Integrative psychotherapy for mind, body & spirit
Anyone who is familiar with my work as a therapist knows that I am a fan of interventions that (a) focus on client strengths and (b) are creative and often outside the box. I tend to pull from a variety of modalities and approaches in my work from well-researched practices such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to emerging therapies (i.e. those that have been around for a long while but have only recently been accepted by the mainstream mental health community) including nature-based, psychospiritual and expressive arts interventions. I even utilize - wait for it - tarot cards.
Yes, it's true. I'm a licensed clinician and I utilize tarot with clients when they are interested and when the intervention is clinically indicated.
A little back story ….
But before I share how I use the elusive tarot in session, let me backtrack a bit because I want to share that I first stumbled upon what would become my first tarot deck when I was just thirteen years old, wandering around the back of a bookstore with my mom. She had no idea then the seed she was planting!
I was immediately smitten with the imagery of the cards; the universal experiences and personality types represented; and the feeling of entering another world filled with symbols and metaphors. Although, my long-term draw to the practice of tarot was the honing of and reliance on intuition.
Learning to Trust Your Intuition
This is to say that by using the cards, reading the traditional meanings, and drawing my own associations, I would gain insight into questions and situations that had me feeling stuck. As it turned out, I didn't need someone else to tell me what I already knew deep down, I just needed a way to access it.
Is Spiritually-Integrated Psychotherapy Right for Me?
In my therapy practice based in Oakland California, I offer clients the opportunity to do the same with my support and guidance. This is especially relevant to the midlife women I work with who are often learning (or re-learning) to trust themselves as well as explore identity and cultivate self-esteem.
In this way using tarot in psychotherapy is very different than using tarot for divination or “fortune telling.” As a psychotherapist, I am not reading the cards for you or predicting future events.
I am offering you a tool to support your path of inner knowing, while understanding the world is always shifting, as are our perspectives. See below for some prompts I’ve created to help you get started.
Starting a Tarot Practice
If you're brand new to tarot, intrigued and want to explore, it’s easy enough to pick a deck based on which imagery you are drawn to. Most bookstores carry tarot decks, but there are also a host of unique small-batch decks sold on Etsy.com and other online sites.
Once you've picked your deck, an easy way to start practicing is to pick a card a day and let yourself engage with the card. Take a deep breath. What symbols do you see? What is the wisdom or the lesson of the card? Do you feel resistant or open?
Have fun with it! In many ways, learning tarot is learning a new language. And listening to your intuition may also feel foreign. Curiosity is the name of the game, here.
And if you're interested in learning more about this work either as a client or a clinician seeking consultation, feel free to schedule with me here. I absolutely love chatting about the use of tarot in healing work.
Till next time, wishing you health and ease,
Jessika
About Jessika Fruchter LMFT – Specialized Therapy for Midlife Women in Oakland
Jessika Fruchter, LMFT, (Lic. 97617) is based in Oakland, California. She offers specialized mental health care for women navigating perimenopause and all things midlife. She offers individual and group therapy support to women throughout the state of California. This work integrates feminist psychology, somatic approaches, narrative therapy, and psychospiritual practices to support meaningful and sustainable change.
👉 Learn more about working with me
👉 Book an initial consultation (for women in California)
👉 Download my free journal prompts for Midlife Inquiry
She also writes frequently about issues of midlife, spirituality, and mental health on her blog: Minding Midlife and Substack: We Were Made For This.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tarot in Therapy
Can tarot cards be used in psychotherapy?
Yes! Tarot can be integrated into psychotherapy as a creative and reflective tool. Therapists may use tarot to help clients explore emotions, identify patterns, access intuition, and gain new perspectives on personal challenges.
How does tarot work in a therapy session?
In tarot-informed therapy, cards serve as prompts for reflection and exploration. The imagery, symbolism, and archetypes can help clients connect with unconscious material, explore their personal narratives, and discover new possibilities for growth and change.
Is tarot therapy evidence-based?
While tarot itself is not an evidence-based psychotherapy treatment, it can be incorporated into established therapeutic approaches such as expressive arts therapy, narrative therapy, and Jungian-oriented psychotherapy. Tarot serves as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for clinical treatment.
Do you offer “tarot readings?”
No, I do not. Using tarot in psychotherapy is very different than using tarot for divination or “fortune telling.” As a psychotherapist, I am not reading the cards for you or predicting future events.
Can I find a therapist who incorporates tarot in California?
Yes. Some California psychotherapists integrate tarot, spirituality, and expressive arts into their clinical work. Jessika Fruchter, LMFT, offers online feminist and spiritually integrated psychotherapy for women throughout California, including the use of tarot as a tool for self-exploration.