Colleen Haggerty is a Soul Tender. She explains to MysticMag what this might entail whilst journeying with her clients to engage with their Soul self. Colleen also reflects on some of her life experiences and worldly thoughts.
What aspects of your own personal experience have impacted your journey the most?
When I was a child, I encountered many physical problems — a bone that needed to be extracted from my foot, an emergency appendectomy and a lazy eye. This all culminated when I was 17 and lost my leg in a car accident and very nearly lost both legs. From very early on I knew that ‘I am not my body’, and that I am more than this vessel moving me through this life. The myriad of physical ailments that plagued my childhood put me in touch with my spiritual self.
I was raised a Catholic and had a very deep faith back as a child. I was also very close to nature and both of these connected with my spirituality on a deep level. Although my experience with Catholicism during my upbringing was incredibly rich and beautiful, I got to a stage where I could no longer hold onto this faith and structured religion as a whole. However, it had touched me so deeply as a child that I searched for it again in my twenties and thirties. I kept searching, reading and looking for other ways to connect to the Divine.
In your experience, what kind of people (and in what stage of their life) come to you generally speaking?
Seekers! They seek me out. I work with people who are seeking for more and who want to find meaning in their lives, in whatever shape or form. People also come to me who have a sense that the Divine and the Mystery is always present. People who are attached to being a victim tend not to seek me out, and if they do, they might not be the right fit for me.
I am not here to direct what people believe, but instead I work with what people do believe. I have found that people who have a foundational belief system, who are seekers and looking for meaning in life are typically the ones who are drawn to the work that I do.
To be Truly Ourselves is the ultimate goal? Is this easier said than done?
It all depends on the experience we want. I believe that being truly ourselves in each moment can be difficult one day, and may be easier the next. Being true to ourselves also evolves over time. As adults we have a veneer of ‘what do I and don’t I show to the world?’ and if we are masking ourselves to the world, then how are we masking ourselves to ourselves? This is the deeper work – to be aware, to be honest with ourselves, and to have the courage to take steps toward our authenticity, especially in difficult situations.
Is it easy or difficult? It can vary, and I think it depends on how engaged we are, how honest we are with ourselves in each moment, and how connected we are to Spirit.
Is forgiveness imperative for spiritual growth and harmony?
I have been a forgiveness coach in the past, and it is definitely something I support people with. We actually need so many more words to refer to the process of forgiveness. One word is simply not enough to carry the weight of this process so I like to break it down.
I don’t believe that forgiveness is imperative in every single situation, but I do believe that to move forward in life we have to accept what has happened to us. Whilst forgiveness is not imperative, acceptance is.
Forgiveness is not a superficial process, it requires a lot of work and in many situations it becomes a daily choice. It becomes a lifestyle – am I going to be a person who has a forgiving heart or a resentful heart? Am I going to see the best or the worst in people?
Sometimes we may be capable of this one day, and incapable the next.
What is the difference between a Spiritual Companion and Evolutionary Coach?
As a Spiritual Companion, I hold a space for people so they can be with their own selves and with their God — their sense of Spirit and mystery — whilst dealing with whatever they need to deal with or exploring whatever it is they need to explore. Spiritual companioning is holding awareness and space for that third presence: the Mystery. I have learned the beauty and the gift of my silence allows people to connect with their own Divine and to be able to listen and trust it. Spiritual Companioning is an exploratory conversation.
As an Evolutionary Coach, I engage in a more goal-driven conversation.I may interject a little more, make more invitations or suggestions. As a coach, I engage in more dialogue, more back and forth, maybe challenge folks to name and take steps toward a goal. Certainly one’s spirituality may be a part of this conversation, but it is, in essence, more goal oriented. Either way, I believe our journey is easier when not alone.
What daily spiritual advice do you have for our readers?
I’m not sure I have advice – I have invitations. Connect with your heart in whatever way works for you. Connect with whatever you consider that Divine or Mystery to be. Each spiritual practice will look very different and I am not a believer of one-size-fits-all! Explore until you have found a practice that works for you – and then do it!
If you would like to know more about Colleen Haggerty, visit https://www.colleenhaggerty.com/#
