October 24, 2009 Overcomers Authors Blog Tour Interview
Philip R. Belzunce, Ph.D., ND, LSMFT, RPE, CPC, MH and
Lalei E Gutierrez-Belzunce Ph.D., LSMFT, RPE, CPC
Philip Belzunce Ph.D., ND, LSMFT, RPE, CPC, MH, integrative psychologist, naturopath, holistic life/relationship coach, marriage/family therapist, diversity consultant, international lecturer, energetic bodyworker, hypnotherapist, iridologist, martial artist, Taoist teacher, married priest, is an eternal student of life. He authored What Really Matters is the Heart, and Heart Shadows. He derives great satisfaction in serving with a Higher Purpose, facilitating individuals, couples, families and groups through life transitions and transformations for growth, healing, and well-being, . To know more of his collaborative teamwork with his wife/partner, go to www.tenpathwaysofhealinglove.com, www.phillalei.com to find out how to reconnect with your body-emotion-energy-mind-soul-spirit (BEEMSS) Life Journey.
Lalei E. Gutierrez Ph.D., LSMFT, RPE, CPC is a holistic psychologist, life/relationship and spiritual coach, couples system and diversity consultant whose practice reflects her love and gratitude to serve with a Higher Purpose, individuals, couples, families, groups and the world community through their life journeys, transitions, aspirations, transformative process and well-being. She integrates Gestalt therapy, energy body process work, couples and family systems process, diversity, imagery, dreamwork, EFT, EMDR, TaiChiChiKung, polarity, soulwork and spirituality in her work To learn of her collaborative body-emotion-energy-mind-spirit process and practice (BEEMSS) method, check www.PhilLalei.com, and their e-book for Healing Love relationships www.TenPathwaysofHealingLove.com
1. How did you get started writing?
Phil: I started writing for my soul’s journey in a journal during grieving my mother’s death in 1994. I shared my journal a year later with Lalei, who encouraged me to publish “What Really Matters is the Heart”. Another book, “Heart Shadows” began upon my father’s death in 1998. Both books were spiritually moved and flowed. It was a healing process to write them. When Spirit gifted us a dog, a process on its own, Lalei and I co-authored a children’s book, “Once upon a Doggie” which we completed one Sunday morning, when we had a joyful collective dream.
Lalei: writing for me was professional for workshops and classes we teach. But the stirrings and encouragements to write our stories and what we can contribute had been there coming as a sense of restlessness, a message from Spirit knocking in our dreams and comments from people. The time has when we said ‘YES”, a writing coach and editor(s) showed up in 2008, and an email from Lynne to write for Overcomers INC came in bold PRINT…no more to be postponed.
2. What do you do when you are not writing?
Phil: professionally, Lalei and I have our holistic and integral private practices individually and together, wherein we coach individuals, couples, groups, families. We are energetic body process and polarity practitioners. We also train and consult with health care practitioners, teach diversity professionals, coach, lead workshops in diversity, ten pathways of healing love for individuals and couples, facilitate holistic growth groups for individuals and couples and consult and coach with small family businesses. We are faculty of the Gestalt Institute, Diversity Management Program at Cleveland State University and with the Ohio Institute of Energetic Studies and Bodywork. I also practice as a naturopath. Lalei co-leads women’s Goddess groups.
Lalei: Personally, we are now grandparents of 4 of our own and 9 from our siblings. We value living and practicing a holistic and integral life and relationship style of being. We practice what we teach and see ourselves as a healing partnership of love, transforming our world by first transforming ourselves. Our day involves daily meditation, prayer, fitness, wellness and healing exercises as yoga, chi kung, pilates, movement. We are choiceful in preparing mostly living raw foods and foster health awareness for ourselves, our community and our environment. We are involved in the service of health, healing and wellness and supporting others to have options for their empowerment, growth and freedom.
3. What would readers like to know about you?
We are a conscious marrying (use present tense vs past tense in ‘married’) couple,
passionate about our healing partnership, being the microcosm in a macrocosm of the world’s pattern of relations. We see our contribution as being choicefully transformative in our process, and how that may impact generations to come, starting with our family to be healing presences of love, overcoming adversities that strengthen individuals, couples, families, groups, communities in harnessing co-creatively and collaboratively.
4. What inspired you to be a contributing author in Overcomers, Inc.,
Phil: When we were invited by Lynne, we knew that it was time to share our stories of Overcoming Adversity…and from which we draw our Soul’s Higher Purposes and our Spiritual Journey in this earth.
Lalei: I am inspired to be a contributing author of Overcomers, Inc. and join other overcomers at a time when the current world situation in almost every level of society and our country is undergoing massive adversities shaking all levels of system and the world as we know. I am honored to be part of this endeavor and contribute to bring Light and Healing Love in our world community.
5. Why is the topic of Overcoming important to you?
Lalei: Overcoming is important to me as a process of Coming Over to the Call of Spirit to live authentically and with integrity. Adversities present themselves in our lives as opportunities for us to hear the Call– to face our fears, de-structure and heal unhealthy beliefs, connect within deeply, to learn forgiveness of ourselves and of others, to touch our spiritual essences, to connect with our Higher Purpose of Love and know the Links of our unique Being-ness to our ONEness as a Global humanity. Overcoming renews our relationship with the Divine Love that embraces us all and see us through to discover the miracles of the ever-Present moment. Through overcoming adversity, I come close to God. As Mother Teresa has said, “she meets God in every human soul being she serves.”
6. Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
We, individually and as a couple, have Overcome adversities that spanned, familial, cultural, religious, diversity, social, political, economic, personal, relational realms. Perhaps destiny has trained us by the circumstances we each have faced in our lives, we have also taken these adversities to propel us in fields of study, taking the opportunities for understanding the soul, studying human behavior, in psychology, family therapy, relational and group dynamics, energetic studies, metaphysics, hypnosis, holistic health, healing therapies. We have been in combined practice for more than 50 years…and have help so many overcome adversities.
7. How many books have you written?
1. our dissertations (unpublished)
2. Choices of the Heart (unpublished)
3. Pairs Polarity in Significant Relationships: Becoming Aware of our Interpersonal Elements (manuscripts)
4. 2 published: Heart Shadows, and What Really Matters is the Heart
5. 1 E-book
6. Chapters of Phil and Lalei in Overcomers are just the tip of the ice-berg.
We are encouraged by many to write our personal couple story…we have
chapters here and there.
7. BEEMSS
8. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
Belzunce, Phil, What Really Matters is the Heart (hard copy) translated to e-book
In this heartfelt and life-affirming novel, Phil Belzunce, relationship psychologist share with us his journey of grieving the death of his mother. He tenderly shares his passage along the pathways of healing, laying out for the reader the profound impact of our primal ties to our mothers. Here we are guided into the windows of healing in the depths of our soul, teaching us when we can embrace the grieving process, we actually join with the forces of life.
Belzunce, Phil, Heart Shadows, (hard copy) novel translated to e-book
Heart Shadow’s takes us on the journey of a couple’s struggle facing and moving through life’s challenges. Here we discover how thiscouple receives the news of the wife’s medical diagnosis and their journey of healing. The author, Phil Belzunce beautifully weaves for us real-life recollections of his own healing journey breathtakingly laying out for us our own levels of insight, awareness and forgiveness on our own paths of discovery.
Belzunce, Phil & Gutierrez, Lalei, Once Upon a Doggie, (hard copy) translated to e-book
This refreshing children’s novel is a puppy’s lively journey to discover both who he is and how he gives back to our world.
Once Upon a Doggie teaches us to be ourselves, exactly as we are and that is our greatest gift and our contribution.
Belzunce, Phil & Gutierrez, Lalei, Ten Pathways of Healing Love: A Journey of Transformation (e book) www.tenpathwaysofhealinglove.com.
Imagine having a guidebook for your intimate relationship, one that will help you gracefully move through the challenges in your partnership
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
We have an editor-word designer who keeps us on track. We meet regularly. We share what is present and what is in our minds-heart-spirit regarding the pathway on hand, she records what we are saying, and send it back to us in an email. It stimulates our us to write and send it back to her. The process has been going on for a year now and we hope to see this process soon complete and on line.
10. Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
We write for Love and Passing on Forward. We write to share and inspire others and as Spirit moves us. We would welcome the energetic flow of money to fund the cause of Healing Love for couples and families and the co-creation of Healing Love for the transformation of our world to one of peace and love where love can hold the diversity of life and the global heart beats for All.
11. What makes you proud about your involvement with Overcomers, Inc.?
Being part of an international group of authors who are making a difference in the world, through Overcoming Adversity with Grace and Transforming our world.
12. Will you write more books? YES Definitely.
13. What does the future hold for you and your books?
We would like to see a book written by couples and families who have overcome adversity together. There are special dynamics involved in couples that lend themselves to overcoming adversity in their journey of love and transformation.
(Lynne and Kathleen – we would love to do this with you).
14. What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
It is uplifting and inspiring. It is a companion for those going through their dark night of the soul. It comforts to know that in adversity is the possibility for one’s calling. It is a support to know that other have made it through and we are not alone.
15. What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
- search for meaning
- different perspectives…seeing out of the box
- creative ideas
- soulful moments
- silent retreats
- compassionate understanding
- inspiration
- empowering encouragement
- supports
16. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
Movement, music, play, silence, meditation, nature, out of the box, haiku,
Brainstorming, laughter, dialogical process in groups, calling upon my spirit guides,
Listening to my Dreams. Etc
17. What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
People like Lynne, Kathleen --- supports
18. Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
We brought our dog to signings…and he knew how to attract folks.
19. If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
We usually tell a story as to what brought us to write the book and our energy and excitement…and how we were moved and touched.
20. What is your final message to our readers?
May you find the blessings of higher purpose, love, joy, growth, healing, well-being, gratitude and peace in overcoming the adversities that grace your life journey. May you truly know in your tissues, cells, in your bones and in your soulful spirit, that All the Universe is truly here on your side with Love.
To get your own copy of Overcomers, Inc.,True Stories of Hope, Courage and Inspiring AND enjoy dozens of wonderful gifts with your purchase go to
http://phillalei.com
