Todd Hayen, PhD Before beginning my academic training in psychotherapy I was a composer working in the film and television industry in Hollywood, California. I provided music for motion pictures and television shows for over twenty years. I grew up in an artistic family as both my mother and stepfather were very successful, and very talented, actors. My two sisters are also very talented graphic artists. After experiencing a profound tragedy in my family, I decided I wanted to devote the rest of my life to helping people cope with difficult issues in their own lives. I believe to be truly effective as a therapist you must have lived a varied and somewhat eventful life. I do believe I have a keen insight into the creative side of being human, which in my opinion is not only expressed in the arts but expressed in all aspects of a full and whole life. I also have experienced first hand great pain and suffering and have an understanding of that obvious aspect of being a complete human being. I have a passion for the discovery of soul in every day life, and also have a passion for helping others discover the same.
Life is filled with many challenges, many joyous experiences, as well as many heartbreaks. The key to a successful life, in my opinion, is to learn to appreciate it all through gratitude, empathy for others, care and compassion for ourselves, and an understanding and awareness of our complex way of being human. I have a great interest in spirituality and a quest for meaning in our lives. I do not, however, demand any adherence to any sort of doctrine or religious dogma. I also have a great interest in metaphysics, spiritual quantum physics, alternative history, psychical research and parapsychology. I believe through a better understanding of these anomalies in the universe we will bring soul back into our human world-view and we therefore will begin to experience a more loving and peaceful existence. My work with clients is as varied as the unique individuals that come to me for therapy. Although I am informed by a variety of conventional psychotherapy traditions, and practice them when appropriate, the fundamental core of my practice is seated in a transpersonal psychological perspective. This means I believe that every human being has access to the sacred through their own individual being and that life consists of not only the day to day pragmatism of living but includes as well a deep and profound relationship with soul—the soul of the individual, the collective, and the universe itself. Transpersonal psychology is not religious, and does not assume any belief system's dogma. My approach is humanistic, meaning that I see each patient with unconditional personal regard and hold onto what I believe to be the ultimate truth for all of us—that we are essentially benevolent beings seeking love, as well as having a desire to give love. I also hold a very powerful personal commitment to the efficacy of psychotherapy and believe, if practiced through a responsible, informed, and soulful manner, it has the power to bring positive change into a person's life. This is a commitment to my patients that I wholeheartedly make without reservation. I am married to a fellow psychotherapist, Cindy Hayen, and we currently own a joint practice in Aurora. Please visit Cindy's website if you might be interested, for whatever reason, in pursuing therapy with her.
Degrees and Institutions: BM in Music Composition, MA in Consciousness Studies, MA in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology, Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Guided Imagery Facilitator, Certified in Neurolinguistic Programing, Licensed Practitioner with the Church of Religious Science, Certified Past Life Regression Therapist, Diploma in Parapsychology and Psychical Research, Ph.D. in Depth Psychology with Emphasis on Psychotherapy. Professional Organizations: Ontario Association of Marriage Family Therapists (OAMFT) American Association of Marriage Family Therapists (AAMFT) American Hypnosis Association (AHA) International Association for Regression Research and Therapies (IARRT) Society of Psychical Research (UK) American Society of Psychical Research Society of Composers and Lyricists American Federation of Musicians National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Website Images A word about the images found on this website. Many of them are of an alchemical nature. The one above of the serpents or dragons with their tails in their mouths, is a very powerful alchemical image often referred to as the "oroboros." The oroboros symbolizes self reflextivity, or the cyclical nature of nature itself—being reborn, transformation or transition, etc. Alchemy is popularly defined as an early form of chemistry designed to turn lead into gold. Carl Jung, one of the founders of depth psychology, believed that turning lead into gold was a metaphor for the transformation humans experience various times in their lives as they move through different phases or different events that cause an upheaval and disruption. Jung believed that the psyche's primary motive is to grow and thus become more enlightened and more conscious of being. Psychotherapy often facilitates these transformative experiences and can act as a guiding process through difficult, or even just enlightening, events in our lives.