MICHAEL CASTEEL, founder of SOULutions, is a transformational life coach and ordained minister specializing in the field of transpersonal, or spiritual psychology. He begin his full time Atlanta practice January 2000. SOULutions is dedicated to the practice of healing through authentic connections to our spiritual core. Unlike other schools of psychological thought, transpersonal or spiritual psychotherapy works to fully integrate the mind, body and spirit. In Michael's practice, he works to move people beyond the limitations of their ego to meet and utilize their authentic self, their spirit. 

Michael's qualifications include a formal education in psychology and theology and over 30 years of study and teaching of spiritual healing and transformation. In addition to being an ordained minister, Michael holds professional certifications from the Life Coaching Institute and Association of Rebirthers International.

Michael, the son of a Baptist preacher begin his studies at Bob Jones University.  He decided that a traditional Christian education to seminary wasn't his path.  Michael decided to study healing with spiritual practices instead of pursuing the ministry. Michael has studied the schools of religious faith from all over the world and in the process, discover the commonality they all have, which is a desire to connect to God or Spirit. Michael them began his studies of healing practices from all over the world.  Michael's other professional certifications in healing modalities include meditation techniques, breathwork, hypnotherapy, energy medicine, acupressure, yoga, neuro-linguistic programming, music and tone therapy, couples therapy techniques and emotional release therapies.

In addition, Michael has studied with numerous master-teachers and researchers including Stansilov Grof, Richard Moss, Hal and Sidra Stone of the Enneagram Institute, Ellie Harold, Fernand Poulin, and Sondra Ray. Michael has done extensive research into the work of Carl Jung, Ken Wilbur, Martin Seligman, John Ruskin, Arjuna Ardargh, Martin Seligman and Deepak Chopra.  He has further studied in great depth the writings and philosophies of Father Thomas Keating, Thomas Merton, Teihard de Chardin, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Eckhart Tolle.

While Michael has helped hundreds of people find authentic healing experiences in his private practice, he has also developed numerous programs for both groups and individual therapy.  His programs for individuals include the Awakening to Wholeness personal transformation process and the Moving from Ego to Essence, Learning to Live  from Spirit program. Awakening was designed to move individuals beyond what Eckhart Tolle refers to as the pain body to find their Soul or spiritual self.   For persons who have had spiritual experiences or been in the practice of a religious faith for year, Ego to Essence can deepen your Spirit connection.

Michael is the creator of  Conscious Integrative Breath Therapy that has guided over 6000 people around the world to spiritual breakthrough experiences  both privately and in groups through his Breath of Life Experiences.  Using a combination of breathwork, meditation and guided, hypnotherapy, Michael is able to release the repressed emotional energy stored in the body to help facilitate healing and accelerate the therapy process.

Michael's imaginative blend of meditation, modern neurological and bio-feedback techniques, along with guided hypnotherapy has helped people break through destructive behavior patterns and create new and healthier lives for themselves. By combining these guided meditations with his Breath of Life process, Michael has been able to help people heal from depression, anxiety disorders, sexual trauma, panic disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, weight management and eating disorders, anger management, social dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, destructive behavior patterns, repressed memories and numerous other treatment-resistant conditions.

"Traditional therapy breaks down in that it negotiates with the ego to give up behavior that was created to protect the individual from more hurt. The ego's job is to protect the individual from physical and emotional pain is not going to give up the strategies it uses to do its job, no matter how self-destructive they may be. To truly heal and change the behavior patterns that have prevented you from living your fullest, deepest, most conscious life, you have to stop negotiating with the ego and stop working from your Essence, or Spirit," explains Michael.

To help his clients accomplish their goals, Michael has created several therapeutic processes such as the Core Wound to Core Purpose, Integrated Strengths, and extensive work with  diagramming the personality.  These original therapeutic techniques first help clients identify the most painful moments in their life that created destructive protection strategies.  Then Michael gently helps create an awareness of both the pain and the positive that resulted from these ego protection strategies.

All of the methods used in Michael's practice and programs have roots in solid, proven research from the leading experts in the fields of transpersonal psychology, positive psychology (the use of behavior management to create positive life strategies) integrative psychology (blending the body, mind and spirit to a state of wholeness), energy release medicine and healing (yoga, meditation, prayer practices and breathwork). All of Michael's programs create safe and sacred environments for people to experience an authentic intimacy with the deepest and most sacred parts of themselves and Spirit.

Michael has created a number of group healing workshops and seminar series.  The FIRE of Wholeness Breakthrough Experience was designed to move people quickly from their core wound to core purpose saving years of therapy. This new transformational program challenges individuals to move beyond our ego's need to either suppress (the fear of not being enough) or desire to impress (becoming separate by feeling superior) and guide them to the soul's deepest longing: To fully express our uniqueness in service to Spirit and Life - In other words, Wholeness.

The SOAR Spirit of Awareness Retreat, a program similar to FIRE of Wholeness, was especially designed for Christians. In the organized Christian religions, practitioners are taught to set aside time to pray, or speak to God daily.  But they  are not taught hold to discipline their minds to "be still and know that I am God". Jesus began his ministry by retreating for 40 day into the wilderness for quiet prayer, contemplation and meditation.  This powerful skill of learning to be still and listen to what God has to say to you can deepen your faith and heal the most painful wounds of your life.  While Jesus came to free us from our sinful nature, very few Christians understand or claim this birthright of complete freedom to SOAR beyond the limits of their ego.

In a world full of negativity and pessimism, The MAPSS to Wholeness program was designed to ask the question, "What is right with me?"  Using powerful tools of positive psychology, Michael helps participants find their strengths, gifts and true purpose.  To live the kind of life we all want, first we must understand our individuality and our true calling.

One of the most effective tools today for changing self-defeating behavior and creating a life of unlimited potential is through shadow work.  Shadow work is integrative psychology that diagrams the individual personality structure and looks at all the parts of the ego that has been disowned, buried or hidden. Examining these parts of our personality that cause us shame gives us information about how we over compensate to avoid having them exposed. In Michael's program, Embrace Your Shadow, The Necessary Embrace, participants learn self-acceptance and self-forgiveness. It is impossible to ever truly love someone else until we have learned to love ourselves.

All of Michael's programs have one goal in mind and this it to combine the trinity qualities of strength, compassion and Spirit with the ever growing and deepening experience of Peace, Passion, Purpose, Power and Presence. It is only when we create an aware ego connected to our spiritual self, or Essence can we fully take possession of our body and our life.  It is only when we have combined our mind, body and soul can we begin to live our deepest, fullest life of purpose and passion.