About Rosalyn
Hello,
I’m Rosalyn, and I’m probably a lot like you: I’ve been through stuff. I was an obese child, walking through life covering up what I believed was my real self: a person who was defective in some unnameable way. And I believed that if people knew the real me, I would be rejected. The truth is all children are born worthy – and that means you and me, too. We do things that hurt people and they do things that hurt us, but those behaviors do not affect our intrinsic worth.
I received my Masters in Social Work in 1973 from Smith College and became a psychotherapist. I loved connecting intimately with people to help turn around their suffering by changing their way of viewing what was happening. I was one of the early pioneers in the 1980’s teaching the psychology of shame. Shame was new as a psychological term until the late 80s. Teaching the difference between making mistakes and believing we are a mistake was a new idea.
I was an early student of A Course in Miracles in the 1990’s and it opened up my mind to the idea of an intrinsic, unchangeable essence that is separate from thoughts and feelings (which are changeable). In 1995, I had the opportunity to go to India to learn about Non-Duality. I didn’t know it at the time, but this early spiritual training as well as my profession as a psychotherapist were preparation for when the worst happened in my life.
Our daughter Melissa unexpectedly died in 2018 at age 39. I first went through shock and then profoundly deep pain. Ultimately, something happened that taught me another way to be with my love for Melissa besides cycling through the stages of grief. Melissa’s death and the learning I had afterward are the source of my teaching today. I wrote When Wisdom Arrives: From Imagined Unworthiness to Freedom to share how our worst thing can also hold our greatest transformation.
If you have had feelings of lack and imposter syndrome, you’ve come to the right place. I love the journey of uncovering our worth, even in seemingly impossible situations. When we imagine we are not good enough, we tend to hide from others. I feel strongly that we all desire to be known, but our fears keep us covered up while we try to fix ourselves. Our culture teaches us to believe we need to be more, do more in order to have more. The truth is, we are already enough and contentment is available now.
In the same year I was exposed to Non-Duality, I also learned the Enneagram, which is an ancient psycho-spiritual wisdom teaching that has been around for hundreds of years. The Enneagram has been life changing for me and for my clients as a tool to unlock each person’s unique path to freedom. The system offers wisdom about our inner strategies that we have used for survival and the ways we can stop efforting and simply allow a return to our Essence, where we are already good enough.
Lately, I have also applied the Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) to the Enneagram. I am delighted to say that the results are powerfully productive in loosening old thought/feeling patterns that have kept us stuck. I love teaching and coaching with the Enneagram because it opens rather than closes doors.
Both the Enneagram and tapping are ways that work to release blocks to receiving causeless joy and opportunity in life.
My professional work, my spiritual pursuits and the unexpected death of our daughter came together in my book entitled When Wisdom Arrives: From Imagined Unworthiness to Freedom. The book is both a fable and a memoir. The fable tells the story of an 11-year-old girl and her release of psychological suffering. She has a realization that none of us are our body, our thoughts, or our feelings. Nor are we our actions. When thoughts and feelings change, we are still us. When our body ages, we are still us. So, what is the true “I?”
If you are interested in that question, I urge you to follow along with the protagonist and discover for yourself a contentment that is not transient. Find the book details here.
The bright Light I know as Rosalyn Rourke is an inspired teacher, counselor and leader. Rosalyn has been teaching and sharing her wisdom of the Enneagram in the Power of Love Ministry classes for years and has counseled numerous participants to see the more loving choices in how they approach their life and relationships. Rosalyn is a beautiful advocate for following inspiration and knowing how to be in tune with the Infinite Field of Love. I have learned so much from her! I consider that any time I can spend with Rosalyn is well spent! Her insights are invaluable and her compassionate approach is deeply healing and nourishing. If you can, find a way to work with her and you’ll see the benefits right away.
Jennifer Hadley | Intuitive Spiritual Teacher & Counselor | www.jenniferhadley.com
In my spare time, I love hiking and hanging out with my husband Phil, daughter Ally, grandson Ryan and micro-doodle pup Oaklee.
Next Steps to Working with Me
All of my offerings are designed from my passion for freedom even when we have experienced unworthiness, grief, or a feeling of not belonging. I have had an unusual grief trajectory in that I live bigger because my daughter died young. I also have a specialty in helping people who are retired find more joy, satisfaction and connection in life.
I am a coach to coaches. I add value to the coaching perspective, bringing deeper listening skills through the Enneagram. Both the coach and client feel immediate benefits. To know, like and trust the self creates immediate shifts in personal relationships. Higher conversion rates result, as well as more creativity and fun in the process.
I host complimentary gatherings at ‘Glimpses of Freedom‘ for individuals seeking to release psychological suffering. Our recent discussions have delved into themes such as ‘Beyond Forgiveness,’ ‘Absence vs.Presence in Relationships,’ and ‘The Paradoxical and Toxic Effects of Focusing on Our Preferred Polarity (like good, love, feeling great, etc.).’ At Glimpses, we provide a space for participants to share their challenges and explore new perspectives.”
If you would like an in depth understanding of how your Enneagram strategy has worked in your life and also how it may be limiting your success, book a one on one VIP Transformational Session with me here.
Rosalyn is a gift and inspiration to me. As much as I have studied the Enneagram, Rosalyn’s way of sharing has brought the Enneagram home into my heart and body, not just into my mind. I sooo look forward to the way she teaches and brings the group together through love seat coaching. The classes are always different: fantastic and deeply moving.
I have learned very practical things I can do to relate better to family members. Rosalyn offers specific ways to speak to each type, so we can be better heard. I know my daughter feels more heard and loved by me.
And I continue to grow into a more loving relationship with myself.
Jeanne B
Professional Bio
Rosalyn Rourke, MSW
Best-selling author Rosalyn Rourke, MSW, has worked deeply in the field of mental health and trauma therapy as a psychotherapist. With a Master’s degree from Smith College School for Social Work in 1973, she embarked on a distinguished career that included supervisory roles at Yale Facilities, specializing in psychiatry. Her expertise further expanded as she immersed herself in trauma work, particularly Eye Movement Desensitization Reprogramming (EMDR), a highly effective PTSD treatment. In 1995, she pursued advanced training in eating disorders, focusing on binge eating and body dysmorphia.
An avid learner, Rosalyn’s professional and personal journey into transformation led her to the Enneagram, where she studied under renowned mentors such as Tom Condon, Don Riso and Russ Hudson, among others. Her influential work extends to the literary realm with her best-selling book, “When Wisdom Arrives: From Imagined Unworthiness to Freedom.“ Rosalyn continues to inspire and empower individuals on their path to self-discovery and freedom, as a Oneness Coach.
