About Us
Michael Mervosh 
Michael is the cofounder of The Hero's Journey Programs and the founder of MGM Psychological Associates. Michael designs, implements and oversees the Hero's Journey IntensivePrograms for Men and for Women, and is alsoa lead facilitator for the Men's Intensives and Weekend Immersions. He received his bachelor's degree in Psychology and his M.Ed. in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh.
Michael’s founding work has been his creation of the Hero’s Journey Programs, cultivated over the past 16 years. It is a unique and specialized blend of personal and spiritual transformation work, making use of inspiring and challenging wilderness environments to deepen self awareness and embrace unifying life experiences. People come from various traditions, cultures and countries to experience this deep level of personal and communal support. This work greatly assists those who seek successful rites of passage through significant life transitions, as well as those who seek to overcome personal obstacles and self-imposed limitations that hinder personal development and unity of mind-body-spirit. He also provides consultation to offer these unique development opportunities to corporate organizations and private groups.
Michael is also a licensed clinical psychologist with MGM Psychological Associates, based in Pittsburgh, PA. He has been devoted to a full-time private practice, providing intensive individual and group psychotherapy for the past 22 years. He has completed four years of training at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, with an emphasis on both working with individuals and working with body process. He has been in ongoing training and supervision for many years, which has allowed him to incorporate approaches from Gestalt, Radix, Object-Relations, BioEnergetics, Developmental Character Styles, body-oriented psychotherapy, Jungian archetypes and the mythological teachings of Joseph Campbell. He has spent four years in training and twelve years teaching at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing in Miami Beach, FL. He is currently the Dean of the school’s Advanced Studies in Brennan Integration Work, an in-depth training curriculum that he created and designed for body-mind healing and personal development. He brings particular attention to the human energy system and its interplay with mind and body organization. Michael has an enduring passion for the co-creation and enlivening of developmental processes, and its potential to engender or restore vitality and well-being in individuals, groups and organizations.
Michael’s latest work is a three year, 45 day facilitation training he has co-created called PsychoNoetics. Deep learning can occur by accessing various levels of psychic consciousness from one’s own embodied and "lived through” experiences. The training is based along Costa Bravaoutside of Barcelona, Spain, to professionals who are eager to work with enlivening the mind and body in various methods of healing modalities. He is offering a unique blending of clinical psychotherapy techniques and theory, character formation, the Hindu chakra system, bioenergetic exercises, archetypal psychology, meditation and creative visualization, yoga, chanting, presencing and group work to create dynamic and enthusiastic learning environment for his participants.
Joseph Jastrab
Joseph Jastrab is the senior teacher and a lead facilitator for The Hero's Journey Foundation. The power of Joseph’s presence as a teacher and leader derives from his lifelong apprenticeship with the wisdom teachings of the earth. His numerous solitary excursions into the wilderness have provided him ample experience in wilderness survival and exploration of the wild and natural terrain of the human heart and spirit.
A former faculty member at Empire State College and the State College at New Paltz, New York, he taught numerous innovative courses on wilderness leadership and ecopsychology. His writings have appeared in many periodicals and anthologies and his book, "Sacred Manhood, Sacred Earth: A Quest into the Wilderness of a Man's Heart", is considered a pioneering work in the field of men's spiritual development. Joseph was a pioneer in the resurgence of the contemporary vision quest has guided hundreds of men and women on this rite of passage during the past 25 years. He currently works with individuals, in person and by phone consultation, in his spiritual counseling and therapy practice and is active as a community leader in offering programs to support adolescents in their development.
Joseph brings a seasoned wisdom, compassion and humor to the demanding work of human spiritual development, describing himself professionally as a "Facilitator of the Inevitable.”
Anna Marie Gaglia
Anna Marie is committed to the discovery of new levels of vitality, spirituality, and effectiveness at all levels of life and organizations. She is a Process Consultant and Coach for organizations and communities, individual and group therapist, and Program Director for the Hero’s Journey for Women. Her interactive and collaborative style enables persons to enhance their self awareness in order to think differently and act creatively. Anna Marie has dedicated her life to the process of seeking the Divine within the ordinary circumstances of life and to the pursuit of non-violence within all realms of life.
Anna Marie lives in Baden, PA. Recently, she completed the International Program at the Gestalt Institute in Cleveland in Organizational and Systems Development. This program is an intensive internationally based program which draws on the Gestalt framework within organizations and systems in order to develop individuals and organizations and become an effective intervener. Anna Marie’s experience includes individual and group therapy, administration, and service as a Trustee on several not-for-profit boards in health care, education, and social service. She received her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and is committed to on-going professional education and training. She began her career at the Irene Stacy Mental Community Mental Health Center, worked as a teacher, counselor, school and community administrator.
At this point, Anna Marie is focusing on developing the Hero’s Journey for Women through her work with women, individually and in groups; as well as her organizational consulting practice.
Her passion and desire for transformation at all levels of system—individual, group, and community has led her to a path of life long conversion, service, and learning. This journey is both invigorating and challenging and demands steadfastness to becoming more accessible and open no matter how old you are!
Peter Faust
Peter is a lead facilitator for the hero's journey program. Having been involved in men's work for the past fifteen years Peter brings a sense of his own unique masculine identity to the program as well as a passion for assisting other men on the journey of personal discovery to strengthen and understand their own divine masculine.
A combination of strength, sensitivity and humor best describes Peter when he is working directly with the participants in our programs. Peter and his wife of 25 years Jamy, live just outside Boston. Together they own a Healing Center dedicated to helping others find and stay on their path of Healing, Health and Happiness. Peter holds a Master Degree in Classical Acupuncture and is a licensed Herbalist. He Graduated from and taught at The Barbara Brennan School of Healing for over ten years. In 2002 he completed The Bert Hellinger Family Constellation training program and has since been leading workshops in the Family Constellation method focusing on how our ancestral lineage effects our current life circumstances. Peter sees private clients as a Healer and Acupuncturist and maintains his health through a vigorous yoga practice.
Irene Tobler
My life's journey and work has been greatly influenced by the search for wholeness. The spiritual quest has led me to Asia in the early 80's, where I spent three years in Buddhist monasteries in Thailand and Burma and Yoga ashrams in India practising and studying buddhist meditation and yoga. The spiritual opening has led me to study naturopathy and homeopathy and later healing work as a way to integrate my work with my life. I have been a practicing homeopath and therapist and workshop leader for the past 17 years, in Switzerland and now in Spain. In my work with clients I combine homeopathy with body oriented process work and hands on healing. The focus of my work is to help clients open their doors to a greater perspective of who they are. I see my life and work as service.
The Hero's Journey gives us a roadmap on how to travel our inner landscape and what we can encounter along the way. It is a powerful archetypal journey for both men and women. It opens us to the greater potential of who we are. It holds the premise that we can face the challenges which we are confronted with and come out the other side more empowered, more whole. This work comes out of our longing to create a space for women to walk this journey a "women's way". I look forward to the opportunity to walk with you, and help facilitate your journey.
Karl Direske
Karl Direske is a lead facilitator for The Hero's Journey Foundation. He is a certified Energy Healer and graduated from and taught at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing for nearly 10 years. Karl is also a teacher at the Tracker School where he teaches healing and self awareness. By blending his high-sensory perception skills with his ability to influence energy he assists individuals to hasten their personal process and healing.
Passionate about his work with Tom Brown Jr. Media, where his official title is corporate shaman; Karl runs the Tracker School, Tracker Publishing, Tracker Productions and Tracker Merchandise. On a daily basis he and his teacher, friend, and boss, Tom Brown Jr work to change consciousness and bring people back to a healthy relationship with the Earth. He and his team through many media, integrate ancient skills into modern society, promoting a lifestyle that not only teaches the how-to but also the why-to. Tracker is not just a school, but also a community, laboratory, and a repository of knowledge.
Kate Pernice
Kate Pernice is an energy healer, teacher, & body-centered process facilitator. She brings her passion for sharing the profound awakening that occurs when we open to the healing journey to her work. Her studies in allopathic & botanical medicine, shamanic healing, yoga, movement, & meditation have taken her into the worlds of both medical and spiritual healing. Kate is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, and currently is in her sixth year as a faculty member there. She is a nurse practitioner in private practice in Manhattan and Central Valley, New York. Kate also facilitates personal development workshops in the US & Mexico. Kate is a facilitator for the Hero's Journey for Women Intensive.
Thomas Douglas
Thomas has been involved in Hero's Journey work for the past six years. He is a gifted father, mentor, friend, musician, chef and a student of life. He lives in Pittsburgh where he teaches music to singers, actors conductors, and theater technicians at Carnegie Mellon University. His deep calling is to discover genuine manhood and unbridled masculinity in himself and to help other men and women to discover their unique ability to experience their own path in a vital way.
Anna Noack Brown
Anna Noack Brown walks her path daily in that exquisite balance point between the divine and the common place. She brings this experience to life in all she does within the work of the Hero’s Journey Foundation.
Anna’s path has led her from Australia to the United States, where she is presently mothering and homeschooling her two children, and is inspired by the curiosity and passion of being surrounded by learning happening in all forms. Anna is a creator, and sustainer of community, is a co-founder of "WellSpring” a non-profit educational co-operative that supports holistic learning in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Anna delights in adventure of all kinds, and is committed to sharing life experienced as a deep adventure with those around her. She has worked in the field of experiential education within adventure settings for 15 years and currently works facilitating for the Butler University Challenge Course. Anna answered her call to adventure to be a part of the Hero’s Journey work 12 years ago, and has been a part of the adventure related activities during during this time.
Sarah Mervosh
Sarah Mervosh is an interviewer and staff writer for the Hero's Journey Foundation. Sarah interviews both prominent individuals in the field of mythopoetic Hero's Journey work, and participants who have experienced the Hero's Journey transformational intensives first hand.
Sarah currently attends the University of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, where she is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Arabic, with a minor in journalism. Outside of schoolwork, she works for Notre Dame’s daily newspaper,The Observer,and volunteers helping disabled children and adults ride horses. After graduation, Sarah ultimately intends to put her knowledge of Arabic and journalism to use by becoming a foreign correspondent in the Middle East.