Four Pivotal Turns on My Life Path
The First Turn. I was an awkward and shy young man in my early twenties, a college drop-out,
still suppressed by a rigorous fundamentalist upbringing, when I obtained a job as a nurse’s aide
in a psychiatric hospital. I was thrust into a fascinating world, introducing me to the world of
psychology, a ladder for me to climb out of the restrictive mindset of my early years. I
eventually re-entered college and never stopped, finishing with a PhD in counseling psychology
from Florida State University in 1981, and starting my work as a marriage and family therapist
and psychologist.
The Second. Without question the most significant turning point my life came years later in the
midst of a personal crisis in my late thirties. Earnestly needing guidance to help me navigate a
deep loss, I met the woman who would become a life-long mentor and guide, someone who
opened the world of dreams for me and helped me find my way through one of the most
challenging passages of my life. Having been curious about dreams throughout my life but never
finding an approach that satisfied the deep and compelling questions that were aroused by my
dreams, I was deeply stirred to find someone who could help me access the depth of wisdom
presented by the dream world. I am grateful for the contribution that Sukie Colegrave has made
through her writingsi and dreamwork with me over the last twenty two years. Additionally, my
development owes a great deal to the Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, who, through his writings
and the teachers who have furthered his work, has given a priceless map of the territory that lies
deep within the human heart.
Third turn. After working for some twenty five years as a psychotherapist another pivotal
moment came when I was Rolfed, releasing deep and chronic tension that I had carried painfully
for years. The experience of Rolfing was nothing less than life changing, causing me to return to
school in 2000 and become certified by the Rolf Institute as a Rolfer.
Fourth turn. The most recent turning point in my career came as a result of facing physical
exhaustion several years ago. Thinking that I was leading a health conscious life, I was perturbed
and confounded by a growing tiredness that was felt down deep in my bones. My search to
remedy my situation and not succumb to the belief that aging alone was responsible for my loss
of vitality, led to a fascinating and hopeful discovery. Often referred to as longevity or anti-aging
medicine, the emerging science of functional medicine offers a depth of understanding about the
underlying conditions that give rise to major diseases—cancer, heart disease, diabetes—as well
common ailments we normally associate with aging: mental sluggishness, aches and pains and
loss of strength and vitality. My discovery has resulted in a remarkable renewal that surpasses
everything I previously thought about how life could be during and after mid-life. The
discoveries I’ve made have been so unexpectedly satisfying that I created The Avatar Project in
2011 to showcase cutting-edge practitioners, ideas and practices that are capable of reversing
disease states and slowing the aging process.
Present scope of work. Because of the intimate interplay between the emotional and physical
bodies, I work outside the customary and separate fields of psychotherapy and bodywork. Some
people doing counseling with me benefit from bodywork, while some coming to me for Rolfing
benefit from speaking of their dreams or finding guidance for the situations that cause distress in
their bodies. For this reason, along with increased difficulty of working within managed care, I
have chosen to work outside conventional professional bounds. I do my work as an ordained
inter-faith minister (without any religious dogma). This allows me the freedom to freely address
body and psyche, while also integrating many of my other interests in self-development, as you
will read about below.
You will see from my list of past presentations that I have hosted many programs that weave
together the arts, science, interviews with innovative thinkers and practitioners, thus creating
learning experiences where growth is made easier in the company of like-minded individuals. I
also facilitate deep self-exploration through ongoing dream groups, and I find deep satisfaction
and inspiration from working with men who seek to mature their masculinity in the men’s groups
I facilitate. I will publish my first book this year, 2012, Your Dream’s Ten Best Friends: Essential
Guides to Protect the Truth of Your Dream.
Because I was born into a conservative, fundamentalist culture of the Deep South, of necessity I
have had to go far from my first home to find a psychological and spiritual home I could thrive
in as an adult. Personal growth and happiness necessitated that I make many fundamental
changes to my personality and world view. Rewarding, even though at times unnerving, I have
come to trust that each of us possesses a strong urge for evolving into a potential beyond our
fondest expectations. The pithy wisdom from Zen master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi has given me
great inspiration for trusting the new self that waits to be born every day, each moment.
The secret is just to say, “Yes,”
And jump off from here.
Then there is no problem.
It means to be yourself in the present moment,
Always yourself,
Without sticking to an old self.
i By Way of Pain: A Passage into the Self and Embodying the Light of Oneness by Sukie Colegrave.