Ken Robins has been part of the beating heart of Esalen for many decades. A somatic Gestalt practitioner, couples counselor, and devoted early student of Dick Price, Will Schutz, Jessica Britt and many other Esalen legends, Ken has spent his adult life exploring the transformational power of relationship, presence, and the body’s innate wisdom.

In this conversation, Ken traces his unlikely journey from a violent and impoverished upbringing in postwar London to the barefoot wandering that eventually led him to Esalen in the late 1960s. Along the way, we discuss:

His early taste of encounter group work in the Berkeley of the late 60's, and his reflections on the powerful check-ins and Gestalt work at Esalen in the 1980s

The development of his trauma-informed, deeply embodied couples practice at Esalen

His belief in the nervous system as a portal to healing

And why, in his view, contact, not control, is the foundation of true transformation.

This is a rich, intimate dialogue with a man who has lived the work, carried its lineage, and helped shape the soul of Esalen itself.

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