Mr Michael Vaccaro

A conversation with Michael Vaccaro

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  I first received therapy as a teenager as I suffered from insomnia, depression and anxiety. I experienced panic attacks and had no support or practical tools to deal with the massive emotions. I began to receive different types of therapy, explore personal development techniques and discovered mindfulness. This lead me on a 20 year journey of self-discovery and personal development. I was healing through my wounds and slowly coming to know my deepest authentic self. Since 2009 I became fascinated with the idea of sharing the service that I had received from other mentors and therapists. Over 10 years of study, professional development and practice, I have refined my services to what you see here today.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  I have been influenced by many differing approaches, philosophies and therapists. I love working with mindfulness, self compassion, inquiry and psycho-education. I love the work of mindfulness teacher and psychologist Jack Kornfield as well as the greats like Carl Rogers, Carl Jung, and Friedrich Nietzsche. I have also personally been highly influenced by Buddhism and Vedanta. On the topic of the human condition I have found the eastern philosophical texts and teachings to be useful and insightful. I have also received a great deal of support from the work of Marshal Rosenberg's Non Violent Communication and also The Work of Byron Katie.

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  On my path over the last 20 years and also professionally over the last 5 years, I have found an integrated approach to life has been most potent and useful. I am fascinated by the human as a whole being. This includes the different layers of the mind, the heart, the body, the shadow and relationship. This has been referred to in different ways by different authors, such as the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model, integral theory, or just mind-body medicine. But terminology aside we can see with investigation that we are an intricate, intimate and dynamic arrangement of interdependent processes. This simply means that my mind is not separate from my heart, nor my body. It also means that my shadow, everything that I am unconscious of or that I wish were different about myself, is not separate from my mind-heart-body. Also these layers of being are not seperate from your mind-body-heart or the mind-body-heart of life itself. In this way you can see these terms as pointers to interdependence. I am interested in how bringing awareness and compassion to the different aspects of this interdependence awakens presence, healing and purpose in those that are ready.

• What methods do you use?

  Depending on whether I am facilitating Mindfulness, Counselling, Couples Counselling, Psychotherapy or Integrated Life coaching, I tend to draw from a different set of methods.
  When I work with individuals counselling I use person centred counselling, investing in the innate wisdom and intelligence of the person I am with. I can utilise aspects of CBT, Positive Psychology, Solution Focused Brief Therapy or Psycho-education.
  When I am working with Couples, I utilise Emotionally Focused Therapy, Mindfulness and Non-Violent Communication.
  When I am in doing deeper psychotherapeutic work I utilise Mindfulness, Journaling, the Work of Byron Katie and Psycho-education.
  When I am facilitating integrated Life Coaching I utilise Mindfulness, Meditation, Journaling, Somatic Experiencing, Group Work, Inquiry, and Breath-work.

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  It's not easy to say that progress will be made at a certain time. This depends of the definition of progress, the persons engagement, what is coming up for them and how often they have a session. These outcomes are also deeply impacted by the match between myself and the person I am working with. However in my experience people feel benefit from their time with me in the beginning, the middle and the end. My approach facilitates immediate, short term and long term benefits.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  Over the last 24 years since my first therapy session, I have completely transformed myself and my life. I don't know if I would use the words, "better person", but I can say that I am more in love with my life and filled with more mindfulness, compassion and gratitude than I ever have been before. I have developed a deeper self-awareness and emotional intelligence. I have also developed a deeper sense of confidence, freedom from fear, self compassion and resilience. This has facilitated the journey that has led me to being on purpose in my life and facilitating the same support that to others that has so gracefully led me here today.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  I love entering a space with others where its safe to be raw, honest and authentic. I feel deeply honoured to experience these dimensions of life that we don't often share with others. I also love knowing how deeply this work has transformed my life in a positive way and feel blessed to have the opportunity to offer that to others. This path of therapy is consistently deepening my understanding of life and opening my heart to humanity.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Well even with a shaved head, I can honestly say that there are moments in everyday that challenge me, test me, and call me to take another look at who I am and how I am showing up in the world. The difference between now and 20 years ago, is that I see these experiences as reminders to come back to wisdom and compassion, to make a mends and build intimacy and trust with others. With this understanding I embrace the opportunity to learn and grow.

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

  You could say that diagnostically we are facing a mental health epidemic. Anxiety and depression are running rampant in our current state of life. I feel as though the fundamental cause for this epidemic is also the fundamental cause for many of the significant challenges humanity faces today including war, poverty and pollution. I see these crisis stemming from a disconnection in each of us from our own source of wisdom and compassion.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  I have been deeply inspired and influenced by so many books, films, songs and works of art from varying walks of life and traditions!
  
  It's challenging to narrow it down to one.
  
  However,
  
  The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle