Getting to Know Your LBL Facilitator
Gayle Barklie, Certified Life Between Lives® Facilitator
Maui, Hawaii, USA
Offering Sessions Face-toFace and Online
Interview by Savarna Wiley, Certified Life Between Lives® Facilitator
Gayle Barklie, CCHT, LBL, MFC is a distinguished figure in the realm of Life Between Lives (LBL) therapy, with over three decades of experience as a transpersonal psycho-hypnotherapist. She holds dual Master of Arts degrees in Marriage and Family Counseling and Clinical Art Therapy from Loyola Marymount University, California, earned in 1991. Gayle is also a certified therapist graduate from The Michael Newton Institute of Life Between Lives.
In addition to her therapeutic practice, Gayle is a fine artist who weaves in spirituality into her art. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Center College of Design in California in 1989. She founded Soul Purpose Maui in 1992 with the mission of helping individuals discover their true purpose and clear subconscious blockages that hinder self-expression and fulfillment.
Gayle’s work empowers clients to make choices that reflect their true selves and unlock their unique gifts for the world. She integrates the whole self and spirituality into practice, fostering holistic, inclusive healing and transformative growth for individuals, families, and communities. Her work is featured in “Wisdom of Souls,” honoring the trailblazing discoveries of Michael Newton. To learn more and book sessions, visit Soul Purpose Maui.
Savarna: I am happy today to be interviewing Gayle Barklie from beautiful Maui, Hawaii. We all have our stories of how we come to doing this work. What prompted you to begin offering LBL?
Gayle: After being in psychology and hypnosis practice for about a decade, I visited a friend who is an acupuncturist. His wife handed me a book, saying, “This sounds like what you do.” I took the book home and read it. It was Michael Newton’s “Journey of Souls”, and indeed, it sounded just like the work I was doing. I immediately contacted The Newton Institute to find out about their next training session. Soon after, I applied and flew to Australia to get what I consider my advanced training in life between lives work.
That is a big commitment to go all the way to Australia. It must have been a strong calling. What in your background prepared you for this?
I received my Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family and Child Counseling, along with Clinical Art Therapy. This dual degree provided me with a robust foundation in understanding human psychology and therapeutic practices. Concurrently, I began studying regression work outside of my formal program, which allowed me to delve into personal introspective work. During these sessions, I spontaneously experienced past life regressions, which were transformative for me. After being in practice for a few years, I continued my education and earned my Clinical Hypnotherapy certificate. These experiences and education deeply enhanced my understanding and ability to guide others through their own journeys.
How about your own experience of LBL? What changed in your life because of your own journey?
My LBL experience came during my LBL training. The process brought me more peace and clarity, providing a profound sense of understanding and trust in the life journey. It reinforced my conviction in the transformative work that can be done with clients through the LBL process. One particular story stands out: during my LBL session, I asked about my grandmother, who was about 103 years old at the time. She lived in California while I was in Hawaii, and I was worried about not being there when she passed. My LBL guides assured me, saying, “Don’t worry about it. Your son, who was about 12 then, will take care of it.” While this didn’t make much sense at the time, it gave me complete peace, and I stopped worrying.
Fast forward about two years, and the universe provided a space for me to be exactly where I needed to be. I was with my grandmother the day before she passed. The next morning, during meditation, I saw her being taken by a dozen deities, and later I learned that this was precisely when she left her body. This experience profoundly validated the insights I gained through LBL and deepened my trust in the process.
That is beautiful that you gained such peace in your session around your grandmothers passing. This issue is focused on transitions. Many people want an LBL journey because they are in the midst of a transition, such as navigating the death of a loved one, a change in career, or a sense of needing to step away from an unfulfilling life pattern. What have you noticed in your practice regarding transitions?
The funny thing about transitions is that we’re always in them, and the few times we are not, we sometimes find ourselves bored. The human experience is quite fickle. Most humans are terrified of change, also known as transitions. Many people are comfortable staying in a life, relationship, or experience mainly because they are scared of change. What I realize is that most people don’t take it past the fear-based place—what comes after this transitional phase.
Since the subconscious mind’s job is to keep us safe, it makes most of its decisions based on past experiences. Fear-based experiences leave a bigger mark on the subconscious mind, influencing it to stay safe, i.e., resist change.
When we are able to trace back the patterns to the source of the initial fear- based experience where we made a decision about survival, we can shift and change our current life patterns. This sometimes takes us back into past lives and sometimes into the life between lives space, where we can analyze, review, and see what we brought forward from that past life and what we are now ready to release.
The reason why I do LBL and life regression work is to heal current traumas, gain clarity and resolution, and move forward in our lives with success, peace, and confidence.
Often the experience of an LBL journey can set a person on a whole new track in life. What do you offer your clients as help in navigating the changes that their soul wisdom is promoting for them?
This usually starts with the pre-LBL questions. I ask my clients to provide a list of questions they want answered. This process often brings up their deepes life concerns. It’s not just about who they were in a past life or their relationships from past lives. It’s more about understanding persistent patterns, like always picking an alcoholic partner or being attracted to a certain type of person, location, or profession. The questions typically focus on what is bothering them in this lifetime.
As we delve into the LBL process, guided by these questions and insights from past lives, we can uncover what truly needs to happen in this lifetime for a sense of completion and fulfillment of purpose. By integrating the information from their soul group, guides, or other entities speaking to them, I help clients tie together this information with their questions to gain more clarity about their current life. Sometimes it specifically addresses transitions, such as relationships or careers, while other times it’s about understanding and resolving personal and historical patterns.
It’s particularly exciting when clients resolve old patterns that no longer serve them and gain clarity about their next steps, be it in life, career, or personal growth.
Yes, a beautiful gift. Do you see the LBL work or experience changing? Do you think we are in a place of transition?
Yes, I agree that there’s an evolution happening. While there are times when clients visit different soul stations to gather information, many sessions diverge significantly from traditional expectations. My belief is that we always have to meet the client where they are. This means being client-centric and going where the client’s spirit leads. Whether it’s in therapy, hypnotherapy, or the LBL process, we follow the client’s lead.
I’ve had clients go directly to the LBL process, bypassing life progression and past life exploration, only to revisit them later in the session. Some clients receive the information they need and feel complete without going through all the stages Michael Newton prepared us for. This evolution is a testament to our times. Everything from technology to spirituality is accelerating. There is no time to waste—we need to get to the point and help everyone find their right path, however that looks and whatever that takes.
I too have noticed these kinds of shifts. The guides seem to want to bring a laser focus to what is most important in the current time of the present life, as you say ‘get to the point’. During LBL sessions, we learn about our soul’s nature, the spirit world, personal lessons, relationships, and humanity’s evolution. What insights or teachings have been particularly impactful in your work with clients?
A client of mine, a Pastor and Hospital Chaplain, assists her palliative care clients by helping them write their life stories. Intrigued by a persistent sense of loneliness and struggling with writer’s block, despite a fulfilling life, she sought a different kind of help. A client recommended “Journey of Souls,” and she contacted me for three sessions involving hypnosis, past life regression, and LBL regression. During her LBL session, she meditated on a foggy horizon with light over dark, and I guided her to choose her direction. By bypassing childhood memories and approaching the gateway, her unique experience also included womb time and a second past life, offering deep insights.
Through the LBL session, she realized she had a centuries-old desire to write, often sidelined by family priorities. Her guide highlighted that writing was a form of self-care. This realization healed her feelings of guilt, transforming her writer’s block and alleviating her loneliness. She now writes freely and joyfully, guided by her spiritual helpers, including Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Michael. She is profoundly grateful for their support and the newfound clarity
in her life.
I can tell that you enjoy this work. What is most impactful or fulfilling for you in facilitating LBL journeys?
The most impactful moments for me are the a-ha moments my clients experience. When they receive realizations that bring them peace, clarity, or profound direction, or when they are able to let go of traumas they’ve held onto for decades or even lifetimes, it brings me immense joy. These moments often lead to spontaneous laughter, even during serious subject matters, which is a testament to the guidance of spirit.
It’s fascinating how both my clients and I can burst into laughter simultaneously, revealing how our higher selves or soul selves perceive life events with a lighter perspective. These experiences remind us that our journey on Earth is about growth and learning, and not to take everything so seriously.
This shared understanding and connection during LBL sessions are what make this work incredibly fulfilling for me.
I know some of the readers of SOTA are interested in becoming an LBL hypnotherapist and wonder what it is like to do this work. What do you think are the qualities that are important for someone to enjoy offering LBL?
First and foremost, this work needs to be a calling, not just an interest. Conducting LBL sessions requires a soul that came into this life with the purpose of facilitating such journeys. You need a deep desire for exploration, determination, and the ability to navigate multiple worlds simultaneously. When my client sits in front of me, I keep a mental log of their current life situations, the questions they have brought, and the past lives we have already visited. I maintain an openness to receive insights alongside the client as we journey through past, present, and future simultaneously. My job is to weave together the threads that connect these different lifetimes and see the patterns that exist, helping my clients resolve them so they can move forward with clarity and direction.
Practitioners can come from various backgrounds, but the ability to transcend different realities with an extremely open mind and heart is crucial. These are some of the most important qualities necessary to do this work. Yes, you put it so clearly. Seems there is a need for deep focus and an ability to hold a big and multifaceted picture.
Even with good preparation, sometimes a person comes for LBL but something else happens. For instance, deep grief or high levels of anxiety can call for attention when in trance. Please share about your experience of when a session has taken another form.
Once again, this is a client-centric approach. I typically start clients out with a psycho-hypnotherapy session, followed by a past life regression session, and then an LBL session. This process usually sets up the opportunity to resolve deep grief and unresolved issues that need to be processed prior to the LBL session. However, there are times when grief or anxiety arises during the LBL process. When this happens, we address it right then and there, leveraging the connection with guides and the loving soul group present to assist.
During the process, we explore what the client is meant to learn from these emotions and trace their origins. Often, these emotions are linked to past traumas, either from childhood or past lives, that need to be processed. It’s crucial for the practitioner not to fear these emotions. They will surface when they are ready, and we must be prepared to assist in their resolution. This approach ensures that the client can move forward with a clearer, lighter spirit.
In your recent work with clients, have you noticed any common themes or patterns in the insights or guidance they receive during their sessions? Is there anything particularly surprising about these trends?
Certain themes often arise during sessions. One common insight is to lighten up and not take things so seriously. Forgiveness is another recurring theme, with an emphasis on starting with self-forgiveness. Clients are frequently reminded of the importance of being in the here and now, being present with themselves, and being honest and forthright. These messages reflect a broader trend towards personal growth and self-awareness, encouraging clients to live more authentically and compassionately.
Do you ever follow up on your clients who have experienced a big shift to see how the effects lasted?
Yes, I often follow up with clients to hear about their progress. Many clients continue with psycho-hypnotherapy sessions after their LBL sessions. For many, the LBL session is a key pivot point in their work with me. Some clients report significant, transformative changes as a result of the LBL work, guiding them through major life transitions. Others experience more gradual shifts, finding they can navigate life with greater ease and grace. They often focus more on what is important, letting go of nagging distractions, and reducing the clutter in their lives. This helps them live more purposefully and with clearer priorities.
How has your practice evolved over the years, and what are your next steps or future directions for your work in LBL and hypnotherapy?
After being in practice for over three decades, I have learned to incorporate all my different offerings under one approach. This means I don’t keep my methods of reaching the subconscious mind separate but rather make them available based on what the client brings to the table. For instance, I work in nature, literally on the beach or in the mountains, and use animals as assisting practitioners. Sometimes, it’s the dog or the horses that help guide us to the places we need to go.
As an art therapist, I like to incorporate art for self-expression, especially around the LBL session if it is conducive to the client’s transformation. Sometimes, my art helps clients move into their hypnotic state more easily.
Working holistically and eclectically with my clients seems to be the most supportive and productive for both myself and my clients. Rarely do I see a client for just one or two sessions; we form a supportive relationship that integrates the insights uncovered in the LBL process into their life journey. This evolution of my practice is being culminated through my writings and teachings.
I am excited to present “Art in the LBL Process” at the next Michael Newton Institute 2024 international conference in Barcelona, Spain.
That is so exciting! I too have a background in Art Therapy and think it is wonderful to explore the ways we can use art to convey intuitive messages, deepen the understandings received and further integrate the LBL experience. Gayle, it is clear that you bring a wealth of experience, sensitivity and heart to your work. Thank you for sharing with us. ♥
To contact or schedule a session with Gayle, follow these links:
http://www.soulpurposemaui.com
https://www.newtoninstitute.org/profile/gaylebarklie/
Savarna Wiley MA CCHT is an LBL facilitator in the Santa Cruz area of California