Personal Totem Pole: Animal Imagery the Chakras and Psychotherapy [Paperback]

Eligio Stephen Gallegos (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0944164080 | ISBN-13: 978-0944164082 | Publication Date: March 1, 1990 | Edition: 2

This is the story of the discovery of the chakra power animals and their remarkable effects in psychotherapy and personal growth. The chakra power animals are the basis for the therapeutic model known as the Personal Totem Pole Process©. The PTPP© is an internationally acclaimed discipline, with practitioners worldwide. It is a unique blend of the theory of active imagination which was developed by Dr. C. G. Jung, the Eastern theoretical orientation which understands the human being as a system of interrelated energies or chakras, and the Native American practice of speaking to and learning from the animals.

The PTPP© has had applications in areas other than Psychotherapy. It has been used on a personal basis by individuals interested in their own growth and healing, by Medical practitioners, by those working with children, on vision quests and by artists and writers and other creative individuals in supporting their own creativity

This classic work is a personal account by Dr. Gallegos of his experiences with his Totem Pole animals and of some of the experiences of his initial clients with theirs.

The book is a gentle introduction to active imagery and is of special interest to any one who wishes to explore the Personal Totem Pole process, either on an individual level or as a therapeutic tool.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eligio Stephen Gallegos, Ph.D is the discoverer of the Personal Totem Pole Process©, a unique and deeply healing method of Deep Interactive imagery, popularly known as the "Animal Work". Dr. Gallegos is at present primarily engaged in training people, including therapists, artists and teachers in The Personal Totem Pole Process© and gives workshops in the use of imagery in growth and psychotherapy in various cities of the US and Europe (Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Austria).

He is a licensed psychologist with degrees from the University of

Wisconsin, New Mexico State University and Florida State University.

He taught at Mercer University, Macon, Georgia between 1967- 1981. Steve also worked as a psychotherapist for some years in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

He was also a Vision Quest leader for many years. He is the founder and CEo of Moon Bear Press and is Co-founder of the Returning to Earth Institute. He is also Honorary Director of The International Institute for Visualization Research.

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Moon Bear Pr; 2 edition (March 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944164080
• ISBN-13: 978-0944164082
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #313,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opening up to yhe richness of visualisation, December 12, 1999

By 

Yves Chavanne (Dublin Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Personal Totem Pole: Animal Imagery the Chakras and Psychotherapy (Paperback)

I realy liked the book. I like Steve's Humour and his obvious love for and faith with the process. He realy has taped into something obviously very profound and powerfull. He deserves a lot of tanks for taking the risk to sound crazy, and share his rediscovery of an ancient power that was forgoten or ignored or despised by a modern, materialistic word. It is a very refreshing read and Steve's sharing of his journeys makes it like reading a novel or better an adventure book. His animals are so creative, so wise and so funny you have to fall in love with them. Each journey despite being personal carries a universal message. What a wonderfull and magical way to connect with one's inner-wisdom! What a nontreatening way to deal with deep hurts and heal the past. Should be recommanded to anyone who wants to reconect with their own inner powers of self healing and self discovery. A lovely and powerfull book, full of humour, common sense and oportunities. Yves A. Chavanne

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, no "how to" Book, a marketing brochure?, April 28, 2006

By 

Joachim Schneider "Joachim Schneider" (Lindenberg, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Personal Totem Pole: Animal Imagery the Chakras and Psychotherapy (Paperback)

I got this book because Seena Frost in her excellent book "Soul collage" explicitly recommends "The Personal Totem Pole" by Eligion Gallegos. Unfortunately Gallegos barely goes beyond narrating therapy sessions with individual clients who talk about what their specific animals mean to them. He hardly mentions how to find the animals in each chakra, he does not discuss the history of totem poles and their relationship to these chakras. The book is 90 % case specific accounts of people and what these animals mean to them. I get the impression the reader is supposed to discover the general applicability of the totem pole process him or herself. This is a book of individual stories perhaps designed to help a therapist work with a client who already knows his or her animals. If you are, however, looking for a book that will help you find your animals this is not it. To me it was very frustrating how the author finds the time to talk in detail about talks he gave on the subject, but finds little time to actually teach the subject.
At the end of the book Galegos does mention his workshop, however, in which I can imagine, people are supposed to learn all the things that for whatever reason he left out of the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good book! touching!, November 13, 2010

By 

I love books "mcdg" (NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Personal Totem Pole: Animal Imagery the Chakras and Psychotherapy (Paperback)

I liked this book a lot. Uncomplicated and straightforward, Gallegos tells of his own meeting with his chakra animals which led him to develop an imagery based psychology. Friends I know have read the book and been inspired to successfully seek their own meetings with chakra animals. Others, like me, have so loved what he talks about that we have studied with him. It is not a book about Totempoles but a book about inner aliveness. The reviewer who complains about the lack of information on totempoles missed the point. The chakra animals can be envisioned as forming your own inner totempole. Gallegos gives very little theory and instead speaks of experiences he has had and his clients have had. In a world were we mistake theory for knowledge, it is refreshing to read some one who does not play that game. There is no jargon or concepts. Just a factual account that by focusing on chakra centers, you can call forth your own imagery... no tricks, no complicated process, no manual, just a simple engagement with deep imagery. The book is over 20 years in print but still offers a simple and clear introduction to Deep Imagery.