Don't Step on the Bluebells

Jules DeVitto - Healing with Transpersonal Coaching (#037)

• Amanda Parker • Season 1 • Episode 37

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What if what mainstream psychology labels as "disorders" are actually meaningful spiritual experiences trying to guide us? Jules DeVito invites us to explore the transformative paradigm of transpersonal coaching—a powerful approach recognizing we are more than just our individual egos, connected to something greater whether we call it the sacred, collective consciousness, or spiritual dimension.

For the estimated 20% of people born highly sensitive, this conversation offers profound validation. High sensitivity isn't a weakness but a gift—a temperament characterized by deeper information processing, heightened empathy, and attunement to subtle phenomena that others might miss. DeVito challenges our culture's tendency to pathologize sensitivity, suggesting instead that our fast-paced, overstimulating world might be the problem, not our innate temperaments.

Transpersonal coaching creates what DeVito calls an "alchemical container" where deeper transformation can occur. Unlike approaches fixated on cognitive-behavioral techniques, it works holistically with embodied experiences and spiritual dimensions while honoring the client's unique worldview. Through mindfulness practices establishing open awareness, both coach and client tap into a field where organic insights naturally emerge.

Perhaps most revolutionary is this approach's understanding of healing itself. Rather than viewing healing as something to achieve through endless seeking, it recognizes we are born whole. Our essential self remains undamaged regardless of life experiences. Healing becomes less about fixing what's broken and more about peeling back layers of conditioning to access the wholeness that has always been there.

Whether you're experiencing a spiritual awakening, navigating life as a sensitive person, or simply seeking deeper meaning beyond conventional personal development approaches, this conversation offers both practical wisdom and profound hope. As DeVito reminds us, "There's nothing wrong with searching, but it's important to ask which part of you is initiating that search"—your fearful ego, or your soul seeking purpose and meaning?

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Jules DeVitto:

I call transpersonal psychology the fourth wave in psychology. So it's progressed from, let's say, the cognitive, behavioral or humanistic approaches to psychology. And transpersonal is about acknowledging that we are more than an individual.

Amanda Parker:

We are more than an individual ego, so we're connected to something greater than Welcome to Don't Step theBluebells, the podcast where personal healing and transformation take center stage. I'm your host, Amanda Parker, and I'm a fellow seeker on the journey of personal growth. Join me as I delve into the stories of gifted healers, guides and everyday people who have experienced remarkable transformations. Healers, guides and everyday people who have experienced remarkable transformations Listen in as they share their practical wisdom to enrich your everyday life, and don't forget to hit subscribe and never miss a new episode. Welcome to today's episode of Don't Step on the Bluebells. I'm here with the wonderful Jules DeVitto. She is a transpersonal coach and trainer and she specializes in supporting highly sensitive humans. Jules, I am so excited to have you here because I've been following your work probably for like two years now and I'm super excited to learn all about transpersonal coaching and just the incredible work that you're doing with highly sensitive people and everything else. So thank you so much for saying yes to come on today.

Jules DeVitto:

Thank you, Amanda. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really looking forward to this conversation.

Amanda Parker:

Me too, and I feel like it's been a long time coming. But for some reason this is the right moment to be recording, Because I've been curious about this work and the whole transpersonal world for a while. But I think a few years ago it's not even a term I would have understood or known what it was.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, yeah, and I'm looking forward to sharing more about that I feel a lot of people haven't heard of. First of all, transpersonal is a word, but also being highly sensitive as well. It's quite a new phenomena for a lot of people.

Amanda Parker:

I think you might be one of the first people that I ever you know met and also started following you on Instagram who really talks about this high sensitivity. That was like oh wait a minute, that's a thing. So maybe for everyone listening you can just say what is highly sensitive. What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person?

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, it's a really good question and I find there's a lot of myths around what it means to be sensitive. So when you first hear the word, I find a lot of people associate it with vulnerability or weakness or feeling that there's something wrong with you. That might be something you can relate to, but really being a highly sensitive person is an innate temperament and my whole message is that really it's a gift to be sensitive, and when we are sensitive we're more in tune with the spiritual dimension as well. We're more in tune with subtle phenomena that can be present in the environment. So it was Dr Elaine Aron who first coined the term the highly sensitive person in the mid-1990s and then it's really taken off, I think, because so many people can relate to it. So the research has shown us that around 20% of the population, so one in five people, have this innate temperament and what it means is that we process information more deeply, so there's a depth of processing.

Jules DeVitto:

We do tend to get overstimulated.

Jules DeVitto:

Often when we're in busy environments or, unfortunately, in the world that we live in now, it can be quite overstimulating for us, and also we have a lot of empathy, so we have a high amount of empathy, which, of course, is a gift, and especially for those of us who are doing this kind of healing work as well, we need to have that empathy.

Jules DeVitto:

And then also, we're sensitive yeah, like I said, to subtle details in the environment, so we might pick up on things that other people don't pick up on, and that can even include, you know, psychic gifts or being able to tap into spirit guides, or you know, for myself, I have a lot of numinous dreams.

Jules DeVitto:

That means dreams of a spiritual quality, or dreams that have a significant meaning, and it can often be difficult to put those dreams into language, but there's a sense of, yeah, when I have these dreams, I'm tapping into something bigger and that might be something that's about to happen, so they can be like precognitive dreams as well. So I associate that with my sensitivity and, yeah, it really is a gift. But of course, it does come with a lot of challenges, like I said the overwhelm or the tendency to maybe have a lot of anxiety or struggle with feeling the intensity of the emotions that we feel, sensitivity with trauma, and there can be an overlap between being a highly sensitive person and having experienced trauma, but they're not quite the same thing. But I just wanted to mention this because, you know, at the moment there's a lot of collective trauma. Those of us who are sensitive are going to pick up on that more.

Amanda Parker:

So the collective trauma, the collective grief, the collective suffering that many of us are experiencing at the moment, it's such a beautiful description and already it feels like I have a lot more clarity because in the work that I'm doing, especially because I'm really focused more and more on supporting healers and so it feels like everyone's sensitive. From where I sit, I'm like, okay, so everyone's highly sensitive and tuning in and developing these spiritual abilities, but no, that's just like the subset of the population that I am most engaging with. So, hearing even those statistics that 20%, because that is actually really high, higher than I would have thought and also it's still not the whole population, so that's a really interesting nuance.

Jules DeVitto:

Absolutely yeah, and I've experienced what you're referring to, that in my world, because I work with a lot of coaches and healers and therapists and people who are on, let's say, a spiritual path. It feels to me that everyone is sensitive. Yeah, Aren't we all doing this, but I would say what you've picked up on is accurate, that it mainly is those of us who are interested in this kind of work that tend to be more sensitive. And there are a lot of people that don't relate to this temperament and, yeah, don't expect.

Amanda Parker:

So that could also be the other way around, then. People who are more sensitive tend to relate to this work Absolutely yes, yeah, so that can be like a pre indicator for healers of the future, like, oh, your child is highly sensitive, guess what they might help heal the population in the future done on this yet, but I've seen, yeah, a direct correlation between highly sensitive people and us being healers actually and being drawn towards, like I said, the spiritual path, and I often associate highly sensitive people with being the wounded healers of this world.

Jules DeVitto:

So this concept of the wounded healer that means that we've been through normally many challenges in life or many difficulties or things that have been a catalyst for us to being drawn towards healing work and spiritual work. That definitely was the case for me. It was really my challenges and my difficulties in life that were, yeah, yeah, a catalyst towards me seeking out this healing journey that I'm on.

Amanda Parker:

I think maybe in one of our first conversations it must have been about two years ago now, something like that, I don't remember exactly and you had shared that theory with me about that you do think that there was that link between the high sensitivity and people who go into the healing space, and I think for me I had never made that association before, so that was kind of mind blowing. And then also to be able to sit in that space and think for myself wait, am I highly sensitive? Is this why a lot of things in the world have felt so overwhelming? I think a lot of people can really relate to that. So for me, if I'm in a crowded place, I mean I need recharge time.

Amanda Parker:

So if I'm around a lot of people we're both living in or near London If I'm in central London for a day, like I'm spending at least two days out, you know, in the countryside, touching the grass, you know connecting with nature, because I'm so overstimulated by all of the chaos and the noise and everything else and I think you also alluded to just especially in this time that we're living in. You know where we're glued to our phones or our computers or active on social media, which most of us are in one way or another. There's just so much stimulation all the time that it can be really difficult for someone who's not sensitive to regulate. So for someone who is particularly sensitive, I mean, this is really like a big challenge that a lot of us are facing.

Jules DeVitto:

And what I find interesting about that is the mainstream medical model would diagnose a lot of people with anxiety or burnout or stress because they're not able to navigate this chaotic world that we're living in.

Jules DeVitto:

But I really question that, and something I really like about the term the highly sensitive person is it's not a diagnosis, it's not a pathology. We're not saying that there's something wrong with the person, and I feel it's really important that we move away from that medical model that is pathologizing people so much, because I would turn it around and say actually, is there something wrong with the culture we're living in rather than the individual? So, instead of diagnosing the individual with a disorder because they're not able to navigate the world, maybe we can start to question actually, is there something wrong with the fact that we are bombarded with so much information 24 hours a day through social media and technology, this culture that is based on doing more and being productive and it being so fast paced? I think there's lots of things there that we really need to look at in terms of yeah, perhaps it's not serving us, rather than we have a pathology or a disorder, if that makes sense.

Amanda Parker:

Yeah, yeah, it makes, it makes complete sense. It's it's also leaning towards this. It makes complete sense. It's also leaning towards this just understanding ourselves and how we work, like the more that we can actually start to learn whatever if it's self-awareness or doing that inner work to understand what works for us as individuals, then the easier it is to navigate the worlds that we're living in and not be overwhelmed.

Amanda Parker:

I mean, I'm in the lucky position that I'm an entrepreneur. I have my own business, so I can decide the things that are going to, like, you know, bring me out of my zone of excellence, if you will, I can balance that out really easily with things that are going to keep me, you know, in this zone. So, if it's a lot of meetings or leading workshops compared to sitting and writing or having more of that downtime, but for a lot of people who are working in corporate life, everything else, it's really about understanding how can you make that work for you, given who you are, without needing to, as you say, have a diagnosis to be like, oh, you're highly sensitive, you need to be at home all the time. Now, you know.

Jules DeVitto:

Right, absolutely, and something I talk a lot about is really acknowledging our needs.

Jules DeVitto:

So, as highly sensitive people, we might have slightly different needs than non or less sensitive people, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Jules DeVitto:

It's really about paying attention to what those needs are. So, as you mentioned, if you are in a busy crowd and you need some time after that to self-regulate and come back into what I call a window of tolerance that's Dan Siegel's term where we're feeling regulated and grounded and we're then able to, as you said, be in our area of brilliance and access our gifts, then that's okay, it's okay to listen to that, and I personally am someone who needs a lot of sleep. I like to have nine hours of sleep a night, if I can get that, and I personally am someone who needs a lot of sleep. I like to have nine hours of sleep a night if I can get that, and you know, for some people they think that seems like a lot. But I would say, if you're sensitive, yeah, you do need more time to process information as well, because we are processing so much, so it's important to have a lot of rest and sleep if you can.

Amanda Parker:

Well, especially if you've said that your dreams are very active. You need even more sleep because you're probably doing a lot of work in your dreams too. Yeah, absolutely. So this is one piece and one side of what you do. So I know that you are supporting people. You have your highly sensitive human academy. You help to train coaches. I think you even have a cohort coming up to do that, right.

Jules DeVitto:

So I run a course twice a year and it's an online training on how to be a coach specifically for highly sensitive people. So I do work as a transpersonal coach, which we can go into in a moment. It's a particular modality, but I'm really passionate about training professionals, so that could be people who are already coaches or brand new to coaching psychologists, therapists, educators so people who are already working with others in some capacity or doing healing work and training them how to work and support and empower highly sensitive people. So this is what this training is all about.

Jules DeVitto:

It's a three-month online course and it really covers all of the fundamental skills that you need to, first of all, be a good coach, working from this transpersonal and integrative perspective, but also knowing how to really meet the needs of a highly sensitive person, because it still surprises me how many professionals don't know about the trait and if you are sitting with someone who is highly sensitive and you're not aware of their unique needs or their temperament in terms of this sensitivity that we're talking about, it can be difficult to fully support them in the way that they need right. So I think for anyone who is working as a coach or a therapist, it's really important to have this awareness and these skills of high sensitivity, especially because I shared with you that one in five people are highly sensitive. But actually they've found statistics that one in two people who are going for coaching or therapy are highly sensitive. So one in two people that you sit down with if you're a coach or a therapist will likely be highly sensitive.

Amanda Parker:

That is a very high number. I did not expect that. So anyone who's listening, definitely you're going to have the link to all of these yeah, just all of Jules courses and the offerings that she has in the show notes. So you'll be able to check that out. But that's through the highly sensitive human academy. And now I'm curious because I know that, like a huge piece of the work you do and what we're, you know, presumably speaking about today is really about this transpersonal coaching. So what exactly is transpersonal coaching? It's a great question.

Jules DeVitto:

Isn't it, though? We get asked this a lot because the word transpersonal is not widely known. But transpersonal coaching stems from the paradigm of transpersonal psychology, and they call transpersonal psychology the fourth wave in psychology. So it's progressed from, let's say, the cognitive, behavioral or humanistic approaches to psychology, and transpersonal is about acknowledging that we are more than an individual. We are more than an individual ego, so we're connected to something greater than, and that could be understood as the sacred or the collective conscious, the spiritual dimension, knowing that there is. Many people understand it as a God, or, again, god can be understood in many different ways, but basically it's knowing that we exist on many different levels and layers of existence and also that we are on a psycho, spiritual journey of transformation. So throughout life we are going through a healing process and it's about acknowledging that.

Jules DeVitto:

And something else I really like about this paradigm or this approach is that, yeah, we're working with the whole person, and so in a lot of coaching approaches or techniques, the coaches can get stuck on working, let's say, on this cognitive, behavioral level, so working with beliefs and thoughts and reframing those which is really powerful and important.

Jules DeVitto:

So it's not about negating that or saying we're not doing that, but it's also about working in a very embodied way. So working working with parts of the psyche which can manifest within the body. It's about working, perhaps, with spirit guides or knowing that a person might be, or usually is, connected to something bigger than. It's about non-pathologizing as well. So I've mentioned that already, but unfortunately, even a lot of mainstream therapists or coaches I'm not saying all of them, but many can still be stuck in this approach of wanting to pathologize or label clients with things like depression or anxiety, whereas from a transpersonal perspective, we might reframe those symptoms as having a particular meaning or purpose. For example, depression might be. Instead of a person being depressed, we would say that they're going through a spiritual crisis, right, so there's a particular meaning behind the experience that they're going through. So it's about helping the client find that meaning.

Amanda Parker:

So in that example that you just gave, what would be potentially different from a transpersonal perspective, if someone is going through a spiritual crisis, how would you approach that?

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah. So I think, firstly, just that reframe in itself, helping the client understand that they are not their depression. I would reframe it and say it's a part of you that is experiencing some symptoms of depression at this particular moment in time, for a particular reason, and that depression, those symptoms that the part is carrying, is trying to tell you something or give you some kind of information. Perhaps it could relate to you not being on the path that you're supposed to be in life and it's about redirecting you towards being on a path that is aligned with your core self or your core purpose, so that in itself can be so powerful. When someone understands that they are not their depression or anxiety, it's not the core truth of who they are, then already there's some space to work with those symptoms.

Amanda Parker:

That's super powerful and like, as I'm listening to you talk, I hear a lot of overlap. Let's say, like, as I'm listening to you talk, I hear a lot of overlap, let's say, with methods or modalities or even just words that I've become familiar with. So, you know, I'm thinking on the one hand of I don't know like spiritual coaching, in a way, like it sounds, not that that's like a body of work, specifically right. But I have to be honest because this, this topic of trans personal coaching, it's really new to me and I'm listening and I'm having like, oh, because it really makes so much sense to me, also with the work that I've been doing, even the coaching work that I do. This is very aligned to the approach that I have, very aligned to the approach that I have. But I never really knew this was an entire body of work. So, while I sit here in these, like fireworks keep going what, what does it mean? Like, what does healing mean in this context? So in transpersonal coaching, what, what is healing?

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, that's a great question as well. I love your questions. So, yeah, it's really interesting, because I find the word healing gets used a lot and, again, I think there's a lot of myths and misconceptions around what it means to be healed, even and I would say that that is a myth in itself to be fully healed, as in a lot of people see it as something that will happen in the future. So if I do this, then I will be healed.

Jules DeVitto:

What I would say is that transpersonal coaching, or the approach I'm working with, is really about helping people know that they are already healed and whole in themselves, that it's something we are born into this world whole, and we have an innate some people call it a soul or a self and it's always there and it can't be damaged or it can't be broken. But healing is about peeling back the layers of the ego or these parts I was talking about our wounds, our trauma so that we can access that innate soul or self that is already there. It can be a bit of a paradox, because I think a lot of us feel, as I was saying, that to heal we need to be doing more, we need to be seeking more, we need to find the right modality or the right teacher, and then, yeah, everything will be okay, you say that with a smile.

Amanda Parker:

I'm curious.

Jules DeVitto:

I say it because, yeah, smiling because it's something I relate to, and I've been on this search, this search, the spiritual search, for so long, and I'm still in this process of actually trying to let go of that, seeking to be able to embody more of this being in the moment, being present and knowing that everything I need is already here. As I said, it really is a paradox and it's something perhaps our ego, or parts of our ego, isn't comfortable with, and so this is why I'm really inspired by a lot of meditation and mindfulness, and it's been a big part of my journey, because there's something so profound about actually letting go of this need to keep doing and keep seeking and be present in this moment. And, as I said, it's a journey I'm still on. I haven't figured it out yet.

Amanda Parker:

I think it's so relatable.

Amanda Parker:

Jules, like those of us who are in this field of work whether that be coaching or the spiritual development or just all the spiritual exploration that I know you do as well as I we're all seeking for that and it is funny because, like, even as you're speaking, the thing that comes up for me most is what we're teaching is always what we most want and need to learn and understand.

Amanda Parker:

So there's elements in what you're also teaching that, like, your soul is still yearning to understand deeper or your you know human self is looking to understand, and it's always a mirror for me also, each one of these conversations of like ah, yeah, okay, that search, huh, because there's still this like belief and I feel it shifting within me at the moment, like I really feel the last couple months, a bit more of a clarity that I don't need to try to learn everything and that each new idea or topic or you know spiritual development pathway because you would have seen me at the beginning of every year with a list of like 20 things I want to learn and I have really had to rein that in that.

Amanda Parker:

Yes, I can add like teachings and I can add wisdom to my toolkit, but it's not because I don't already know. Like there's a part of me that's just remembering all of these different practices and the deeper that I go into the learning and the training and the teachers and finding that path, the more that I'm literally like I already know this, like I don't know what I'm expecting, but I already know this.

Jules DeVitto:

I would add to that that there's nothing wrong with that searching or that desire to learn and I have that too. I have a really strong part of me that loves to learn new skills and modalities, and it's really served me. But what I would encourage everyone to do is ask which part of me is that searching coming from? Because there's a big difference between an egoic part that is searching for something because it thinks that you're flawed or there's something wrong with you or you're not good enough, or that searching coming from your soul or your higher self, which has a will, and that will is a sense of seeking purpose and meaning, and seeking your yeah, your life's purpose, if that distinction makes sense. So there's nothing wrong with the searching, but it's about asking which part of me is initiating that.

Amanda Parker:

And when you're using the term parts, I'm familiar with this, maybe from models like internal family systems, things like that. So what? How are you using parts? What does that mean? Like a part of you that.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah. So in a very similar way that Richard Schwartz, who coined internal family systems. He's been a big inspiration behind my work. So parts are understood as these constellated patterns of thoughts, behaviors, desires, emotions and values in the psyche. So I think of them as mini versions of people or even ourselves, almost like having an internal family Hence. That's where internal family systems come from. However, I would say that Richard Schwartz has really made this work very popular, but this concept of parts came about well before he made it popular. So in transpersonal psychology there's an approach called psychosynthesis, which talks about subpersonalities, and also Carl Jung speaks about complexes, which are also synonymous with parts, I would say. And so, yeah, they're basically parts of our ego which have always been there but can sometimes end up taking on behaviors or beliefs or emotions that are not serving us, and so it's about understanding what is that part trying to do for us? But can we encourage that part to take on new beliefs or let go of some beliefs or emotions which are not in alignment with our core self?

Amanda Parker:

Okay, this is like a masterclass. I'm loving this. Take notes everyone, because I know I am Just kidding. You can read the whole transcript later. Okay, that makes so much sense.

Amanda Parker:

We had a guest on a couple of months back now, sharon Eden, who talked about spiritual synthesis on the podcast. So it seems like there's also elements and traces. And what I really love is this idea I was just speaking with my husband about this yesterday so of convergence, and all of these methods have come about in different times in different ways, discovered or publicized by different thought leaders or researchers, but there is always this idea or belief in convergence that they're all coming to the surface for a reason. And I have this personal belief that you know, we are seeing a rise in people seeking spirituality and purpose and meaning and understanding their essence more and more and more. At present Again, maybe I'm just living in my bubble, so I'm.

Amanda Parker:

I am open to be corrected here, but it feels like whatever tool, whatever method or whatever person or healer or guide speaks to you most is the right thing for you in that moment. And I often say this when people come for coaching and there's, you know, often questions about whether they should be in coaching or they should be in therapy or things like that. I say find the person who speaks to you that can support you in this moment and see where it takes you. Like there's no one right method, it's not that the I mean. I think the transpersonal coaching method sounds incredibly powerful and if you find someone who's doing internal family systems and that speaks to you in this moment, that's the path that you should explore and find out what's there. Why would someone come into transpersonal coaching? Because my question would be what if you're not on that spiritual path yet, would people come in? Or would that be like way too out there and you know a conventional I don't know corporate leader, for an example, would they still come into transpersonal coaching?

Jules DeVitto:

One thing I like about transpersonal coaching is I see it as a broad umbrella and within it we're drawing on a lot of different approaches, modalities. It's very integrative in that way. So I actually do often tag on the word integrative in my title. So it's a transpersonal and integrative approach because we are using, like you said, a lot of different modalities. And something else I really like about it is it's very client-centered. So we're working with the person, the individual, where they're at at that particular moment in time. So, to answer your question, transpersonal coaching is really suitable for anyone. You don't have to have a particular spiritual belief system to come to transpersonal coaching and it's certainly not about me inflicting any belief system onto the person. So I'm always using the client's frame of reference or their way of understanding the world. And if they have no concept of, let's say, spirit guides, I'm absolutely not going to bring that into the session. But what I do love about it is if that person does, let's say, have spirit guides and is practicing shamanism, we can bring that into the session because it is holistic in that way, whereas a more traditional coach might not be able to go there or might negate that level of existence which I think can be detrimental to the individual if that is a part of their reality and the coach isn't able to hold that. Transpersonal coaching is more inclusive in that way and it goes, as I mentioned before it goes beyond.

Jules DeVitto:

One more thing to add is in transpersonal coaching we're really focused on our way of being in sessions rather than fixated too much on what we're doing.

Jules DeVitto:

So of course, there are modalities and techniques and frameworks that we're using, but in our training we spend a long time really focusing on our ability to be present with our client, our ability to hold space, to create a safe container, and that work is really fundamental, and I also think that is what is missing from a lot of other coaching approaches, in the sense that perhaps they don't have that foundational training and how to fully hold space or be present or create this container. Something we talk a lot about is open awareness, which is at the beginning of a session. I will sit with my client and guide my client and myself into a space of open awareness. This is a sort of mindfulness technique where we are accessing the space and the field within the body, around the body, the liminal space between myself and the client and beyond. So we're not just working on an egoic level, but with the space in and around the body as well.

Amanda Parker:

So what exactly does it look like if someone comes in for transpersonal coaching, Like what might a session be? Or what's like? How do you support clients in that modality?

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, so I've started to touch upon it already.

Jules DeVitto:

But you know, at the beginning of every session we will create a space and we'll take time to create that container, to really ground, tap into the field or the I call it an alchemical container, often so tapping into this field and this space where we can see what emerges in that moment.

Jules DeVitto:

So, rather than having a pre-fixed idea in terms of what we're going to do in the session, we will see what emerges within the container session. We will see what emerges within the container and so in that way it's also very organic. So I never have a plan for what's going to happen in a session. Of course, I've got ideas in terms of what the client needs or what we're working on, specific intentions, but I think what makes transpersonal coaching unique is we also have a lot of space for what needs to emerge, to emerge so that we can work in a very organic way. And I've mentioned parts already, but most of the work I do is revolving around this concept of parts and helping the client to identify which parts are blocking their success or their ability to move forward.

Amanda Parker:

What are some like? I'm trying to understand why maybe someone? Why would they be coming in? Is it like they're feeling stuck in their life? Is it they want a career move? Is it? Are there specific reasons someone might specifically seek out this type of coaching?

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, so it really depends. But exactly what you just mentioned, it could be something that someone goes to a traditional coach for. So they're going through a career change, a relationship breakup, they're looking for more direction in life, they're looking for a sense of purpose, but it can also be people who have experienced a spiritual crisis. They're going through a spiritual emergency, which is where they might have tapped into, let's say, spirit guides for the first time, or having these profound dreams as I mentioned, I've had or starting to have, visions of things that they can't make sense of, maybe hearing voices. So this would be things, as I've mentioned before, that the mainstream might pathologize, but we would say that it could be. That person is going through a spiritual transformation, and so we're helping the client to make sense of those experiences and integrate them into their day-to-day lives.

Amanda Parker:

What I'm hearing is anyone listening who's experiencing something similar to a spiritual awakening. This is the place that you want to be, because I think that's a very that can be a very confusing and overwhelming experience, and I know for me this is what led me to create the podcast was I had so many more questions than I had answers and I didn't know where to turn or who to trust or who to ask or even have any context for what I was experiencing. So for me, having these conversations as we're doing now is just like what is it? How does it work? How does it help people? Because it's my own, like hunger and curiosity to really understand. Like what is this? Is it the right thing? For me is always in the back of my mind and how does this actually work? So listen up.

Jules DeVitto:

And you've reminded me that this is also why I got into this work, because in my mid 20s I went through quite a profound transformative stage in my life and I had been initiated into Reiki. I was practicing a lot of Reiki, yoga, tibetan Buddhist meditation mantras. I was really on this spiritual path and things were really snowballing for me and I was having these really profound experiences and struggling to make sense of them, experiencing a lot of synchronicities. So that would be when something would happen in my day-to-day life and I would associate it with a particular meaning. It was a meaningful event, something I couldn't. Yeah, those kind of experiences can be quite isolating when you're going through that and you don't know where or who to talk to about it. So that was when I went on to train and study transpersonal psychology. So I took a master's in transpersonal psychology, consciousness and spirituality and then started training to become a transpersonal coach.

Amanda Parker:

It sounds so familiar, that sense of searching and trying to make sense of, and I think I don't know why this is coming up now, but a lot of people who are on this journey of trying to understand more deeply can often come across, let's say, healers or teachers or people presenting as like gurus who are going to help them and guide them.

Amanda Parker:

And I think this happens a lot, especially with like in the influencer world, where people are really building personal brands and trying to make a name for themselves, and you end up with a lot of people. The Germans would say gefährliches Halbwissen, which is like dangerous half knowledge. So you end up with a lot of bits and pieces but you don't actually get that cohesive picture of what you really need. So it's all well and good to you know practice things that feel good and you know yoga, for example. It's an amazing practice. But if you don't have any context for how or why that's helping you or you haven't gone into the philosophy of it, it's a bit disembodied. I think that's happening a lot in the world that people are searching, they come across someone who has the answers I do with quotation marks and they end up a bit more lost.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, and you know I really struggle with a lot of what you're talking about, because I do see it a lot, and this is why, again, in the work that I do in the transpersonal coaching, it's really about empowering the individual to find their own answers and make sense or find that meaning within, because it can be very easy to hand our power over to, let's say, a guru or someone that's become enlightened. Again, I'm doing quotation marks now a lot of people these days claiming to be shamans, and I would that they're enlightened or even that they're a shaman. They wouldn't use that language. So I think you've reminded me. You know it's really important to have discernment in terms of who we're working with and which path we are following, and the teacher as well. So it's okay to really question the teacher and question their integrity.

Amanda Parker:

Also curious because I know there was a whole life that you led before transpersonal psychology even entered. So I'm curious like what? Who were you before all of this entered your life and you started really training others in this type of work as well?

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, it's a big question, isn't it who?

Amanda Parker:

was I before, so who are you?

Jules DeVitto:

Where to start. But you know, before I came into this work, I was working as a teacher for a long time, so actually not too different from the work I do today. But I was working in primary education, so with young children, and I also lived in Asia for over 10 years. That's where I was teaching in Thailand and in Shanghai. So unfortunately, I became really burnt out from teaching and it just wasn't serving me anymore. I found it incredibly rewarding to do the work, but there was something about the education system and the school system that wasn't aligning with me anymore, especially as a highly sensitive person.

Jules DeVitto:

It was around this time actually, that in between working in Thailand and Shanghai, I went on a spiritual pursuit to India. So stereotypical, but I really was searching for something and in many ways that trip really did give me a lot of answers that I was looking for. So during that trip to India I did a 10-day Buddhist meditation retreat, which was really profound, and I also got initiated into Reiki and I was practicing a lot of yoga and just many different things, and I would say that experience in India really did awaken something in me. So I was already feeling this sense of something doesn't quite feel right or I'm being called towards something else. But then this trip really confirmed that for me, and so it was. After that in Shanghai, I continued teaching for many years, but I had this constant niggle that something wasn't right and I was really being pulled towards this healing work and, yeah, really working with people on an individual or even a group basis, but in the more spiritual aspect of who we are.

Amanda Parker:

It's incredibly fascinating because the doors, the floodgates, if you will open for me in Asia as well and in totally different contexts. But I also was initiated into Reiki, as you say. So I started training in Reiki in Bangkok and that idea came to me I mean, came to me like now that I know more. I'm sure it was like planted long, long ago, but I had spent about a month in Shanghai and then I was on the plane flying to Thailand and it was just this moment, in this voice you know, seemingly out of nowhere, just came through like you are a healer, and I was sitting on the plane like, holy shit, this was incredibly profound.

Amanda Parker:

So when I touched down in Thailand, the first thing I did was search for a teacher. It didn't feel like an accident that the timing of it all and that and I'm getting goosebumps now as I'm describing it, because I never made that connection before, because otherwise seems very random to be in Bangkok and I found like the perfect teacher for me, who I still adore, emma McKendrick. She's incredible. And it was no accident that I had just arrived in that city and for me, thailand has always been a place that, yeah, I really heavily associate with spirituality and spiritual development. So for me, it's a place when I go, it's where more doors open, I get more answers, so it's fascinating. I know you were going, you were then in Shanghai already and all of this, but it's funny that there was a bit of overlap in that geography as well.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, really interesting, and I would agree that Asia has had a huge impact in terms of my journey and my path and living there for over 10 years, it was really influential and especially it was really influential and especially, as I mentioned Buddhism, tibetan Buddhism I did numerous 10-day Vipassana or Buddhist retreats which also really completely changed my way of being in the world and opened up many doors for me in terms of my perception and my understanding of who we are and my ability to do this work now.

Amanda Parker:

So, coming back for a moment to the way that you support people through the transpersonal coaching, if someone I mean do you have, maybe there's a story or obviously you can maintain confidentiality, but one particular story that stands out to you in terms of transformation, of what's really possible or what you've seen possible in the work.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, as you asked, there's so many stories, but something that really stands out for me, rather than one person, I just want to talk about a particular period of my life where a year, a couple of years ago, I was working and living at a mindfulness retreat center in Portugal. It was called New Life Foundation. Unfortunately, it's not running anymore, but when I was living and working at this retreat center, I had many clients come in who I was working as a coach there. I should say I had many clients come in who were struggling with stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, just feeling completely lost in life and, yeah, seeking answers, not knowing what to do, and I was working intensely with these people over the course of a month. So we would have multiple sessions a week and it was also part of a bigger container. So we had every morning. We had morning meetings where we would meet and everyone would share what was present for them. We would have mindfulness, we would have yoga, we had workshops.

Jules DeVitto:

So, yeah, it was part of a larger container, but I was working really intimately with these people and after a month I would always be so moved when they checked out and they would share in the morning meetings how their lives had been completely transformed and they had a sense of hope, a sense of meaning. I even had some people say that it had saved their lives, and when you hear that from people, for me it makes the work. So, yeah, that's why I do this work to hear that from people, that it's completely given them a new perspective and a new ability to live in this world. I don't take credit for all of that but, as I was mentioning, it's something about the container. There's something so powerful about, with the transpersonal coaching, knowing that you're working with something bigger. It goes beyond the individual or the individuals who are connecting to something sacred individual or the individuals were connecting to something sacred where the work is coming through us. And that's why I love this work, because you can't predict how it's going to impact people, but it really is transformative.

Amanda Parker:

That's super powerful and a really good reminder as well of the power of like showing up and holding that space, helping people find their way back home to themselves and with a different lens of understanding than they've probably ever had before. And I can say, just being in your presence now I said it before we hit record like you're very grounded, I really feel it, so it's no surprise listening to you, that even just the energy that you hold, the space that you hold, people will feel your love and your presence, even if there's no coaching involved. Then you add everything else, all the other magic that you do, and yeah, it's really powerful what you're able to help transform.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, and as you say that I'm reminded that this, for me, the work I do. Now I really have this deep, intuitive sense that I was always meant to be doing this work, that it is part of my calling. And it's difficult to put that into words, but since I was a young child I've always been interested in psychology and spirituality and so for me it started I think since I was born, you know that sense of there's been something my soul has been longing to really work with people in this capacity, really work with people in this capacity.

Amanda Parker:

So I know that, in addition to being a coach yourself, you also train others. Maybe you can share a bit about how you support people so anyone listening knows how they might be able to get in touch and why.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah, absolutely so. I think I mentioned already that twice a year I ran an online course. It's a three-month training on how to coach highly sensitive people, and so this training is open to anyone and everyone. If you're already a coach or a therapist or a healer or brand new to this work. We really cover all of the fundamentals. So I would really encourage anyone who might be curious. We really explore what it means to be a highly sensitive person, so you don't need to come with that prior knowledge. If you are interested in potentially yeah adding this training to your toolkit, then please reach out and I can pass on the information. So the next course begins in May and then it will run again in September. I also should add that I work for an organization called LF Trust and it's affiliated through Middlesex, liverpool John Moores University. It used to be Middlesex and it's changed and it's a one year online training and how to become a transpersonal coach. So if the transpersonal coaching speaks to you, that is another possibility.

Amanda Parker:

And I know you also do some retreats, is that right?

Jules DeVitto:

Absolutely. And yeah, we have a retreat coming up in June which I'm really excited about. So I run that with some friends and colleagues and it's a retreat for highly sensitive people and it runs from the 12th until the 15th of June and it's just an amazing opportunity to come together in community and we do very embodied practices. So we have yoga, ecstatic dance, lots of sharing circles, amazing foods. It's in Devon at an amazing retreat center and so if anyone listening is highly sensitive, I would really encourage you to come along, because that is also a life changing experience to really find community and be with like minded people.

Amanda Parker:

I've only seen the photos of some of your retreats that you've held on Instagram and heard stories from you, and it's like it's so beautiful. So definitely you'll have the links to all of this that Jules is talking about in the show notes so you'll be able to check out all these retreats and learning options and also just be able to follow Jules, who is super active on Instagram, because I'm always impressed by you. If someone's listening and they're just starting out on this pathway, is there any advice that you might give to someone? Yeah, just to help make that journey a little easier for them.

Jules DeVitto:

Yeah. So I would say that, if you're just starting out on this path, it's really important to listen to your heart and follow what feels right for you, because, as we've mentioned, there's so many different modalitiesalities and tools and frameworks that you could follow, or teachers, but what works for someone else might not work for you, and so that element of discernment and just really feeling into does this feel like the right path for me is so important. And I would say also that, even though I've been speaking about being self-empowered, it's really important to know that we're not doing this work alone, and you don't need to do it alone either, so to seek out support and we can really empower each other through the relationship, through the connection, through community as well.

Amanda Parker:

Thank you so much, jules. Do you have any last words before we close out today, although that was already pretty good.

Jules DeVitto:

I don't think so. Just thank you so much. It's been a pleasure to talk to you and really inspiring as well. I've had also lots of fireworks going off my dear, so yeah thanks.

Amanda Parker:

I could see it and feel it too, so this is going to be a magical episode when it launches. I'm really happy that we had the chance to have this conversation together and I so appreciate you coming on and being just the incredible fountain of wisdom that you are To everyone who's listening. Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode and see you next time. Thanks for tuning in to today's episode of Don't Step on the Blue Bells. If you enjoyed this conversation, please give the podcast a five-star rating wherever you listen, and don't forget to hit subscribe and follow along so you never miss a new episode.

People on this episode

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Amanda Parker

Host
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Jules De Vitto

Guest