Answering the Necessary Call to
Growth:
An Interview with Luisa Kolker
Many thanks to our
volunteer Sophia Sorenson for this introduction to Santa Fe-based therapist Luisa Kolker, who
will present “A Passage to Spain: How
to Answer the Daunting, Necessary Call to Growth,” a lecture and workshop at The Jung Center next Saturday, Nov. 1
As long as humans have existed,
they have been engaged in a search. In this era, through popular media, ‘the
search’ has often been presented as a spectacle: The Lord of the Rings,
The Matrix, Avatar, Lady in the Water, Grace is Gone. Despite
sophisticated special effects and distractingly famous actors, a fundamental
premise prevails: a protagonist’s attempt to find meaning in human existence.
Inherent in traditional and
modern stories of seeking are many common elements, one being the presence of a
sage guide to accompany seekers on their uncharted path. Luisa Kolker is one
such example, a woman who responded to a sense of discontent and despair in her
mid 20’s by boldly initiating her search for meaning. She describes “feeling
dead inside” until a series of events led her to the work of Paul Bowles and,
ultimately, to a powerful epiphany.
“I read all of his books and
felt a degree of profound excitement in how he described his world,” said
Luisa. “His writing resonated with me and led me to leave my job, a
relationship, and my home to find him in Morocco.” Despite discomfort and
trepidation, this was the moment of embarkation on her own hero’s journey.
Luisa reveals that “prior to
that journey, I did not have faith, patience or trust that I would receive the
guidance I needed for my life.” That initial journey, over 30 years ago, has
shaped the subsequent period of her life and work, including imparting lessons
about the cyclical nature of growth, loss, and pain.
While many experience a sense
of dissatisfaction, disillusionment, or incompleteness, few have the
opportunity or compunction to emulate Luisa’s total renouncement of her former
life. Such a dramatic response, while remarkable, is not a necessary condition
for spiritual growth. The call to embark on the spiritual journey is accessible
to everyone. “It is completely possible to have a ‘hero’s journey’ wherever you
are; for me, it was necessary to leave Washington, DC,” said Luisa. “I have
seen people transform their lives after relatively short, powerful
experiences.”
While there are an abundance of
teachers sharing personal stories of transformation, Luisa’s story is enriched
by a unique, complementary portfolio of skills as a psychotherapist and shaman.
Luisa uses “cross cultural techniques and contemplation to bypass ego
consciousness so repressed unconsciousness can be brought to the surface.”
While psychotherapy is accepted as a common process to facilitate growth and
change, shamanism is less widely-known, and the combination of both skills,
rare. Luisa feels that her model of healing both honors her own familial
experience and history, and overcomes the limits of ‘talk therapy’.
There has been considerable
study of the convergence between Jung’s ideas and shamanism, particularly the
presence of the sacred in nature and the importance of nature in reconnecting
with the soul. Luisa’s unique model, which she teaches in workshops and to
healing professionals, abides in this crossroad, and celebrates the values and
wisdom in both approaches.
Luisa will be travelling from
Santa Fe, New Mexico to be at The Jung Center on Saturday, November 1 to
present a lecture on her personal journey of transformation, and afternoon
experiential workshop to help others on their journey. Together, the two events
create a context for dynamic dialogue and the sharing of valuable resources
with those on the path to greater self-awareness.
Online registration is
available by clicking here, by calling 713-524-8253
or visiting the Jung Center at 5200 Montrose Boulevard.
