Newsletter
WINTER SOLSTICE 2007

”The unrelated human being lacks wholeness, for he can achieve wholeness only through the soul, and the soul cannot exist without its other side, which is always found in a ‘You.’” --C. G. Jung

THE SYMBOLIC LIFE
   In his article “The Psychology of the Child Archetype” C. G. Jung wrote: “The most that we can do is to dream the myth onwards and give it a modern dress.” Perhaps no one in our age has succeeded in doing this more than J. R. R. Tolkien in his novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. These novels are rich in symbolism and reflect numerous critical elements in the psychological journey to wholeness. The symbolic life awakens the “childhood” of the human psyche, that place in us that resonates with the primordial images through which the human mind first made sense of the world around it. In his more theoretical works Tolkien wrote: “Indeed only by myth making, only by becoming a ‘sub creator’ and inventing stories, can man aspire to the state of perfection the he knew before the Fall.” Psychologically the “Fall” would represent leaving behind the wisdom of the human imagination and the symbolic language of the soul.

Tolkien lived his theoretical beliefs by creating a moving and enduring myth. Books are still emerging exploring the meaning of Tolkien’s work. Each year Tolkien offered an imaginative gift to his four children by sending them letters from Father Christmas. These engaging missives became enduring testaments to Tolkien’s effort to nurture the living imagination of his children. They have been collected into a coffee table volume titled Letters from Father Christmas.

The Lord of the Rings contains numerous symbols that are especially relevant to this time of year. One theme of the season is that of gift giving. In our culture, while it can reach manic and compulsive proportions, it can still be a uniquely creative endeavor. In the character of the Elf Queen Galadriel we see an example of gift giving in its most relevant and timely form.

When the Fellowship of the Ring arrives in her home of Lothlorien, she perceives the deepest desires of each member’s heart. As a symbol of the anima archetype par excellence, she understands what lies in each man’s unconscious. She leads two of the Hobbit members, Frodo and Sam, to her special “mirror,” whereby she pours water from a stream into a silver basin into which they each can gaze. As if in a dream, Frodo and Sam can see glimpses of the past, present, and future. Later Galadriel will give each of them a gift most relevant to what they have seen, though they do not realize it at the time.

To Frodo, the Ring-bearer, she gives a small crystal phial in which is contained the light of Earendil’s star, a mythic reality of an earlier age. She tells him that it will shine bright when night is about him. “May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” Later the remembrance of this phial by Frodo and his faithful companion Sam is critical to their quest. Indeed, when they use it Sam realizes that they are actually a part of an ongoing myth, the old stories continue to live, and they are carrying them forward.

Part of what Sam saw in the mirror was the destruction of trees in his pastoral home, the Shire. He desired immediately to return home to make things right, but if he did, Galadriel warned, if he turned from his appointed path, what he saw might come to fruition. Sam chooses to stay his path with Frodo, but when he returns home, he finds the Shire in the ruined conditions of his vision in Galadriel’s mirror. But then he remembers her gift to him: a little box with the earth from her orchard, and when he spreads the grains of earth that it contains, the trees and growing things of his beloved Shire are eventually restored. May we all give and receive such gifts this Yuletide season!

PROFESSIONAL UPDATES
   Janet Blaser is beginning to form two therapy groups that will meet in 2008. The first is for couples. Janet will be helping couples examine their relationships through the lens of Jung’s typology. The second group will be for adolescents and will be based on symbolism of the Harry Potter stories. Members will work in a variety of artistic media. Both groups will run for four weeks. Call Janet at the Counseling Center for further information.

We recently welcomed two new staff members. Brian Clarke hails originally from Ireland and brings a rich personal background to his current work including ten years in the Peace Corp. He received his Masters Degree from Cal State Northridge and is interested in the psychology of trauma and has studied EMDR therapy. He most recently was working at the Outpatient Program at Glendale Memorial Hospital.

Nathalie Fine attended Pacifica Graduate Institute for her Masters Degree. Though she received her undergraduate degree in psychology, she began a career in the fashion industry, before numerous inner and outer experiences led her towards Jungian psychology and a career path directly related to working with the psyche. She also works at Open Paths Counseling Center in Culver City.

Rita Bazeley has dipped into her past work as an interior designer to update the offices at Coldwater Counseling. She has added many aesthetic personal touches to give our spaces more warmth. Thank you Rita!

Tia Galipeau, our clinic director, will be teaching a course on Jung’s article “The Philosophical Tree” for candidates at the Jung Institute in 2008. Tree symbolism and life with trees has been a passion of Tia’s for many years.

Steve Galipeau, our Executive Director, just finished a series on J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and in 2008 will be teaching a class on Myth, Literature, and Religious Studies, one on Myth, Fairytales, and Amplification as well as other lecturing.

STAFF APPLICATIONS
   We are always interested in hearing from any licensed therapist, MFT Intern, or LCSW Associate interested in working in a clinical environment that provides an opportunity for supervision in depth psychotherapy. Applicants should be actively pursuing some form of their own depth analysis (we prefer Jungian analysis) and have completed their degree (or be close to doing so). Call us at (818) 508-0703 or email us at info@coldwatercounselingcenter.org for further information. We can send you a description of our part-time staff position.

DONATIONS
   Your contributions help the Center fulfill its mission of offering quality services at the most affordable fees possible. You thus assist us as we seek to bring light to those we serve. All donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated! In the past we have received donations through the Network for the Good, and our Board has created a site at Firstgiving.com where donations can be made to us online. We receive all of the funds with direct donations; the websites take a small percentage. The Firstgiving or Network for the Good websites may offer convenience for some people. Our link at Firstgiving is: http://www.firstgivng.com/coldwatercounseling.

SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY
   “I wish I could figure out dreams like some of the Bible people did. Then I would be the smartest kid in my class. Maybe in the whole school.” (Jim, age 8)

As quoted by David Heller in Just Build the Ark and the Animals Will Come

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL STAFF
   EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Steve Galipeau, M.A., M.Div., MFT, Jungian Analyst

CLINIC DIRECTOR
Tia Galipeau, M.A., MFT, Jungian Analyst

INTAKE COORDINATOR
Margreth Knirsch, Ph.D., MFT

THERAPISTS
Rita Bazeley, M.A.
Janet Blaser, M.A., MFT
Todd Bursaw, M.A., MFT
Joyce Burt, M.A., MFT, Jungian Analyst
Brian Clarke, M.S.
Lynn Easley, LCSW
Nathalie Fine, M.A.
Lynn Krown, M.A.
Karen Lipsky, M.A., MFT
Howard Mishkin, Ph.D.
Barney Prentice, M.D, Jungian Analyst
Tim Whetzel, M.A., MFT

OUR LOGO
   People usually come to therapy in some form of darkness. Examining this darkenss in a safe environment can help find the light side and get life moving again. The raven--in some native American mythology--brings the hidden light of the creator to earth for the benefit of human beings left only in darkness.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Steven Galipeau, M.A., M.Div., President
Lisa Heimann, Treasurer
Jack Leonard, M.A., M.Ed., M.Div., Secretary
Athena Carrillo, M.A.