Essential Solutions

Dr. Dyrian Benz-Chartrand consults to individuals, groups and organizations and presents trainings internationally.

He is the Chairman of the Somatic Psychology Program at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and adjunct faculty member at Antioch University and Pacifica Graduate Institute. Dyrian is the originator and moderator of the S.B. City College Psychology Conferences. He is the founder of Group Field, a systems based method for groups and teams.

He is co-author of To the Core of Your Experience and a co-founder of the Hakomi Institute for experiential-cognitive-mindful therapy, where he taught for over 20 years.

Dyrian also conducts trainings and retreats of renewal internationally for professionals and organizations. He draws on his experience of over 30 years of practicing and teaching therapy and consulting as well as being a student and a teacher of various contemplative, mindful, inner disciplines.

Since 1995 he has been a practitioner, and later a teacher, of the Family Constellations approach developed by Bert Hellinger. Dyrian has been presenting the Constellation approach in workshops, trainings and in University Graduate Courses where he also teaches group process, therapeutic skills and family therapy.

With Bert Hellinger’s support Dyrian is in the process of writing a book on the constellation approach tentatively titled: “Making Love Successful.”

Since the early 1970’s Dr. Benz-Chartrand has intensely pursued two callings. One has been practicing and teaching therapy and consulting.

Simultaneously he has been a practitioner and a teacher of various contemplative, mindful, inner disciplines.

He is also in the process of writing a book together with his wife, JoAnna on Relational Somatic psychology called “Being in the Body”

Dyrian is also the creator of the Certificate Program in Relational Somatic Psychology being taught at both Esalen in Big Sur and at the Open Center in NY in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.

He has been a student of the Diamond Approach Psycho-spiritual work of the Rhidwan school, for over 13 years.

He is in the process of finishing an upcoming book together with his Lifetime partner JoAnna Chartrand Benz called” Being In the Body” A book about Relational Somatic Psychology that includes the spiritual dimension of Essence and Soul.

He is the co-director the Core Dynamics Relational Somatic Institute in Santa Barbara.

Consulting, Sessions and Training

In this transformational consulting, Dyrian’s work is about the evolution of consciousness and finding essential solutions for life, work and relationship. This work is available for individuals, couples and families.

About JoAnna Chartrand-Benz

JoAnna is a European trained Psycho-Spiritual, Somatic Psychology Educator and has been in private practice since 1980. Her specialty is in Somatically-Based, Transpersonal and Relational Psychology along with trauma work. Principles from the Family Constellation work of Bert Hellinger also strongly influence her work. Her experience and training is varied and comprehensive. Relational aspects, along with the psychodynamics of the ego development are also an important part of her work, whenever appropriate.

Foremost in her own professional training are two distinctive professional certification training programs, each five years long, that she completed in Europe.

1. The Core-Dynamic Psychotherapy Training: Focus on Somatic Psychology, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Gestalt Therapy, Soul Tending and Transpersonal Psychology.

2. The Bio Dynamic Somatic Psychology Training: Focus on Energy work, Reichian Psychology, Reading the body, following the body, working with self-regulation, and sometimes with therapeutic touch .

She has been a student of the Diamond Approach, a psycho-spiritual approach, that combines western depth psychology with eastern traditions, since 1992 and integrates the concepts and insights of that method in her work.

She practices and co-leads trainings in the Family Constellations Phenomenological approach by Bert Hellinger working with trans-generational systemic issues. She works with both individuals and groups with this method.

Her training is in Relational Body-Oriented Psychology, Psychodynamics, Depth Psychology, Object Relations, Self Psychology, Attachment Theory, Gestalt, Imagery, Neo-Reichian Body-Centered Techniques, Bio Dynamic Somatic Psychology, Voice Dialogue, Bonding Therapy, Breathwork, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experience Trauma Work from Peter Levine, Sandtray Therapy, the Formative Somatic approach of Stanley Keleman, BioSynthesis from David Boadella, Tantra, Transpersonal Psychology, Minfulness, Hakomi, Neuroscience, Hospice care, Death & Bereavement, Dreamwork, Pre & Peri Natal Issues and Family Constellations

You will be encouraged to contact your present moment experience, de-emphasizing the content or "story," while helping you glean the meaning and importance of what you discover from the inside-out.

Assisting you in regaining your lost living heart, body and soul is the primary focus of Core Dynamics.

In this transformational consulting, the work is about the evolution of consciousness and finding essential solutions for life, work and relationship. This process work is available for individuals, couples and families.

The culmination of her trainings is what she calls the Core Dynamics approach. She is the co-director the Core Dynamics Relational Somatic Institute in Santa Barbara.

She is also in the process of writing a book together with her life time partner, Dyrian on Relational Somatic psychology called “Being in the Body” that includes the spiritual dimension of Essence and Soul. She is affiliated with the Certificate Program in Relational Somatic Psychology being taught at both Esalen in Big Sur and at the Open Center in NY in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.

Consulting, Sessions and Training

About JoAnna Chartrand-Benz

Contact Information