ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of sacred space, exploring both experiences of space and notions of the sacred as applied to a modern and often secular world. It provides three types of sacred space, such as, the circle, the shrine and the pilgrimage. The consistency of the space provides a stable backdrop against which therapist and client can perceive one another in fluid and changing ways. Instead of the room offering continuity, the therapist becomes the constant factor in the process, providing psychological and practical continuity for participants, protecting the working space, mediating intrusions and facilitating therapeutic activity. Spaces create conditions which evoke emotions or associations. Mind-states are conditioned by many factors, including the physical qualities of the places where we live or work, which influence our moods and patterns of thinking. The concept of home carries associations which are deeply embedded in cultural and human experience. The therapeutic container is maintained in part through ritual activity.
