss share their findings from a researchÌýproject which aims to invite dialogueÌýbetween counsellors and religiousÌýpastoral care workers.

I had the great pleasure of meeting theÌýdivisional Chair, Melody Cranbourne-Rosser, in Pontyclun at the beginningÌýof April (very early on in my new roleÌýas editor), while attending a meetingÌýof ‘Counselling with Spirit’. In this issue Melody explains the process ofÌýrebranding and the deep enquiry thatÌýresulted in the choice of the divisionalÌýname, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ Spirituality. And if you wouldÌýlike to know more about how to join theÌýÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ Register, Hadyn Williams givesÌýsome useful advice.

I am excited by my new role as theÌýeditor of Thresholds and look forward toÌýworking closely with and learning fromÌýthe members of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ Spirituality, theÌýexecutive committee (who I’ll be meetingÌýin July) and contributors to and readersÌýof the journal. Crossing the threshold isÌýjust the beginning of the exciting journeyÌýthat lies ahead.

Amanda Anderson
Editor
thresholds.editorial@bacp.co.uk

Reference

1. Maitland S. A book of silence. London: GrantaÌýBooks; 2009.

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