Dr. John-Luke Edwards is a Transpersonal Psychotherapist & Shamanic Psychologist with over 28 years experience. He is a Certified Canadian Counsellor, and is a registered counsellor with the Canadian Counselling Association and the Criminal Victims Assistance Program. He is the Presidor and a Minister of The Sacred Circle of The Great Mystery and a Minister of the Circle of the Sacred Earth.
He has worked supporting those caught in the drama of abuse and abusing, working with victims, survivors and perpetrators of sexual abuse. He has also worked as a Spiritual Director, Retreat Facilitator, Aids Counsellor and Loss & Grief Counsellor, and as a tutor of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, and has worked with Canadian First Nations.
John-Luke through his University training acquired National Certificates & Diplomas and qualified as a counsellor and teacher.
He has a Bachelors degree in Education, a Masters in Applied Psychosynthesis, and an MA in Counselling. He has studied Psychodrama & Drama-therapy, and qualified is a Counselling Supervisor & Mentor. He is a qualified EMDR and EFT Practitioner.
He has a PhD in Transpersonal Psychologyand a PhD in Parapsychology.
John-Luke planned, set-up and directed the Simon of Cyrene Sanctuary Aids Hospice, which was the first Aids Hospice outside London and the third in England.
He created The Sacred Space Institute of Counselling & Psychotherapy, which offered the only nationally approved Psychospiritual Psychotherapy training in England, and offered a Psychospiritual clinic for clients, (individuals, groups, and organisations). The teachings within the school were based on Dr. Edward's research and varied learning. These teachings offered theories and principals for working with others and for the transformation of self.
Students trained not only in psychotherapy but in a new spiritual orientated approach to living more authentically.
Studying with Dr. Ahmina Raheem in Process Acupressure and with Jean Sayre-Adams in Therapeutic Touch, he has incorporated bodywork therapies into psychological practice.
Whilst working on his Psychospiritual PhD, John-Luke studied Shamanism with the Isle of Avalon Foundation and after further study and ceremony, was initiated as a Shaman. It was during his final Initiation, when Vision Quest techniques were employed, the initiating Shaman saw a grey wolf walking beside and in a dark forest. It was explained that the wolf symbolised the fearless teacher, who would walk beside the darkness of other's pain and would venture into that darkness to lead the lost into the light. John-Luke was conferred with the Shamanic name of 'Wolf-who-walks-in-the-dark' .The title 'Anam Cara' which means 'Soul Friend' was awarded to him on his graduation.
Developing his Shamanic practice and approach to life, John-Luke instigated a 3 year Shamanic Apprenticeship training in BC Canada and founded the Sacred Circle of the Great Mystery Society in the same province. The Shamanic Society is founded to create, maintain and encourage a Shamanic Community and to open relationships between Shamanic and modern Psychological Practice.
Currently he is involved in research and the establishment and re-animation of The Wolven Path Shamanic Tradition. This northern European Tradition, a so called romantic ‘Celtic’ Shamanism, is a Nordic/Druid Lineage Tradition lost in history to religious repression and extinction of its elders and teachers. This Tradition is taught as part of the Apprenticeship.
John-Luke believes that the issues in our lives that betray our destiny fall out of our fear of Divine loneliness that manifests in a dysfunctional relationship with ourselves. This relationship yearns for completion' the yearning and dysfunction become reflected in all our external relationships.
John-Luke's approach is to be a catalyst in the transformation and emergence of truth in his clients' relationship with themselves --a 'soul alchemist'.
From this perspective John-Luke integrates Shamanic practice and Tradition into the work with clients and groups, seeing Shamanism as a predecessor of modern Psychological process. The Shamanic Traditions call to and connects with the Subconscious Soul of the client or Lamenter and in this way the person themselves engages with a higher conscious perspective of themselves and the life that they find themselves in.
John-Luke works from his Medicine Room in the village of Lions Bay, BC, Canada.
