The SoulJourney

Marcela Urban, PhD

Dr. Marcela Urban, Ph.D., is a dedicated practitioner, educator, and faculty member in the Psychology department at Meridian University. With over a decade of professional experience, Marcela’s practice sits at the unique intersection of physiological trauma healing, ancestral systems, and archetypal depth psychology.

Her integrative approach honors the body’s innate wisdom alongside the rich language of the unconscious. In her individual and group work, she masterfully combines Somatic Experiencing® with Systemic Constellations and Jungian-oriented approaches. Committed to lifelong scholarship in classical analytical traditions, Marcela holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Meridian University and is currently a student of Jungian analysis. Her practice provides a compassionate, deeply grounded space for individuals looking to heal trauma, regulate their nervous systems, and reclaim their authentic selves.

About Marcela

​Education: Academic & Somatic Foundations


  • Doctorate in Psychology - Meridian University
  •  Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) - Somatic Trauma Therapy training developed by Dr. Peter Levine
  • Organic Intelligence® (OI) - Advanced post-trauma coaching and neuroplasticity methodology developed by Steven Hoskinson
  • Trauma Informed Touch Skills & Somatic Practice - Resilience and Self-Regulation specialized training with Dr. Kathy Kain
  • International Systemic & Family Constellations Mastery - Advanced training across the United States (Santa Barbara, San Francisco) and Europe (Germany, The Netherlands)
  • Exressive Arts in Therapy - Specialized training in non-verbal creative processing



Experience​:


1. Practitioner & Systemic Mastery

  • Synthesizing Advanced Somatic and Systemic Modalities: In one-on-one sessions, Dr. Urban expertly loops together the physiological regulation of Somatic Experiencing® with complex internal and external frameworks, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Sandplay Therapy, and expressive arts to resolve deep developmental and shock trauma.

​

  • Stewardship of the Systemic Constellations Field: Her extensive background features the creation and orchestration of private individual sessions, collective group dynamics, and interactive online spaces that deploy Systemic and Family Constellations frameworks alongside depth psychology to illuminate and clear ancestral blocks.


  • Curator of Original Transformative Programs: Leveraging her practitioner lineage, she designs and facilitates unique, multi-week group journeys such as her signature Images of the Soul workshop series. In addition, she created and held training programs to instruct the next generation of practitioners in the principles of Systemic Constellations.


2. Academic & Archival Leadership

  • Graduate Pedagogy at Meridian University: Advancing from her formative role as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Dr. Urban serves as a core faculty member at Meridian University, where she stewards the education of Master’s and Doctoral-level students in graduate Psychology programs.


  • Archival Scholarship in Classical Traditions: Her academic foundation is deeply enriched by her specialized fieldwork at the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles, where she engaged in scholarly research with foundational archival material and primary audio recordings of legacy Jungian analysts



Theoretical lineages and Practical Frameworks


Dr. Urban’s integrative approach, her scholarship and practice are additionally informed and cross-pollinated by the following foundational methodologies:


Depth & Relational Frameworks

  • Jungian and Archetypal Psychology: Engaging the rich, symbolic language of the unconscious, mythic and archetypal themes to foster individuation.
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) of Richard Schwartz: Treating the psyche as a system of distinct, protective, and sometimes wounded sub-personalities ("parts") to deepen self-knowledge and facilitate transformation.
  • Relational Gestalt: Utilizing the immediate, present-moment encounter between practitioner and client to explore relational awareness.
  • Existential-Humanistic Psychology: Grounding sessions in meaning-making, personal agency, self-actualization, and the profound capacity of the human spirit.


Neuro-Somatic & Developmental Sciences

  • Polyvagal Theory of Dr. Steven Porges: Applying cutting-edge autonomic nervous system science to map out state regulation, neuroception, and physiological safety.
  • Early Childhood Trauma Modalities of Dr. Steven Terrell and Dr. Dianne Poole Heller: Resolving pre-verbal developmental injuries and somatic blocks rooted in early attachment breaches.
  • Attachment Theory: Repatterning early relationship schemas to cultivate secure internal and interpersonal bonds.


Ancestral & Transpersonal Traditions

  • Altar Constellations of Dr. Michael Reddy: Utilizing small-scale structural and object-based constellation work to track ancestral and spatial configurations in individual sessions.
  • Walking-In-Your-Shoes Method: An experiential somatic embodiment approach studied and practiced directly under Peter DeVries to tap into intuitive field knowing.
  • Study of the Enneagram: Harnessing this dynamic psycho-spiritual typing system to map personality motivations, defenses, and developmental growth.
  • Indigenous and Ancient Wisdom Traditions: Honoring the historic, multi-generational roots of earth-based wisdom, collective healing containers, and transformative power of rituals.