Tarot In Therapy
The words ‘tarot card’ would probably bring a very familiar image into all our minds. An image of a nomadic individual in black clothing wearing eye catching jewellery sitting before a glowing orb and some cards with various illustrations on it. It sounds like a sham but what if we tell you that your highly trained and certified therapist can take their place? It is true.
Tarot cards can be used by therapists to get a better look at their client’s mind and
personality. It is not fortune telling or summoning the spirits. Just like we use the ever
famous Rorschach Test, tarot cards too, works on the interpretation of the client. The little illustrations present on each card invokes a particular feeling or thought in the mind of the viewer. As we all know, people often only see what they want to see. The interpretation that the client comes up with after seeing the tarot card is extremely valuable. It represents or indicates the real worries and problems that might be disturbing the client.
A lot of people who seek therapy don’t actually know what’s bothering them or are completely ignorant about the cause of their problems. Sure, with the help of psychotherapy the therapist can find out the lingering issue but tarot card reading is a great way to get the client to reveal more about themselves. Their reading of the tarot card is less likely to be an edited or polished script of their thoughts as they are revealing their thoughts as soon as they come to mind. It is a lot less proofread and therefore, more real and original. The interpretation of the tarot card reading varies across individuals as well. If one client sees pain and suffering in one card, another client could see confusion and chaos in the exact same card.
This universal applicability of tarot cards is a huge plus point. Tarot card reading is also easy to administer since talking about the illustrations doesn’t require the ability to write and read. This unconventional approach to therapy can actually help start meaningful discussions with the client as they are less likely to be defensive and secretive. Tarot card reading is not therapy in itself but it can be a therapist’s best friend if it is used appropriately.