Imagine a treasured bowl, broken into pieces. Instead of discarding it, what if you could transform it into something even more beautiful—its cracks illuminated with gold?
Kintsugi —an enigmatic reminder that breakage and subsequent healing can create something more resilient and beautiful. An interesting metaphor for psychotherapy and counselling practice.
In Kintsugi the purpose is not to perfectly repair the piece back to its original form but instead to accentuate the flaws. The gold used in the repair process, symbolises the value of the flaws to the beauty of the piece.
Kintsugi
The Japanese art of Kintsugi (金継ぎ, “golden joinery”) or kintsukuroi (金繕い, “golden repair”), uses urushi lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum to join and repair broken ceramics.
Wabi-Sabi, Zen & Acceptance Therapy
At its core, Kintsugi embodies wabi-sabi, a philosophy rooted in Zen Buddhism. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese philosophy which is about focusing on the present, not holding onto to things which comeand go – a Zen principle called mushin ( 無心, “no-mind”) of accepting change without attachment.
Kintsugi translates the concept of Wabi-sabi to broken pottery and joins it back together with gold, symbolically representing the beauty of flaws and impermanence. This is similar to current counselling with makes use of mindfulness in the healing process.
The Origins of Kintsugi
The exact origin is unclear. The legend is that during the Muromachi period in the 15th century, a Japanese Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, broke his favourite tea bowl. He sent the damaged Chinese tea bowl to China for repairs. However, unhappy with the resulting crude repairs, he gave the job to local craftsmen. They chose to fill the cracks with urushi (lacquer resin) and dusted them with gold, giving rise to the beautiful art of Kintsugi.
This technique flourished alongside chanoyu (tea ceremony) and the culture of wabi-sabi—a philosophy embracing impermanence, asymmetry, and the beauty of the imperfect. Unlike hidden repairs, Kintsugi highlights broken parts as part of an object’s narrative.
Living the Kintsugi Way
Just as a broken bowl can evolve, Kintsugi invites us to embrace the uncertainty of life. It teaches that flaws and wear are not faults but marks of time and usage, adding depth and character to a person.
The world is broken, but that’s where the light enters.
Makoto Fujimura
We can apply this philosophy to our journey through life. We all have flaws and difficulties on the way. Our resilience is to choose to look at memories of past events as aspects of us that shape our personalities. Wabi-Sabi reminds us that it’s not what happens to us, but how we embrace and transform those broken parts that counts.
How to Apply Kintsugi Practical Healing Practices:
Therapeutically, Kintsugi represents the fractured uniqueness which is quintessentially human and the ability to create new beginnings from broken endings.
- Mend Mindfully: See personal challenge as an opportunity for resilience and growth.
- Use Creativity: Overcome your difficulties by using creativity or novel approaches.
- Celebrate Flaws: Where you notice shame in your imperfection, replace it with pride in your unique journey.
- Slow Down: Embrace patience in a world addicted to speed.
Kintsugi teaches us that nothing is ever truly ruined—it is simply waiting for transformation. In a world quick to discard the old or hide imperfections, this ancient art illuminates a stark truth: our breaks and flaws are not our endings, but the very parts that make us whole.
What part of your journey could be healed with gold?
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More Kintsugi – Self-Help and Practice
- Try a beginner’s Kintsugi kit.
- Read Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren.
- Kintsugi is displayed frequently in the UK in temporary exhibitions, workshops, and online content.
Information contained here is not a substitute for face-to-face therapy. It can only every be one view of a situation and may not be applicable to your situation. You are advised to seek specialist support. The work here is a personal view which may change over time and should not be taken as representative of Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Ken McLeish BA DMS MBA MSc MSc Cert Ed UKCP Reg
Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy
Saville House, NE1 8DQ
0191 5805080
https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk
Or email:counsellor@counselling-newcastle.co.uk
Or phone: 0191 5805080
Ken McLeish is Principal Therapist at Reflexions Counselling and Therapy in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Reflexions provides counselling and therapy for a wide range of issues. He can be contacted through the website: https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk .
