Who we are

The Orphic center was born of our mutual passion for the essence of the human soul, from its existence in language and mythology to our living experience of it. The Orphic themes of identity, memory, transformation, ecstasy and the archetypal manifestations of the soul exist at the crossroads of mythology, spirituality and psychology. It is at these crossroads that a father and son found common ground. We warmly invite you to join us and explore this wondrous region together, in the ancient texts, within ourselves and our shared experience.

Apostolos and Nikolaos Athanassakis

Apostolos Athanassakis

Apostolos Athanassakis is professor emeritus in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, in ancient Greek epic, especially Homer and Hesiod. Classical mythology and historical linguistics claimed his attention throughout his career and from 2001 until 2011 he held the Argyropoulos chair in Hellenic Studies at UCSB. Among Athanassakis' publications, his translations of Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and the Orphic Hymns stand out. For him, these texts contained the allure of the first images and the journey of the human soul since its earliest appearance in Homer.

A poet himself, Athanassakis has also published four collections of his own poetry. Athanassakis' passion has always been teaching and inspiring his students. In his forty-four years at UCSB, he taught Homer, Hesiod and Greek mythology. Retired from UCSB since 2012, Athanassakis presently lives in Athens and spends his time lecturing, writing and enjoying spirited conversation over Greek coffee.

Nikolaos Athanassakis

Nikolaos is a body-oriented psychotherapist. In his work, he aims to help people expand their body awareness and reconnect with their body's innate resources in order to regain their sense of self. His orientation and passion is finding the point where body and spirit meet, this spark which ignites profound healing and transformation. His love affair with the body began as an athlete, playing basketball in his youth, on the collegiate level in the US and briefly as a professional in Greece. His experience in counseling people started with working with children with disabilities, a time during which he received his Master's degree in Educational Counseling from Azusa Pacific University in California. He transitioned to working with adults after moving to Greece.

Nikolaos has training in Bioenergetics, Gestalt Therapy and other modalities of psychotherapy. He is a certified TRE® (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) provider. He has created his own approach, called Ensomatics. He is also a trained therapist with the Power of Light Institute, a program which empowers people to move beyond their self-limiting patterns into finding their passion for life. He is also an Essence Teacher in training with Vedanta Aspioti in the Diamond Logos Academy in Greece.