1. Eclecticism Transpersonal psychotherapists are eclectic and use techniques derived from psychodynamic, cognitive, humanistic, and behavioral psychotherapies as well as the spiritual disciplines.

2. Articulation with other therapies Good transpersonal psychotherapy recognizes the client's needs and responds accordingly. The client may be better served by behavior modification, cognitive restructuring, etc than by so-called spiritual techniques. The therapist must have a high degree of clinical sophistication in order to properly diagnose the client's difficulties and understand the client's degree of personality development. Using transpersonal techniques with a client who is functioning as a prepersonal level, for instance, can create great suffering. Thus, an understanding of personality development and the full spectrum of psychpathology is essential for effective transpersonal psychotherapy. (see Hendlin, ATP Newsletter, Winter 1987).

3. The role of behavior change Behavior change in and of itself may be important early in the client's process, however, the ultimate goal is a change in the client's consciousness or quality of being rather than behavior.

4. The role of insight Insight is generally seen as important but there is usually an emphasis on the present much more than the past. Furthermore, it is often understood that many transpersonal states are difficult to describe. Thus, cognitive understanding is seen as limited.

5. The role of the therapist-client relationship The therapist is seen as guide as well as healer, thus the therapeutic relationship is important.

6. Altered states of consciousness Many transpersonal psychotherapists see altered states of consciousness as necessary in the therapeutic process. These may occur naturally outside the therapeutic situation or may be induced in the therapeutic situation.

7. The therapist as seeker It is generally assumed that the transpersonal therapist continues to work on his/her own development. Thus the therapist should know transpersonal phenomena from direct personal experience. This includes qualities of attention, clarity, compassion, and nonattachment. Given that very few therapists can claim to have mastered these qualities, we are all seekers on the path.

8. The therapeutic process as path Doing therapy can be seen as a profound form of service. Thus transpersonal psychotherapy can be a means of pursuing transpersonal growth for the therapist. The focus is on the client, but non-duality dissolves the distinction. Both therapist and client benefit from healing interactions.

9. Reductionist and elevationist tendencies Walsh and Vaughan (in Paths Beyond Ego) identify two errors which can occur with transpersonal psychology in general and transpersonal psychotherapy specifically.

The reductionist error is reducing all unusual experience to a pathological or regressive diagnosis. Freud's approach to mystical experience is a good example. All mystical experience, he and his followers claimed, is a regression to a womb-like state, a catatonic-like pathology, or narcissism. This error denies the possibility of extraordinarily positive mental health, enlightenment, awakening, and the like.

The elevationist error is elevating all unusual experience to a transpersonal or mystical level. It is often associated with certain one-sided forms of "New Age" thinking. This error denies the possibility of psychopathology.

Most transpersonal psychologists argue for a broad, middle-of-the-road approach which recognizes the possibility of both extraordinary mental health and psychopathology.