Es Gallegos, PhD

Born in New Mexico, USA, Steve Gallegos grew up immersed in the region’s rich cultural tapestry. Of Native American, English, and Irish descent, he was raised within the local Hispanic culture, becoming fluent in both English and Spanish. A naturally gifted craftsman, Steve excelled in woodcarving, leatherwork, silverwork, drawing, and painting from an early age. Despite his intellectual brilliance, he found school restrictive and unappealing.

After serving in the military, Steve pursued higher education, earning his bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin, a master’s at New Mexico State University, and a Ph.D. in Psychology at Florida State University. From 1967 to 1981, he was a professor of psychology at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Following 14 years in academia, Steve transitioned to a psychotherapy residency in Oregon, where he became a practicing psychotherapist.

While in Oregon, Steve experienced a profound spiritual awakening that transformed his life. This journey is detailed in his book, The Personal Totem Pole Process (ISBN 9780944164099). Reflecting on this pivotal moment, he wrote:

“I spontaneously met the aliveness rooted in my energy centers, presenting primarily as animals. These encounters required access through the knowing of the deep imagination. I realized that the teacher I had sought all my life was, in fact, within my imagination and had always been there.”

This revelation inspired Steve to guide others in connecting with their inner animals and rediscovering the wisdom of the deep imagination. He dedicated his life to teaching and conducting workshops worldwide, sharing his work across the United States, Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Macedonia, Portugal, and Australia. His legacy lives on through the countless individuals he touched with his deep understanding of the human psyche and imagination.

Since that early experience, I have understood that there needs to be an ongoing relationship between our capacity to think and the realm of the deep imagination which is in fact very alive. I felt called to work with people helping them to meet the alivenesses in themselves that appear through the deep imagination. My task was to help initiate an ongoing relationship between their thinking mind and the realm of the deep imagination. And I have observed people heal, change, grow, and become deeply trusting of themselves as a result.

ES Gallegos, Unpublished.