The Inner Council was founded by Amy Grist. Amy graduated with a Masters in Investigative Forensic Psychology in London and has since developed practices that have been transformative for many people. Understanding that people require guidance, not just in therapy, but in all life-style areas in order to shift, she represents a holistic approach to personal growth and wellbeing. As a yoga teacher, trauma informed therapist, meditation guide and energy worker she continues her personal path of development alongside those who are inspired to join her. Using a combination of professional and personal practices based on the foundations of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, somatic experiencing and general wellbeing, Amy guides and tailors to the needs of each individual she works with. Some of the practices include movement and mindfulness, guided breathwork and meditation, energy healing (including Reiki) and talking based coaching/therapy sessions.
The Inner Council - Origins
The Inner Council framework was developed alongside traditional therapeutic practices of psychoactive plant medicines in the support of participants’ preparation and long-term followup integration. We found that by training initiatory introspective skills, including intuitive reception, regressional meditation and subjective interpretation—the ceremonial connections were greatly enhanced. We then began to notice during the mentoring sessions that inner experiences were mirroring those that we would expect to achieve within ceremony. It appeared that for those participants that were ready to connect, the unconscious is ripe and ready for communication. As we continued to explore the psycho-analytical techniques and expand the framework with our participants we recognised that we were uncovering tools with a high potential to provide intuitive insights for serious exploration of both the personal and collective unconscious.
In understanding the journeys of hundreds of participants and guiding interpretations throughout life-changing processes, fundamental patterns and self-reflections contributed to a wider and more comprehensive understanding of the subjective soul journey of initiation and thus the creation of the Inner Council.
The Inner Council offers psychoanalytic techniques that are not only a form of therapy but instruments for self-understanding and self-liberation, an instrument in the art of living. The fundamental aim of psychoanalysis is to know oneself. The better known we are to ourselves, the more proper are the decisions we make. The less we know ourselves the more confused must be the decisions we make.
Studies of many academics have been reviewed in order to give substance and definition to the practices and expectations given by the Inner Council, however the content has been developed in practice and has been repeatedly demonstrated in its efficiency of application. Where academic or scientific understanding can give a contemporary validity to these practices, they are by contrast understood by their simplicity simplex sigillum veri and rooted in the most developed belief systems of human understanding and interpretation.
Please note: The Inner Council modality requires a mature approach and strong commitment to personal introspective work.
Module Intersections
Our primary module addresses the early developmental stages of cognitive development where we explore the energetic imprints of our childhood experiences that are still present today and work gently towards integration, removing the psychological and energetic barriers that are responsible for non-serving behavioural patterns and limit our natural development. We learn the nature of trauma and we learn how the environmental aspects of our inner dialogue and quality of self care directly influence our authentic self and how to better bring these aspects to the forefront of our daily experience.
The introspective training of the primary module prepares the participant for the secondary module, where we create a shamanic safe space to interface with unconscious characters and both contemporary and archaic archetypes, symbols and motifs. We aid the interpretation of these experiences in both the subjective and physical environments and move beyond the personal areas of the unconscious into ancestral and historic energy imprints. This is where we often find the beginning areas of soul initiation and spaciousness in spirit.
During our process we will have been given insights into a bigger picture or the ecological systems of the subjective and the layers throughout. Moving away from the rehabilitative aspects of the first two modules, the tertiary module will begin to give structure to these cosmic ecologies and the upper and lower connectors with which we interface into the holistic nature of the non-dual. Here we can realise our true nature and unlock the tools that we need step into our unique life mission.
Special Thanks
We give much thanks to the dedicated persons and incredible practitioners that have contributed to the ongoing work being established by the Inner Council. Henk Meulendijks, an energy worker who took on a world journey to bring Inner Child and other healing practices where they were needed and patiently allowed us to adapt the techniques. Henk also authored the beautiful Inner Child Oracle cards, which we have by our sides today and recommend for all those on the healing journey with their Inner Child.
To Janneke & John of Willkamayu Spirt who have always been a wealth of wisdom in holding small intimate retreats with high authenticity.
To Colby from Ascend Mountain Yoga in Calgary, Canada for her continued commitment and enthusiasm in showing us what we can achieve if we go for it! In the quest to ‘keep active’ Colby arranges mountain hike yoga retreats and promotes Kundalini Ascension for dramatic personal transformation.
To Brian Carew from Carew Movement who inspired us with his conscious restorative movement and flow technique which is both an art form and a deep engagement to the awareness of the physical and energetic body. High dynamic bodywork and mindfulness are key ingredients to shifting into the new.
We support Katie Hoss and take part in her Burning Woman UK Festival each year in England.
To Aline, our in-house Kundalini spirit who lights the flame of the sacred feminine where we so need it. And finally to all our maestros and maestras who support our deep connection to the divine.
Listen to Wayne speak about the Inner Child on Karen Maloney’s Curiosity & Consciousness podcast.
We are welcome to affiliate any practitioner or organisation that has worked alongside The Inner Council or uses our practices.
Sustainability Concerns
Not everybody is able to connect to sacred plant medicine and there is obviously a major concern over the resources that are feeding into the demand. Where sustainable practices are being used they are undermined by commercial opportunities which tend to devastate the resource and its environment. We aim to provide a solid alternative or at least a supportive collaborative solution to minimise the dependence on these incredibly valuable traditions and practices. Likewise, those who require a more gradual practice at a personal pace would be suitable to the Inner Council practices.
