Description
What if an ancient ritual could open a doorway to healing that modern therapy alone cannot reach?
The ofrenda, a sacred altar tradition rooted in Mexican culture, is far more than a cultural ceremony. It is a profound act of symbolic communication between the living and the dead, and a powerful vehicle for psychological transformation. For those navigating complicated grief, it may offer something deeply needed: a way to reconnect, remember, and heal.
In this evocative and clinically meaningful session, participants are introduced to a Jungian art-based inquiry into the therapeutic power of the ofrenda ritual. Drawing from active imagination, archetypal imagery, and symbolic artmaking, this presentation explores how the ritual process of constructing an ofrenda helped participants integrate loss, restore ancestral connection, and experience genuine emotional renewal.
Research findings reveal how this ancient practice functions as a living mandala, bridging conscious and unconscious processes and creating a sacred space where grief can be witnessed, expressed, and transformed. For clinicians, educators, and anyone touched by loss, this session offers both inspiration and practical tools for integrating ritual and art into therapeutic grief work.
Ancient wisdom and modern psychology meet in this deeply moving exploration of how creativity and culture can heal the human heart.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe the cultural and psychological significance of the ofrenda ritual and its role in addressing complicated grief.
Identify therapeutic benefits of symbolic and archetypal artmaking
Apply strategies for integrating ritual and symbolic art-based approaches into clinical grief work and therapeutic practice.
Jungian Active Imagination and the Ofrenda Ritual: Symbolic Healing in Complicated Grief, Angelina H. Rodriguez, PhD, LPC-AT/S, ATR-BC (1 hr)
Angelina H. Rodriguez, Ph.D., is a Houston-based depth psychologist and psychotherapist who brings a creative perspective and integrative approach to healing, incorporating the principles of Depth Psychology with talk therapy and art therapy. She holds a Ph.D. in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor/Supervisor and Registered Board-Certified Art Therapist with over two decades of clinical experience.
Her Jungian-informed approach blends depth-oriented insight with therapeutic dialogue, creative art processes, dreamwork, and mindful practices, helping clients move through grief, anxiety, depression, addiction, and major life transitions. She is the founder of Psychotherapy by Angelina and has served clients spanning immigration evaluations, grief work, substance recovery, and trauma healing in both English and Spanish.
Dr. Rodriguez has conducted extensive research on the ofrenda ritual, a traditional practice of honoring the deceased through art and symbol, exploring its role in grief, healing, and the psychology of death. Her documentary, "The Ofrenda Ritual: Bridging Art and Death," follows the healing journeys of participants in her workshops, which have been described as "extremely effective, memorable, and transformational." She has served the community as a therapist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, counseling patients with terminal cancer and their grieving families, and volunteered as a crisis counselor during the September 11th crisis in New York City.
A professional artist for over 25 years, Dr. Rodriguez's paintings and murals can be found in private residences and businesses throughout the country, and her work has been displayed in prestigious galleries and museums. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences and has been featured on Fox 26, ABC 13, KHOU Channel 11, the Houston Chronicle, among other media.