Ohad Rein

A conversation with Ohad Rein

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  I have spent more than two decades travelling the globe as a musician, singer-songwriter, and music producer. During this time, I have devoted myself to practicing and teaching meditation, yoga, devotional practices, and philosophies from both the East and the West. I believe that at the root of everything I have done—and still aspire to do—is a desire to raise consciousness and expand awareness, beginning with my own and later aiming to assist and support others on their journeys.
  
  Through my own experiences with the profound benefits of therapy and the positive impact it has had on my life, I was drawn to explore this field in depth. I have fallen in love with the special encounter that can be formed with another person within the therapeutic container. I am both humbled and inspired by this offering and by witnessing the positive impact it can have in people's lives.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  My approach has been shaped by both Eastern and Western philosophies. I draw inspiration from mindfulness traditions, including Yogic, Taoist, Buddhist, Sufi, and Zen philosophies, as well as existential thought, humanistic psychology, and approaches that emphasise compassion, authenticity, meaning, and personal responsibility. These perspectives have shaped my belief that healing involves understanding ourselves more deeply and developing a more connected relationship with our thoughts, emotions, bodies, and values.

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  I am particularly interested in how people heal from trauma, build resilience and growth, form meaningful relationships, and reconnect with themselves and their deeper values. I am passionate about supporting people through anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, identity questions, and the search for purpose and authenticity.
  I believe the human journey is not only about reducing suffering but also about discovering greater awareness, connection, and fulfilment.

• What methods do you use?

  I specialize in a broad range of therapeutic modalities, allowing me to tailor my approach to suit your specific needs. My areas of expertise include:
  
  
  * Person-centred therapy: Emphasizing empathy, authenticity, and a deep understanding of your experience.
  
  * Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Using mindfulness and acceptance strategies to help individuals stop struggling with difficult inner experiences and instead focus on taking action aligned with their core values. ACT aims to build psychological flexibility, allowing individuals to live more meaningful lives even in the presence of challenging thoughts or feelings.
  
  * Existential therapy: Exploring meaning, purpose, and the challenges of being human.
  
  * Emotionally focused therapy (EFT): Supporting emotional awareness and connection.
  
  * Trauma-Informed Therapy: Awareness of trauma in therapeutic settings is critical for ensuring the safety of clients. I employ a tri-phasic approach when working with individuals who have experienced trauma, emphasizing three fundamental stages: the establishment of stabilization and safety, the provision of space for remembrance and mourning, and the facilitation of the reconstruction of a meaningful life while fostering new connections with others.
  
  * Attachment repair: Our earliest relationships shape how we relate to ourselves and others. Many of the patterns we developed as children were adaptations for safety, connection, and survival. The good news is that these patterns are not fixed. Through a safe and attuned therapeutic relationship, attachment wounds can become aware, understood, and gradually repaired.
  
  * Mindfulness and somatic therapies: Grounding in the body and the present moment.
  
  * Transpersonal and yogic practices: Integrating spiritual and meditative elements for deeper transformation.
  

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  Every person’s journey is different, and therapy unfolds at its own pace. Many clients begin to notice early shifts within the first few sessions, such as feeling more understood, gaining clarity, or developing new perspectives and coping tools. Deeper changes often emerge gradually through ongoing exploration, practice, and the development of a stronger relationship with oneself.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  Therapy has been one of the biggest contributors to positive change in my life. I have always aspired to expand awareness through my art, meditation, self-reflection and yogic practices. However, I discovered that these practices have limitations, as they are conducted within the realms of self-reflection.
  Although this capacity is highly valued, it can carry blind spots. We all naturally have areas of avoidance, where we carry pain consciously or unconsciously and simply do not want to go there.
  It was only through therapy and the special, trusting therapeutic alliance I had formed with my own therapist that I was able to engage with those shadow parts, be allowed to bring them into awareness and acceptance, and develop greater psychological flexibility.
  This translated into many positive outcomes, including personal growth, deeper relationships, and, overall, a much more meaningful and fulfilling life.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  What I value most is being invited into someone’s personal journey and witnessing moments of insight, courage, and transformation. It is deeply meaningful to create a space where people feel truly heard and supported, sometimes for the first time. I love seeing clients reconnect with their strengths and move towards lives that feel more authentic and aligned.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Haha Absolutely! Have you seen my hair?! It's got a life of it own!
  Now, seriously, I’m human too. Like everyone else, I face challenges, uncertainty, and moments when things don’t go as planned. I believe that being a therapist is not about being perfect but about being present, honest, and committed to continual growth and self-reflection.
  I do not adhere to any hierarchical models in the therapy room! I see myself as an equal to my clients, a fellow traveller here to support them at a certain point in their journey when they may need extra assistance.

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

  I see a direct link between all the world's problems, and that link is the human mind. One of the greatest challenges we face today is disconnection—disconnection from ourselves, from each other, and from the natural world. Many people are experiencing increasing stress, isolation, and uncertainty in this rapidly changing world. I believe that to address these issues, we must focus on the mind that has created this sense of separation in the first place. Cultivating compassion, fostering deeper connections, enhancing emotional awareness, and nurturing a sense of shared humanity are essential steps toward creating a healthier future.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  There are many works that have inspired me, but one that continues to resonate is Viktor Frankl’s "Man’s Search for Meaning". His reflections on finding purpose, even in the face of profound suffering, speak deeply to my belief that meaning, choice, and connection are central to the human experience. In a similar vein, I cannot recommend Edith Eger's "The Choice" enough.
  Another all-time favourite is Nikos Kazantzakis' "Zorba the Greek", about the inner conflict between the Apollo and Dionysian forces within us, the struggle of the mind-intellect versus the body-passion. The book brings this conflict to life through poignant, beautiful, heartfelt poetry and dance.
  Lastly, one of the books that has followed me through different stages of my life is Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha", which essentially describes the journey of the Buddha through the different stations of life, such as a son, disciple, master, hedonist, capitalist, and vagabond, and through realising the constant thread and connection of the flowing river of life.