<p> Divorce and coparenting are widely studied topics in the field of marriage and family therapy. Clinicians and researchers have attempted to develop interventions to assist couples in which one or both partners are considering divorce so their decision-making processes result in better outcomes, which might safeguard adults and children from the potentially negative effects of divorce. Discernment counseling is such an intervention&mdash;intended for mixed-agenda couples with the goal of helping the partners gain clarity and confidence in making a decision about the future direction of their marital relationship. Using open-ended survey and interview questions, this phenomenological qualitative research explored Path 2 partners&rsquo; experiences of discernment counseling, divorce, and coparenting. Participants were recruited through gatekeepers at the Minnesota Couples on the Brink project and eleven (11) Path 2 partners participated in the survey/interviews. Three major themes emerged: 1) clarity and honesty, 2) appreciation for structure, and 3) cooperation in divorce and coparenting. Generally, the data findings suggest Path 2 partners described their discernment counseling experience as helpful for gaining clarity and honesty, providing necessary structure in their divorce decision-making process, and led to more cooperative divorce processes and post-divorce coparent relationships. </p><p>

<p> This thesis addresses perceived gaps in the Western fields of somatic and depth psychology around the phenomena of higher consciousness. Using hermeneutical methodology, higher states of consciousness are explored through the phenomenological lens of the Kundalini awakening experience. Personal accounts, psychological literature, and clinical data weave together to frame deeper insight into Kundalini awakening, which allows the field of psychology to advance its understanding of cultural attitudes around psychopathology by learning to host a client's experience of Kundalini awakening symptomology in a clinical setting without pathologizing the experience as psychosis or as arising out of psychological disorder. Through the study of ancient traditions as well as contemporary science and psychology, knowledge of universal experiences of higher consciousness can enhance a psychotherapist's breadth of vision and have profound effects on the therapeutic encounter, potentially enhancing naturally occurring organismic trends toward increased coherence.</p><p>