Author Archive

Now Available: The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny

Now Available:
The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny

The coin lost in the river is found in the river.
—Zen kōan

In The Lost Coin, Stephen Rowley shares his lifelong journey—searching for his birth parents, seeking his true identity, and discovering his soul’s calling. We join him when, as a boy growing up in Iowa, he visits Chicago for the first time and is shocked by blatant racial segregation and sprawling urban poverty. We see Stephen as a young athlete sustaining a life-changing injury, then becoming radicalized at the University of Wisconsin, entering the field of education at Stanford, and becoming a visionary school administrator before being fired by a vindictive Silicon Valley school board.

He plays golf with a Tibetan lama, and experiences transcendence in a vivid dream, ultimately becoming a psychotherapist in his sixties. We witness the heart-rending scene when he and his wife adopt their own son, and we join him for a poignant reunion with his birth mother, who, it turns out, had desperately hoped he might appear in her life after she’d given him up for adoption.

As we accompany Stephen Rowley on this adventurous and reflective journey, we come to understand more deeply the trauma engendered when separating mother from child, and the unspoken restlessness and yearning for connection many adoptees feel.

“It is my hope,” he writes, that we all “may discover the unique capacity within us to heal and even thrive, not in spite of the wounds we carry, but because of them.”

Praise for The Lost Coin

“Dr. Stephen Rowley’s The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny tells the story of the author’s experience as an adopted child and his search for identity and belonging. What sets this book apart is the psychological perspective Rowley brings to the story, as he delves into the complex emotions and experiences that come with adoption—feelings of loss, identity confusion, and the search for oneself through the search for one’s birth family. Rowley does a fantastic job of weaving together his personal narrative with depth psychological insights, making for a deep and thought-provoking read.”
— Stacey Shelby, PhD, Depth Psychotherapist and author of Love and Soul-Making: Searching the Depths of Romantic Love

“An old Zen parable notes that we are all looking for the face we had before the world was made. Given up for adoption as an infant, Stephen Rowley, in The Lost Coin, depicts his multi-decade search for his roots and illustrates this profound drive for self-knowledge. His personal story touches on questions that rise for all of us as we explore the threads of history that brought us to this troubled present.”
— James Hollis, PhD, Jungian Analyst and author of numerous books, most recently The Broken Mirror: Refracted Visions of Ourselves

“As a psychotherapist and an adoptee myself, I was deeply moved by Stephen Rowley’s The Lost Coin. I could feel so well the immense pain involved in the process of separation and adoption, and touched by the reunion of the author and his biological mother. As Jung said, ‘You can only take a client as far as you’ve gone yourself,’ and by bringing us along on his journey, Rowley is able to share the wisdom he has gleaned. l highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to know more about relational complexities, and especially the complexities inherent to most, if not all adoptees.”
— Shirin Fouladi Ruf, MA, LMFT, Psychotherapist, Stairway Recovery Center

“Every adoptee or anyone affiliated with adoption should read The Lost Coin. What a fascinating and insightful look into the journey of Stephen Rowley and the impact adoption has had on his life. This memoir delves into the root issue of ‘Who Am I?’ that every adoptee struggles with, and the effects of separation from one’s biological mother at birth.”
— KelLee Parr, Author of My Little Valentine: The Story of a Mother and Daughter’s Lost Love and Mansion on a Hill: The Story of The Willows Maternity Sanitarium and the Adoption Hub of America

“Dr. Stephen Rowley’s book about his journey is a must-read for adoptees and professionals who work in the field of adoption. Steve’s first letter to me was very well-written from the adoptee’s point of view and grabbed me as a genuine request to complete himself and find the ‘missing coin.’ I knew from my first contact with him that he was on a mission. I had received lots of letters from adoptees before, but there was something different about his request. He was on a journey to find out about his history and wasn’t going to stop until that was accomplished. Steve’s story of his journey to get his biological history and make the emotional connection with his birth family is well-documented and worth the time to read.”
— Tom X. Lazio, Former Executive Director of American Home Finding Association, Ottumwa, Iowa

“From my own experience as a late-discovery adoptee in reunion and as a professional coach with over 20 years of experience guiding adults navigating midlife transitions, searching for answers to the question, Who am I?, is an experience every human being will encounter at some point in their lives. Dr. Stephen Rowley’s memoir, The Lost Coin, is not only a poignant description of his inner experience of being an adoptee who literally embarks on a decades-long search for the answer to this question, but Dr. Rowley also opens our eyes to consider a universal message for any of us struggling in navigating the unknown. That is, the invisible and powerful force that destiny plays in our lifelong search for wholeness and healing. His experience illustrates that when we are ready and willing to open ourselves up to see the hidden meaning and truths behind our own losses and struggles, we will come to know their purpose for our unique path to growth and healing.”
— Nancy McCaughey, Principal and Professional Certified Coach, Nancy McCaughey Coaching, LLC

“I am pleased to recommend Stephen Rowley’s book, The Lost Coin, as a heartfelt account of the story of adoption. It is especially relevant for those who have been impacted by adoption – those who have been adopted, those who have adopted or are considering it, and others who want to know more. With his background as a psychotherapist and educator, his interest in Jungian psychology and the Eastern philosophy of the lamas, he brings insight into the inner life of those who have been adopted and how others can better understand this journey.”
— Janet Tatum, MSW, Jungian Analyst, PNSJA/IAAP, Certified Sandplay Therapist – Teaching Member STA/ISST, Philemon Foundation Board Member, Redmond, Washington

“The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny details the long and at times painful passage of the adoptee to understand their feelings, their past, and to go on living, gaining the feeling of being real in a family that does not share genetic inheritance. Stephen Rowley’s quest to differentiate his feelings and to validate and believe what he felt, hence grounding himself in his emotional life while accepting and loving himself for the child he had been, is the journey of the adoptee.”
— Audrey Punnett, PhD, RPT-S, CST-T, Jungian Child, Adolescent & Adult Analyst (IAAP), author of The Orphan: A Journey to Wholeness, and coauthor of Jungian Child Analysis. 

“In The Lost Coin, Dr. Stephen Rowley eloquently shares his journey of searching for his birth parents. While he underscores the lifelong impact of the trauma of separation of child from parent, he also helps us all to understand the human spirit that both craves and relentlessly reaches for self, hope, and grace. This compellingly honest book will be a comfort for those who are part of an adoption journey and may still be searching for healing, and an incredibly useful witness for those standing ready to help.”
— Rita Soronen, President & CEO, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

About the Author

 

Stephen Rowley, PhD, is a depth psychotherapist practicing in Bainbridge Island, Washington. His professional past includes serving as an elementary school teacher and principal, and a school district superintendent in Washington and California. He also has been a college professor at three universities in the Pacific Northwest.
He holds a PhD in Administration and Policy Analysis from the Graduate School of Education, Stanford University. He also earned an MA in Counseling Psychology (with an emphasis on clinical and depth psychology) from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, California.

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Ann Ulanov Workshop  In Praise of Projection Saturday, September 23 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT via Zoom

 
Hosted by the C.G. Jung Society of Atlanta
This event will be recorded. If your schedule does not allow you to attend the event, you can still reserve a ticket and a recording will be emailed out 

to you to watch at your convenience.

Cost: members: $50; non-members: $60; students $25
3 CEUs offered: $25 (LPC, LMSW, LMFT)

Projection is as basic to your psyche as breathing is to our body. It establishes a network of relationships to our world and to each other. And “we always see our unavowed mistakes in our opponent” (CW 8, para 507). Left undissolved, the two-way traffic of projection can cause divisiveness. If dissolved and related to, projection expands bonds to each other, to our deeper psyche and to greater reality beyond the psyche. With lecture and discussion this workshop will explore six meanings of projection among psychoanalytic theorists emphasizing Jung’s unique contribution to understanding this phenomenon.

The six kinds of projections to be addressed are: projection as defense (Freud, Klein), as projective identification (Klein, Betty Josephs, Ogden, Jung’s “imago”), projection as noticing (Winnicott, “imago” again), integrative projections of the good (Jung God-image), projections as gifts from God (Nicholas of Cusa, Jung).

Books by Ann Ulanov
The Functioning Transcendent

By Ann & Barry Ulanov
The Witch and the Clown

Ann Belford Ulanov, M.Div., Ph.D., L.H.D. is the Christiane Brooks Johnson Emerita Professor of Psychology and Religion at Union Theological Seminary, a psychoanalyst in private practice New York City, a member of the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association, and the International Association for Analytical Psychology. With her late husband, Barry Ulanov, she is author of six books, including Cinderella and Her Sisters: The Envied and The Envying, The Healing Imagination.

By herself she has authored many books, including The Female Ancestors of Christ, The Unshuttered Heart: Opening To Aliveness and Deadness in the Self, Back to Basics, Some of her books have been translated into Korean, Italian, Russian, and Czech. 
Dr Ulanov is the recipient of awards in the field, including the Oskar Pfister Award for Distinguished Work in Depth Psychology and Religion from the American Psychiatric Association, The Gradiva Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis, for her book, Finding Space: Winnicott, God and Psychic Reality. She lectures here and abroad.

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3 Day Sale!  40% off all von Franz Titles!

3 Day Sale! 40% off all von Franz Titles!
The Collected Works of Marie-Louise von Franz

We would like to offer our entire collection of the Collected Works of Marie-Louise von Franz at a 40% discount. Be sure to make your purchases by Sunday night to be eligible for the full discount.

Volume 8
Introduction to the Interpretation of 
Fairytales & Animus and 
Anima in Fairytales
Paperback was $40, now $24!
Hardcover was $70, now $42!

Volume 7
Aurora Consurgens
Paperback was $52, now $31!
Hardcover was $74, now $46!

Volume 6
Niklaus Von Flüe And Saint Perpetua: A Psychological Interpretation of Their Visions
Paperback was $37, now $22!
Hardcover was $57, now $34!

Volume 3 
The Maiden’s Quest
Paperback was $42, now $25!
Hardcover was $69, now $41!

Volume 2 – 
The Hero’s Journey
Paperback was $42, now $25!
Hardcover was $69, now $41!

Volume 1 –
Archetypal Symbols in Fairytales: 
The Profane and Magical Worlds

 

Paperback was $42, now $25!
Hardcover was $69, now $41!

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for a Complete Listing of Titles

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The Wizard, the Egg and Fitcher’s Bird: Returning Spiritual Life to Nature in the Individuation of Women

Announcing the Release of
The Wizard, the Egg and Fitcher’s Bird 
Returning Spiritual Life to Nature in the Individuation of Women

The animus remains a baffling, misunderstood force in women’s psychology, but the fairytale “Fitcher’s Bird” brings his ambivalent, wizardly power and his psychic aims as the spirit of individuation into view, reaching into rich alchemical symbolism to do so. The tale and its alchemical background are illuminated with dreams and psychic images from several women’s lives, whose stories help us understand the profound personal and archetypal value of engaging creatively with the animus.

Like the alchemical nature God, Mercurius, the animus is a life force, an archetype with two sides. His negative side is symbolized in “Fitcher’s Bird” by a wizard’s longtime ability to abduct maidens from their parental homes with barely a touch by dressing as a beggar and appealing to their charity. He displays a perverse dominance over the feminine that has built up in our traditional attitudes over the millennia and takes hold of women through their own participation in those attitudes. Taking them to his great house in the forest, the wizard promises young women riches for their obedience. But the maidens, like the wives of Bluebeard, predictably enter the one forbidden room and end up slaughtered—in “Fitcher’s Bird” they are hewn limb from limb.

Only one maiden is clever enough to pay attention to the gift the wizard’s positive side offers—a simple egg, symbolizing the process of individuation when an ego nurtures a relationship with the unconscious. Switching her focus to the egg, the heroine redeems her sisters and at the end of the tale makes an appearance as the wondrous Fitcher’s bird—an image for the archetypal feminine redeemed from dismemberment and disappearance.

In Memory of
Laurel Howe
1955-2023
Sadly, author Laurel Howe passed away before the release of her book, The Wizard, the Egg and Fitcher’s Bird.

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Murray Stein’s 80th Birthday Celebration Video!

This Festschrift celebrates Murray Stein, a man whose life and influence within Analytical Psychology has spanned several continents, wildly different cultures, several sweeping societal shifts, and now enters his ninth decade. He was forged in an American crucible, strengthened in Europe, and eventually matured into a world-wide phenomenon.

And don’t miss the remarkable collectiion of essays published in his honor now available from Chiron Publications!  These essays explore individuation in varied ways and reveal Dr. Stein’s extensive impact on the world of Jungian psychoanalysis. An ambassador for post-Jungians, his own writings and the publication of others through his founding of Chiron Publications added valuable and novel insights bout subjects as wide-ranging as Christianity, masculine psychology, and the practice of Jungian analysis.

The diverse topics contained in these essays reflect the fertile, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective that has characterized Dr. Stein’s unique blend of scholarship, personal warmth, and far-reaching vision. From the times of the Delphic Oracle psychotherapists have illuminated the inner landscape where psyche dwells. Dr. Stein has witnessed countless developments and challenges in the decades after Jung’s death. His gentle, wise stewardship reflects what Guindi says about individuation, it is “a testimony of the inner process”. And Dr. Stein’s lifework succeeds at re-enchanting a world stripped of mystery and meaning by modernity as Roderick Main and Len Cruz observe.

After more than five decades of remarkable contributions, Murray Stein’s lifework remains relevant and through his impact on the K-pop band BTS, he has appealed to a new generation of seekers after inner gold. This is a testament to a highly individuated man who fully demonstrates an ongoing individuation, and we are eager to see what his next decade will bring.

 

Announcing the  Release of The Letters of  Hope Street!

 
What if a spirit from your past could guide you into your future? Beautifully illustrated, The Letters of Hope Street hints at how synchronicity occurs at just the right time to nudge us into our future. 
This is an ideal read for both the young adult and any avid reader.
…“Synchronicity. It’s when something occurs on the outside world that seems to coincide with the inner world of the individual. So, in your case, you were interested in finding out more about me, so I was called to help you. The bird that alighted on my grave was another little message that I was near. It is my soul bird. Symbols can manifest into the outside world that are connected to another world. Time doesn’t exist in the other world. The past, present and future are all one.” (excerpt from The Letters of Hope Street)

Also from Author Marie Newton
Dizzy and the Dreams
What surprises await us with our first encounter with the unconscious, coincidence, and mysterious ways of knowing? Dizzy’s portal into these realms that were explored by the great Swiss psychologist C.G. Jung is an engaging and ultimately joyful tale of such first encounters. Young readers will be delighted by Dizzy’s discovery that the places she draws can be revisited in her dreams. Older readers will resonate with the deeper truths that Dizzy, like all of us, must discover for herself. Dizzy and the Dreams is a book for all ages.
About the Author
Marie Newton was born near Liverpool, UK. She studied for a degree in English literature and history at John Moores University, Liverpool. She enjoys creative writing and is the author of The Letters of Hope Street and Dizzy and the Dreams. She lives in Leicester, UK.

Also Available from Chiron Publications
The Mythmaker
A Silver Nautilus Book Award Winner, The Mythmaker is a personal myth, a fiction, based on author and depth psychologist Dr. Mary Harrell’s life. After the sudden death of her mother, seven young children and an overwhelmed father were left to figure out what to do. Acknowledging that seminal happenings enwombed in our past seek re-membering, and in the tradition of personal mythtelling, Dr. Harrell, began a writer’s journey, to re-collect the meaning of her story. She proceeded in a series of spiralic returns gathering meaningful shards of symbolic experience.

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for a Complete Listing of Titles

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