In January 1976 Ramon V. Albareda, with the help of Carmen Cánovas Paris, founded ESTEL, the purpose of which was a structure where he could offer his service as a psychologist and sexologist. At the same time, within this structure, he developed his own research in integral development and made possible the entrance in Spain to foreign professionals linked to Humanist and Transpersonal Psychologies, still very young at that time. Since then, thanks to the experience provided by clients and professionals, ESTEL has grown through its own maturation process, evolving from an Integrative Centre, opened to new modern psychology paths, to a Centre with an integral approach of own creation not based on previous existing works. This new perspective was created by Ramon V. Albareda and Marina T. Romero, after a long and patient experience of practically-based inquiry, at both personal and professional levels during several decades.
It was first called Holistic Integration and, although it has many applications, two works embody the main principles: Holistic Integration/Sexuality and Holistic Meditation. The first one is a new approach to healing, regeneration and psycho-spiritual growth, and considers of paramount importance the re-connexion of the practitioner with his/her deeper vital capacities and his/her recognition as a living, creative and spiritual being. Both individual and social spheres are contemplated. It has different applications and always personalized, with the common factor of a holistic (global) and ecological (interactive system) perspective.
Since January 2000 and in cooperation with Jorge N. Ferrer, our approach is offered at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), Esalen Institute and other places in California, USA. These pioneer institutions open paths for new alternatives to the traditional psychology, making possible new ways of integral development. For many years, our direct results with the trust of individuals and groups, encouraged and shaped our work. Nowadays, we are socially and professionally recognised, around the world, by people and institutions which promote integral development of human beings.
Since January 2000 and in cooperation with Jorge N. Ferrer, our approach is offered at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), Esalen Institute and other places in California, USA. These pioneer institutions open paths for new alternatives to the traditional psychology, making possible new ways of integral development. For many years, our direct results with the trust of individuals and groups, encouraged and shaped our work. Nowadays, we are socially and professionally recognised, around the world, by people and institutions which promote integral development of human beings. This exchange with people, professionals and institutions in other countries is a very enriching factor which opens new development perspectives to our continuous evolution. For this reason, in 2012 we decided to change the name Holistic Integration to Holistic Transformation, considering it more representative, from a semantic point of view, to this new approach conceived, started out and born in ESTEL.
At ESTEL, we have been able to help many people in recovering an integral health and joy of living, they could find in the HT approach the attention and resources they just needed; you can find a small sample of users who comment their experience in this web.
Throughout the years, ESTEL has been training HT professionals, applied to diverse specialized areas. Some of them work on their own, others became – years ago – part of ESTEL’s professional team: Anny Grau and José Antonio Alemán. Several created their own HT focused centre: María Ángeles Arnau (Montseny) and Raimon Negre together with Mireia Boix (Berga). Lately, José Antonio Alemán stablished in Cantabria.
After many years working between Catalonia and California, Marina stablished her habitual residence in California and, in collaboration with Samuel Malkemus, they are now in charge of organizing and carrying out HT programmes in the USA. In Catalonia, mainly in Barcelona, Ramon is in charge of some activities, especially professional trainings.
ESTEL’S long history has been bearing fruit. In 2013, the Self-Managed Holistic Transformation Group (GATH) was created, as a framework to learn the management of groups using ESTEL’s holistic approach, promoting a coherent and healthy coordination of both the structure and community that supports the project, without any hierarchies and taking advantage of every member’s abilities for the benefit of both group and individuals.
Since 2014, Glòria B. Playà, with Ramon V. Albareda’s advice, is developing HT applied to education. Creates Holistic Consciousness (HC) and provides training workshops, both inside and outside the school where she works, for teachers, parents and children, and also develops the appliance in classrooms with kids. Although HC workshops began as a response to a great need for change and transformation in the educational world, Glòria’s personal and professional holistic process, together with a dynamic structure, makes HC a practice for those with integral development interests. Thus, from the year 2017-18, in ESTEL, HC workshops are organized for all people concerned with their personal growth.
In 2017 Glòria B. Playà also creates Dance Within. This practice allows participants to enter inside the life’s dance and shows how to flow with its own cyclical movement, between activity and resting. Helps to explore their genuine and innate movement, which emerges from within when the own expression is not repressed or imitating others.
In January 2017, they give a new impetus to ESTEL’s activities by initiating a new stage, integrating Ramon’s path with Glòria’s personal process and dedication, which led into Holistic Consciousness. They open doors to new professionals, specialized in HT applied to different areas, who now offer their activities as members of the new ESTEL’s team.
We hope to continue developing new Holistic Transformation applications to shape our society: family, companies, law, politics, economy, education, medicine, nursing, social work, sport, etc. In this way, we can help people with this original and genuine work, which all its possibilities haven’t yet been embodied.
