Mariel made the more-obvious-than-it-seems progression from entertainment industry executive to mental health therapist - a move she’s never regretted. Character Mapping brings her clinical wisdom back to the arts. 

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Character Mapping is both a psychological toolbox for building backstory and a process for artistic self-discovery.  Pastor has woven together wisdom from her decades of professional experience to create a psycho-spiritual approach that is uniquely transformative unto itself. 

 

"Stories hold real potential for growth and healing, and not only for the audience.  As a fan I've felt uneasy, and almost parasitic, to know that I was enjoying a performance when the actor, writer, or director was suffering because of the content.  And as an IFS therapist I knew it didn't have to be that way. In fact, it seemed more than possible to find emotional benefit for storytellers who could tend to their vulnerability and add to their strengths."   

Read Character Mapping's backstory here

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Mariel is an author and international trainer for Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, a powerful psycho-spiritual approach developed by Richard Schwartz that brings wholeness and healing to the "multiple characters in our minds”. As a teacher Mariel is known for her ability to make complex topics clear and accessible, with a collaborative style that playfully elicits the inherent wisdom of others.