One of the main experiences of my personal story is that I lost my father at a very young age. Without a solid male role model, and struggling with the unstable self-esteem that came with this, I felt lost for many years both in work and in relationships. I kept searching for a sense of relief: sometimes through addictions, sometimes in a new job, or in the arms of a new relationship. I was always running outward, trying to postpone the moment of facing the anxiety and shame I carried within. This continued until a herniated disc literally stopped me in escaping outward, and forced me into deep self-inquiry. By then, I had reached a dead end in all three key areas of life: career, relationships, and health. It was the lowest point I had ever experienced.
In the summer of 2015, my right leg became partially paralyzed, but I declined surgery. With no more external anchors to hold on to, there was only one direction left: inward. It was time to face my vulnerability and my weaknesses. That’s when I began therapy and started attending self-awareness groups. As the process deepened, I became increasingly passionate about psychology. I read voraciously and soon realized I had become something of a “training tourist.”
As therapy and self-inquiry became a natural part of my life, I started noticing signs of healing, both in my body and in my emotional balance. This experience deepened my trust in inner work and further ignited my enthusiasm for psychology.
Eventually, this path led me to the Integral Academy, where I found a cohesive framework through integral psychology, one that gave structure to all the knowledge and insights I had gathered previously.