Counselors/Psychologists using Tarot?

I was wondering if any of you are licensed counselors or psychologists, and if so- have you ever used tarot in your practice? I'm qualified to be a practicing counselor in my state, but I fairly certain that it would go against ACA (American Counseling Association) and APA (American Psychological Association) ethical guidelines to use the tarot as a tool within counseling sessions (maybe one of you knows for sure about this). I am not currently practicing, but I have found in general that the tarot could be a spectacular tool to be used within this sort of context. I have recently begun doing readings online, and even these email-based readings can quickly turn into rather productive virtual counseling sessions. When a person opens him or herself up for a tarot reading, a metaphoric door opens and the person is open and receptive to learning and growing as an individual. That's an amazing thing that lends itself to true counseling-- a spiritual exploration that leads to an evolution of the spirit.

If there are any of you who know about this topic, I'd love to hear your take on the limits of what I'd be allowed to do legally in terms of combining tarot reading with counseling. I think I'd pretty much have to advertise myself as a tarot reader, and I'd need to make sure that from a legal standpoint it doesn't look like I'm taking money for counseling as opposed to tarot reading. It's a bit of a sticky legal area, I believe, because the guidelines for professional practice (as a counselor, psychologist, etc.) are pretty rigid and limited. For instance, because my Ph.D is in Educational/Developmental Psychology (and not Clinical) I cannot be licensed as a psychologist, but my Masters in Counseling does allow for a state license. This example illustrates how ridiculously rigid the system can be.

Any thoughts on this topic? Are any others of you in the mental health field, or have been in the past? On a related topic, are any of you hypnotherapists? I will soon begin a training for this, but I find it highly ironic how much easier it is to "hang a shingle" to do hypnotherapy and tarot reading than it is to do those things for which I went to school for a million years! ha. Looking forward to any input on this topic...

I am not disputing what you said about it being illegal to use tarot cards during counselling sessions (only because I am not a counsellor, nor do I know the laws or regulations governing them!)

However, don't counsellors use images (inkblots come to mind) to aid in opening discussions? What would be different about using images on tarot cards or other types of artwork to enhance dialog?

Just wondering...

good question

starrystarrynight said:

I am not disputing what you said about it being illegal to use tarot cards during counselling sessions (only because I am not a counsellor, nor do I know the laws or regulations governing them!)

However, don't counsellors use images (inkblots come to mind) to aid in opening discussions? What would be different about using images on tarot cards or other types of artwork to enhance dialog?

Just wondering...

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You make a great point, but I suppose the difference is that some psychological assessments have been studied enough to be generally accepted (by the mental health community) as valid and reliable psychological tools. I know that a number of studies have been done to help establish the validity of tarot readings, but progress in this area still has a long way to go. The establishment (and corresponding red tape) is always miles behind the rest of us... It's sickening but true. I'm studying for a national counselor certification test right now, in fact, for which I have to memorize answers that absolutely go against what I actually believe. I will give you an example: One multiple-choice question asks what the best course of action (or treatment plan) is for a child who demonstrates all the characteristics of someone who has Attention Deficity Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The "correct" answer I have to choose (or my answer will be marked as wrong) is the one that says the best treatment is stimulant medication and behavioral modification. Other choices include sensory integration (a much better option in my opinion), and other similarly noninvasive alternatives, and these are literally viewed as "wrong" choices. This small example illustrates how closed-minded the views typically are among mainstream counselors, psychologists, and so forth (I'm talking here about the professions as a whole and the organizations that regulate the professions rather than the individuals who work in these fields). It's not much different from the medical community, which scoffs at holistic alternatives and focuses much more on masking symptoms with medication than finding solutions.

I am not a psychologist.

Here in Australia, a number of psychologists have used tarot within their practice - as they may a range of other images, to encourage the patient to either bring to clarity situations or to assist their biographical narrative.

For psychologists who use, in their everyday practice, a range of imagery, I do not see whether these come from a tarot deck, magazines, or photos, would make a difference.

I do not see in what sense using images from a deck (as opposed to magazines) would be against any so-called 'ethical guidelines'.

I'm not a Psychologist but I am a life coach and according to the laws here - I don't have to do ANY TRAINING to be called a life coach - yet I chose to do an expensive course. There are times when using cards might be useful to help someone make a breakthrough.

I have been thinking that there are times when I could get someone to chose a deck and pick out some cards to chat about - see what speaks to them.

Its all about getting the unconcious mind up to the concious level.

I'll keep my eye on this thread!

jmd, I agree with you wholeheartedly, but Australia tends to be much more accepting of this type of thing than in the U.S. I was reading one of John Edward's books just recently, and he was talking about how amazed by how readily accepted his work was in Australia, and how well-known he was there compared to the U.S. where he is more peripheral. To demonstrate how the American Psychological Association (as a practice-regulating organization) feels about anything that is slightly off-the-beaten path of mainstream counseling/psychology, here is an article from just a few years ago, written by an APA board member and endorsed by the APA:

Reducing student belief in the paranormal
Richard Miller offered insights on helping students become more critical thinkers.

BY BARNEY BEINS, PhD
Print version: page 44

Students are enthralled with reports of the paranormal, so when psychologists in the classroom try to alter such beliefs, the students usually combat these efforts, says Richard Miller, PhD, of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

The problem is that students learn the fact that paranormal occurrences resist systematic exploration, but the students don't embrace that idea personally. In an address titled "From hobbits to Hobbes: reducing students' beliefs in the paranormal" at APA's 2002 Annual Convention in Chicago, Miller identified strategies for helping students cast aside their previous beliefs and adopt a more critical stance.

"The assumption that students arrive with an open mind that can be easily swayed by the classroom experience is clearly not true," he stressed. They may retain their misconceptions "because paranormal beliefs help reduce uncertainty. These beliefs tend to rise in turbulent times."

Research illustrates that 99 percent of students believe in some aspect of the paranormal, noted Miller, such as subliminal perception, ESP, telepathy, psychic healing or astrology, and the number of students who are persuaded to abandon their beliefs in the paranormal is distressingly small.

While courses that emphasize critical thinking and research methodology can be useful in combating such beliefs, he said, presenting information to students isn't enough. Miller described educational interventions based on cognitive dissonance theory that can be critical in effecting attitudinal change in significant numbers of students.

Miller, with colleague William Wozniak, PhD, has investigated the role of counter-attitudinal advocacy in educating students about the paranormal. In this technique, the students assert a position in opposition to the one they actually hold, generating arguments against their own beliefs. The researchers found that the method significantly reduced the extent to which students accepted claims of the paranormal.

In their study, the researchers compared changes in student beliefs in the paranormal as a result of either writing counter-attitudinal essays, reading another student's arguments against the existence of subliminal perception or no exposure to such issues. When students generated arguments that contrasted with their beliefs, the degree of change toward current scientific belief was greatest. Simply reading an essay written by another student produced the least change--less even than the control group.

Miller and Wozniak then investigated whether the amount of energy students expended in their arguments, rather than self-generation of arguments, might have contributed to the change in beliefs about subliminal perception. They assigned students to groups that differed in the amount of work needed to complete a task. From most energy to least, students either closely summarized others' arguments, generated their own arguments or generally summarized a lecture about evidence against the power of subliminal perception.

The results revealed that energy alone was irrelevant in effecting change: Students in the highest energy expenditure group did not differ from students in the control group. The participants in the counter-attitudinal group showed a greater change in belief, as evidenced by their ratings about subliminal perception as the experiment ended.

In a follow-up study, the researchers provided evidence for long-lasting effects of the counter-attitudinal technique. When the bookstore on their campus conducted a survey about products to offer students, Miller and Wozniak asked the bookstore to include questions about whether to stock subliminal tapes, subsequently recording the responses of students in their classes. Students who generated arguments against their own initial beliefs expressed considerable reservations about buying the tapes themselves, compared to the other groups. Further, those who had engaged in counter-attitudinal behavior were significantly less likely to agree that subliminal tapes should appear on the bookstore shelves. Miller pointed out, though, that the approach has limits. It has maximal effect when students feel free choice in the assignment rather than if they feel forced to engage in it. When they perceive little or no choice, psychological reactance can emerge.

In addition, attitude change is greatest when students feel clearly responsible for the arguments they generate. Summarizing or evaluating others' arguments doesn't work, nor do group assignments where responsibility is shared among participants. A third caveat is that overexposure to a counter-attitudinal message may reduce the amount of change.

But Miller stressed that when students' arguments are grounded in the scientific approach and when they have to think critically about the message they are delivering, the development of counter-attitudinal arguments can provide a sound pedagogical tool.


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Barney Beins, PhD, is APA's director of precollege and undergraduate programs.

Satine, there is a licensed psychologist in California named Art Rosengarten who uses tarot in his practice and he has written a good book (Tarot and Psychology: Spectrums of Possibility) about how and why he does so. Dr. Rosengarten was the first (or at least among the first) psychologist to proclaim tarot's value in therapy. The book is geared toward mental health professionals, though of course anyone who reads tarot from a therapeutic perspective can benefit from it. Dr. Rosengarten's website is http://www.moonlightcounseling.com/.

Astraea said:

Satine, there is a licensed psychologist in California named Art Rosengarten who uses tarot in his practice and he has written a good book (Tarot and Psychology: Spectrums of Possibility) about how and why he does so. Dr. Rosengarten was the first (or at least among the first) psychologist to proclaim tarot's value in therapy. The book is geared toward mental health professionals, though of course anyone who reads tarot from a therapeutic perspective can benefit from it. Dr. Rosengarten's website is http://www.moonlightcounseling.com/.

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Astraea, this is SO interesting! I am not surprised that he is in California. Here in Georgia we have to wait years before we are legally allowed to do what they have already been doing in California for quite some time. A basic example is that Georgia doesn't yet have in place a license that would correspond with a doctoral degree in EDUCATIONAL psychology. I'm sure it will happen eventually, but right now California is the only state that has such a license. Everywhere else you have to have a Ph.D. in Clinical or Counseling Psychology to get a license from the state. Bizarre.

Again, thanks for sharing. I'm checking out his website now.

I live in MA, and though I am not a psychologist, I do know there are some in our area, as well as social workers, etc., that do use tarot in their practice. I am actually looking for a new therapist. Maybe they are the way to go, for me. I would be very interested in that aspect and since positive imagery is very important to visualization exercises for one like me, with agoraphobia and panic attacks, tarot would be very useful. I have been using certain decks for this exact reason, in the past year, and it has been highly effective.

I agree that the tarot and counseling easily go hand-in-hand. I believe it may just be a matter of semantics when it comes to "setting up shop" and not violating any guidelines/ethical restrictions that coincide with licensure. Some states may allow a licensed psychologist or LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) to utilize the tarot as a counseling tool while other states would not. Either way, in most states there are verbal, semantic loop holes so that all you would really have to do is call yourself a "spiritual healer" or "intuitive counselor" and be sure to distinguish yourself from the services offered by mainstream mental health counselors/psychologists.n This would be particularly relevant if the person does not have a license to practice counseling, because the main thing you can get in trouble for is practicing counseling without a state license. So, the trick is to say, "This is not a counseling center; it's a center for spiritual exploration, personal growth, and healing." This makes me laugh because the latter is basically the definition of what counseling should be, but you have to use (and not use) the right words to be "legal."