Toni Gilbert, RN (ret), MA, HNC
Last year, I didn’t publish a blog because I was busy caring for my great-grandchildren and participating in their upbringing. While I’m still heavily involved with my family, I’m learning to incorporate my personal interests into our family activities.
I’m excited to share that I have a new book out. This work chronicles my personal and professional journey, reminiscent of Percival from the Fisher King legend. Through my educational choices and personal experiences, I realized I was engaging in deeply meaningful work, even if I couldn’t yet see how to apply what I was learning. However, I persevered.
On the cover of the book, I open the door for you to join me on a transpersonal journey, exploring the lessons and insights I’ve gathered along the way.
This book provides a thought-provoking and practical guide for integrating spiritual principles into therapeutic practice. By combining traditional counseling with transpersonal techniques, Transpersonal Counseling offers a pathway for counselors to help clients on a deeper, more transformative journey. And it serves as a reminder that healing is not just about addressing psychological issues but also about nurturing the spiritual and existential dimensions of the human experience. This book is highly recommended for therapists who are open to exploring and expanding their approach to counseling, as well as for anyone interested in the intersection of psychology and spirituality.
Archetypal Tarot CounselingTM
As I approach my 80th year on this planet, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on the incredible education I’ve received and the many blessed mentors who have guided me. These remarkable souls have moved gracefully between worlds — helping to bring change to the body-mind and opening pathways to spiritual awareness and healing. I am awed by my good fortune, and now I feel it is my turn to pass along what I have learned to the younger heirs of this journey.
My offerings will include dream interpretation, guided imagery, laying on of hands energy healing, art therapy, and movement as catharsis.
However, our first exploration together will be Archetypal Tarot Counseling.
Tarot Symbology as a Therapeutic Tool
The Tarot is a rich system of archetypal symbols artistically pictured on seventy-eight cards. Each image represents essential aspects of our being — our hopes and fears, strengths and weaknesses, the interplay of body, mind, and spirit.
According to Carl Jung, “there are as many archetypes as there are typical situations in life.” These archetypal themes reveal themselves through dreams, imagination, and the subtle energies of the psyche. Through the Tarot, we can access these inner patterns and bring their wisdom into consciousness for healing and growth.
Course Details
Mona Nicholson and Toni Gilbert
- Start Date: March 3, 2026
- Duration: One Saturday a month for three months
- Schedule: Full-day sessions on Saturday with an optional Sunday morning gathering for unstructured sharing and questions
- Location: My home (details provided upon registration)
- Hospitality: Lunch will be served on Saturday; coffee and tea on Sunday morning
I am delighted to share this journey with Mona Marie Nicholson, M.A., who will be partnering with me in guiding this holistic path of self-discovery and self-healing. Mona brings a wealth of experience, including 36 years as a school teacher and 3 years as an event coordinator at Breitenbush Hot Springs, where she helped create spaces for growth, reflection, and transformation.
Oregon Holistic Nurses Association
Every now and then, I like to reconnect with the organization I started at Breitenbush Hot Springs (BHS) in 2006 to see how things are evolving. Leadership changes have led to an exciting decision this year: the hosted the conference in Sisters, OR. (Next year, they will return to BHS.) I brought along my friend Mona Nickolson to co-facilitate a couple of evening workshops: one on Archetypal Tarot Counseling™ and another on Guided Imagery. It was a delightful experience, and here are a few pictures from the event.
