Héctor Aristizábal is a seasoned psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience, Héctor has seamlessly integrated his therapeutic work with art and activism. He is the Founder and Director of ImaginAction, an organization dedicated to using theater and creative arts as powerful tools for social change, healing, and personal transformation.

Héctor is also the co-creator of Reconectando, which blends deep ecology, theater, and ritual to support both victims and ex-combatants in their healing journeys. His inspiring work spans across continents, from aiding torture survivors and immigrants in the U.S. to playing a vital role in peace processes in Colombia and other regions in Latin America, Europe, and as far as Afghanistan and India.

He has received prestigious recognition for his impactful contributions, and his autobiography, "The Blessing Next to the Wound: A Story of Art, Activism, and Transformation," showcases his unwavering dedication to personal and societal healing.

Time Stamps

(00:00) - Introduction of Héctor Aristizábal

(01:48) - What does passion mean to you?

(02:52) - We are born with a gift to give to the world

(03:45) - Hector's early traumatic experiences and collective trauma

(05:45) - The importance of rites of passage

(08:38) - Authenticity vs attachment

(10:49) - We are all in constant transformation

(12:33) - Finding your purpose and state of flow

(13:52) - Disability transformed into This Ability

(16:04) - Most of us are spiritually handicapped

(18:15) - My own search of spirituality

(18:46) - How Héctor understands spirituality

(20:39) - We are in an excellent moment in life.

(22:13) - Ritual theatre, deep ecology and the importance of the collective

(23:46) - DreamingAction and working with organizations

(24:26) - Theatre and other methodologies in therapeutic work

(25:33) - Playing in nature

(27:23) - Travelling into our inner world

(28:27) - How to design rituals

(29:38) - Working in prisons

(30:01) - Becoming an Elder instead of an Older

(32:35) - Switzerland Camp-In ritual experience

(35:58) - Every ritual is an act of beauty

(36:48) - Which is the last death and rebirth that you have experienced?

(38:13) - Vision fast and the learnings that came

(43:16) - Hector's new project, “The second adventure of life”

(45:45) - Three big actual crisis

(50:14) - The dangers of living a passionless life

(52:34) - Hector's play and the medicine inside the wound

(55:07) - Final Questions

(01:00:16) - What would you tell your young self if you traveled back in time?

(01:01:35) - What would you teach to the whole humanity?

(01:02:30) - How would you describe El Juego?