Going Deeper on Delphi Awakening…with Dr Dimitri Spiliotis

I’ve always been interested in understanding the meaning of our emotions as humans. It’s been a lifelong passion that started, if I’m honest, with understanding myself. At times it feels like it wasn’t a conscious ‘choice’ for me to make - I’ve always been a person who feels things intensely, and I wanted to understand this - so I had to delve deeper. 

I often think of how Joseph Campbell speaks of the ‘hero’s journey’ - a purposeful journey into the world that leads to the exploration and revelation of yourself. Our humanness emerges and grows through relating authentically with ourselves and with others. It’s a lifelong journey  and one I love travelling. 

Delphi Awakening’s holistic approach

It is rather unusual for certified professionals in the field of psychology to create and offer a program incorporating psychology, meditation, and philosophy. The complementary benefits of this mixed approach became clear to me throughout my career - there is no one-size-fits-all formula, and for some, methods such as CBT are not going to help them on their journey. 

For example, when working with clients with chronic or terminal health conditions. It is short-sighted and even invalidating to use some of the traditional CBT tools focused exclusively on reducing negative thoughts or increasing adaptive behaviours.

I am still moved by the generosity and courage of the clients I encountered in psychotherapy - like the mother diagnosed with terminal cancer who came to a meeting to discuss how to share the news with her two young children in the weeks she had left, or the young man who was diagnosed with a chronic illness but still had a huge appetite for adventure and love for life. 

“Being in the presence of such experiences shows you the limitation of ready-made solutions, tools and ideas even in psychology, and the need to be present and open to the unique experience of every person.”

The Mind-Body Connection at Delphi

In psychology, the "bio-psycho-social" approach urges therapists to tackle clients' issues on biological and social fronts for lasting improvement. We know we're more than just our thoughts, our identities are shaped by our interactions with others. 

“Ignoring the body or social context limits our understanding and ability to address psychological issues.”

People often come to therapy with panic attacks or severe depression because they've ignored their body's signals or their need for genuine relationships. In our retreat, we use interventions that focus on both the body and mind in a social setting. 

We explore the body as a source of joy and as a truthful record of our lives, always present and experiencing life with us. Mind interventions provide education and skills to help participants tap into their inner resources and embark on a meaningful journey. The synergy of participants, combined with the energy of Delphi and its natural surroundings, is powerful, making ideas and experiences come alive through our bodies and nature.

The benefits of the Retreat setting

The idea of our retreat is the acceleration of processes that, in conventional therapy, take much longer to actualise. Participants will engage in 40 hours of work across the 5 days. Compared to seeing a therapist for 1h a week - that’s almost a year’s worth of the same amount of input.

While the two settings are not directly comparable, the benefits of a retreat can be very powerful, especially as there are 3 facilitators plus other participants contributing to the process. 

Why Delphi?

Standing amidst Delphi’s ancient olive trees, some over 2000 years old, or observing a temple wall made of stones chosen because of their individual shapes (not broken to fit in) that hold together with no binding material because of the integrity and weight of each stone untouched since ancient times, imparts a profound wisdom that transcends words and resonates in our modern era. 

In Western culture, we've been captivated by material progress, often overlooking life's subtle symbolic meanings. Delphi's stones remind us of the importance of personal integrity and community cohesion, embracing inclusion and diversity. Despite efforts by social media and advertisements to mould us into square, same-looking bricks, we can learn from Delphi's lessons to build walls of inclusion, not exclusion.

Participants from diverse backgrounds share cultural insights and enrich each other, turning Delphi once again into a symbol of self-discovery and guidance for five days. Through numerous retreats and workshops, we've welcomed participants from every continent and over one hundred countries.

The Delphi Awakening Retreat is a place to cultivate a joyful and creative sense of living with ourselves. We would love to see you there.