Meet Dr Toula Gordillo
Hello, I’m Dr Toula, an Australian clinical and Jungian psychologist and the creator of Story Image Therapy (SIT®) and SIT Shadow Work™.
For over thirty years, I’ve supported people from diverse backgrounds using creative, holistic approaches to personal growth and transformation.
My work is especially helpful for those seeking deeper insight beyond regular talk or cognitive therapies.
As a writer, teacher and healer, I offer scientifically supported tools to help people better understand themselves. I do this through Story Image Therapy sessions, workshops and the Shadow Self program.
What is Story Image Therapy?
Story Image Therapy (commonly known as “sit” as in to sit and reflect) is an innovative psychotherapy by Dr Toula Gordillo. It blends modern psychological science with ancient philosophical wisdom.
What is Story Image Therapy?
Other SIT features include:
- It uses symbolic stories and images grounded in research, people’s lived experience and the work of Swiss psychiatrist, Dr Carl Jung.
- It’s psychodynamic and transpersonal, meaning it focuses on everyone’s unconscious influences, including our own.
- It assists with clinical issues (anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma etc.) as well as offers enhanced personal and professional development.
Reflecting on symbolic stories and images, guided by a trained SIT coach, counsellor or therapist, allows deeper insight to emerge without blame or judgement.
This deeper work is known as SIT Shadow Work™.
Key feature of SIT
Story Image Therapy uses the best of both worlds: the wisdom and knowledge of our ancestors combined with the clarity and structure of modern science
What is SIT Shadow Work?
Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, Dr Carl Jung described the shadow self as hidden parts of our personality that we push away as we grow.
We often hide these aspects of ourselves because they feel too uncomfortable, painful or not acceptable to us or others.
What is SIT Shadow Work?
Even though we tend to avoid the shadow, it holds important insight when analysed. Such reflection helps us to grow when we learn to understand our shadow, instead of rejecting it.
SIT Shadow Work is the practical application of Story Image Therapy. It helps people to work on the shadow-like part of themselves, their Shadow Self. This includes aspects they dislike or those that have existed since their childhood or teen years, e.g., addictive behaviour, self-sabotage or buried emotions.
SIT Shadow Work is in three stages: 1. Shadow Recognition, 2. Shadow Embrace and 3. Shadow Integration. According to Jung, unresolved unconscious patterns (called complexes in our shadow) must be integrated so we can live our best life.
By integrating the shadow, people can:
Understand themselves more deeply
Bring together mind, body and spirit for total wellbeing
Create lasting change using insight and practical tools
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Trusted By Professionals & Clients
Ask most business owners and managers what challenges them most and they will likely answer ‘staff’ or ‘office politics’. Being adept at working with different personalities and communication styles can be the difference between successful business and failure; between a collegiate workplace, and low morale. Dr Toula’s books should be read by all business owners, and her programs and workshops integrated into employee orientation.
"I've been in charge of several government teams and I truly believe that any thought leader or manager should do their own shadow work to develop professionally. Based on research and proven to be effective, SIT Shadow Work™ is the best there is."
Dr Toula is extremely passionate about helping people to unlock and discover their unconscious patterns or blockages preventing them from achieving their goals. Understanding how I can unlock the power of my unconscious mind, through stories and images, has helped me personally. It has also provided me with extremely useful tools I can use with my coaching clients. I highly recommend Dr Toula for you, your staff or clients.
Based upon what I had read in The Rise of Jung in Me, I shared [with my client] the stories of the Frog and Scorpion and the Caring Continuum. This led into a wonderful discussion regarding listening to one’s intuition, followed by somatic work… I’m finding the book very helpful as a therapist and a father.
