About Kristen
Kristen Grace Tussey is a Jungian therapist and a licensed professional counselor with over 20 years experience working with individuals, couples, children and families. Her creative, grounded, body centered approach serves the heart of the matter and she draws from a deep and wide toolbox of practical, powerful modalities that illuminate, transform and inspire.
“A therapist needs to ask me questions because I find it hard to open up. Kristen provides a place of safety where I can be me. The ego is not us. Kristen sees and supports the real in me.”
Kristen’s unique counseling approach holds both a transpersonal, transcendent view and a step-by-step, practical sense of what is needed now for healing and growth at the deepest levels of soul work. She centers every session in present-time, and listens to whatever arises with a heart-mind of responsiveness, fully engaging what is to help, heal, support and empower you!
Kristen is trained in the Jungian world of depth psychology. She listens for the symbolic language of soul that moves in the deepest part of your psyche, expressing as inner dreams, visions and imagery and the dream of your life, revealing archetypal themes and stories. Their meaning helps you see and own your inner gifts and beauties, and humbly embrace the rejected and unwanted parts of you. Whatever arises is welcome. To see and allow is love itself.
Kristen’s soul work orientation is a personal and professional dedication. She lives her devotion to God as consciousness - the awareness Presence of wholeness being - and meets her life with full engagement to share this love. She draws upon decades of experience in counseling and mentoring others, and over 30 years of experience on the spiritual path of Dharma and non-duality which holds all in love, truth and beauty.
“The beginning session put a name to my fear. Within a couple of weeks my daily life was better. As we healed the trauma, I felt stronger and more able to be myself. We continued to unravel all kinds of things that happened in my life. Our work together shifted my perspective, which was really cool, and she shared with me tools I use in daily ways.”
Grounded in Education & Experience
1998 Enneagram Personality Typology – Extensive training & experience
1998 Neuro-Linguistic Programming Masters level certification in NLP
2002 MA Depth Counseling Psychology - Pacifica Graduate Institute
2002 – 2007 Naropa University - Adjunct faculty in Transpersonal Psychology Dept. & Enneagram Teacher
2008 Licensed as a Professional Counselor (LPC)
Kristen is an Enneagram Personality Typology expert. She has trained extensively with countless Enneagram teachers including Don Riso, Russ Hudson and Tom Condon. For over twenty years, she taught the Enneagram in educational, business, coaching and counseling settings.
Kristen trained extensively in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). She gained knowledge, communication skills, modeling tools, and powerful methods to navigate her own journey and coach others to do the same.
Kristen earned a Masters Degree in Depth Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. The school’s motto is Animus Mundi, “for the sake of tending the soul and the world.” Here, she trained in Jungian depth psychology.
Kristen taught at Naropa University from 2002-2007, serving as adjunct faculty in Naropa’s Transpersonal Psychology Department.
Her diverse experiences in the mental health field include working in county mental health systems, in emergency psychiatric services, and on a child and family team. Continuing education and experience over the years include training in dream work, sand tray, play therapies, EMDR Basics and Hakomi.
For years she specialized in trauma work and has now turned toward transpersonal integration counseling as her primary focus.
“I’ve been in lots of different therapies in my life. As I think of my year and a half working with Kristen, I breathe a deep sigh of satisfaction. From her Jungian Enneagram, Diamond Heart, and somatic approaches not only do I feel like I’ve grown and deepened but my soul is so happy to be tended like this. I feel more mature and integrated, and am living more authentically than ever.”
Kristen’s Soul Journey
My soul journey was written last. At first, I felt resistance to writing it and didn’t feel to share so personally. But then I realized that if I didn’t share my journey, I had no authority to guide you on yours.
Everything we have actually lived, gives us depth of real experience without which counseling remains theoretical and conceptual. Only living experience endows a therapist with wisdom.
All human journeys move in unexpected ways and we are shaped by what we live. My own journey and the events of my life unfolded to teach, train, awaken and heal this character.
In hindsight, I see that at every turn along the meandering path, I was gifted knowledge and experience I can now offer to you through the unique combination of elements woven into Transpersonal Integration Counseling. Truly, none of us can fathom the winding path we travel to unfold the soul patterns we manifest.
I share this story openly now. In truth, history has lost its personal-ness. I do not identify as the character or the story though I claim its power as experience.
The chapters of life continue to flow as in a dream. And I offer it all wholeheartedly to you, here and now. Partake as you wish….
Teachers & Influences
Throughout the soul journey adventure significant influences guide and support us. Ancestors, teachers, healers, mentors and wisdom beings are allies. The force of beauty moves in myriad ways - as flower essences, animal beings, water, wind, earth and fire. Paths and lineages reveal teachings and truth. Writers and poets illuminate unseen worlds. And the depth of awareness being knows all.
The crack in my soul from a young age opened me to powerful influences. All my life I felt connection to God’s Presence, guidance, the resonant flavor of Yes. The physical and energetic allies of love, intelligence, generosity and goodness that influenced me are too numerous to name but I know in my bones the truth that forces outside myself made me what I am. Through powerful relationships over many years with profound teachers, I have been changed, again and again. Many of them have already been mentioned through my story, and now with gratitude, appreciation and love, I want to name and honor a few significant and forever friends here:
I met Lama Drimed Norbu in 1998. He is a Dzogchen Lineage master in the Buddha Dharma from whom I directly received the path’s empowerments and teachings. He was my “Guru” for years, and for more than twenty years we are Spiritual Friends. His Presence in my life is priceless.
I engaged profound soul work with Linda Krier of Diamond Heart school in Boulder from 2007-2010. Together, our work unveiled and released the depths of trauma in this body-mind. These experiences expanded my conscious awareness of the process of healing. I recognized soul imagery, voice, feelings and felt the agony-ecstasy of knotted pain releasing and dissolving which helped me better understand the language of body in soul work. I am forever grateful.
In 2009, I met Paul and Patty Richards and entered Sente Center training. Paul is a gifted Seer, teacher and creative genius. Patty inspires powerful feminine presence and motion. For more than a decade I dedicated myself to engaging in the science and art of profound motion, extraordinary relationship, nuanced perception and subtle energetics that support effective empowered living. Their teachings and attention has deeply changed me.
My life is more my own as I stay home in my center and move in greater unity. My voice is softer, slower and I now intend to say in words what I would say from the depth and Presence I am. Thank you for the years of profound motion and change.
In 2015, I met Ernie Thayer, a non-dual awakened, love-and-humor-filled counselor and my beloved friend. We began a living process of dissolution to clear my life of problems, false beliefs and emotional blocks to true nature. Ernie has been my mirror of love, truth and impersonal awareness – just the medicine needed for the completion of this work in 2020.
Following his thread of non-duality, I am currently engaged on the direct path of awareness being with Rupert Spira and continue to deepen in knowing and stabilize love’s unchanging Presence for the benefit of all.
I moved to Ashland Oregon in 2008 for family reasons and Dharma devotion. Aligned with Ashland’s conscientious and heart-based community, I offer a variety of Counseling services and offerings – both in my office at 233 4th Street and serving clients worldwide via video and phone work.
More detailed information on my treatment approach can be found in the Orientation to Soul Work.