*Please read updates in update section*

OVERVIEW: RATIONAL FOR RESIGNATION:

On behalf of Buddhists, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Hindus, Wiccans, Atheists, Agnostics, Pagans, New Age practitioners of all types, and Christians of all sects, etc. who do not seek to condescendingly impose their beliefs on others, we reject religious proselytizing of all kinds at Pacifica Graduate Institute by the current President and those Trustees who are blindly supporting her. We demand the immediate firing of those who have betrayed Pacifica's mission and trust and created a hostile environment. The chaos swirling on campuses for two months now is prima facie proof. Those with the aims of religous missionaries should never have been placed in positions of power without disclosing their true intentions. This has thwarted Pacifica's mission, threatened its longevity, and negatively impacted the lives and careers of students, faculty, Alums, their families, as well as the reputation of the Institute and the discipline of Depth Psychology. The President's persistent proselytizing for over a year and a half, subtle or bold, with increasingly exclusionary remarks against non-Christians, constitutes Religious Harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Related to this is fact that the President is committing multiple kinds of Conflict of Interest as outlined in WSCUC Accreditation Policy.

It has become very clear that Leonie Mattison came to Pacifica with her own biases and agendas: as evidenced in this Town Hall. "From Day one, I told you..." she says, revealing her plans for Pacifica began before she even listened to anyone. Her mission is revealed to be 1) Spreading the Gospel of Jesus and using Pacifica's platform and resources to continue the work of her for-profit LLC (a Seventh Day Adventist associated ministry and product-driven mentoring for women  2) Giving free education to whomever she wants (which is the mission of the fiscal sponsor for her LLC, that she secured right before beginning work as Pacifica's CEO.) While helping trauma survivors find Jesus and secure free educations for those she cares about are noble pursuits; and, there is much need for thoughtful, evidence-driven and mission-driven strategies for expanding opportunities for a diversity of students (keeping in mind intersectionality and the always shifting and multi-faceted nature of "diversity"), these outside interests cannot be allowed to drive the whole of Pacifica's hiring practices, structures, programs or branding, otherwise Pacifica becomes merely an instrument of these other organization's missions; Pacifica is at serious risk of becoming colonized by the church and the social service agencies that collect tax-free donations for her church: her power as President/CEO, with control over branding, marketing, public relationships and having the final word on all decisions  is such that everything she does influences everything else. She is not a student here or a Professor. She is President. And she has an enormous responsibility to EVERYONE associated with Pacifica. She cannot just act like she was before she got the job. 

In a nutshell: Dr. Mattison's efforts and the changes she is championing at lightening speed are in alignment with the personal goals and the mission of her church and fiscal sponsors, at the expense of Pacifica's mission. This is wrong and it's illegal. The President is very talented in marketing and networking. She has a calling, as strong as anyone we have ever seen. 
She needs to be doing what she is doing within her own organization, not using Pacifica for her own personal means. This is what is meant by "Conflict of Interests." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Student Protest signs at front desk of Lambert Campus, July, 2024)

EVIDENCE:

Her "100 Day Listening Tour", which she marketed widely and put on her resume, resulted in selective listening, and only hearing only what she wanted to hear. From the moment she shared results, it was obvious she was putting outside interests above all else -- she literally tells us, "from day one I wanted to make Depth Psychology accessible to all."She used the (selective) Listening Tour, focusing on conversations with outside community organizations, to support her Strategic plan, forging both reports into a weapon to use against those who oppose her, like the majority of stakeholders now at Pacifica. Her attitude of supreme authority; giving lip service to but refusal to engage in shared governance with faculty, staff and students; forcing out those who oppose her; focusing on pet projects at the neglect of many other responsibilities; weaving the threads of Pacifica and her Church ministry together into an untenable tangle; chilling free speech; dishonestly presenting forced resignations and other strife as positive transitions, i.e. "spinning the news": these problems all make it clear that that new leadership is urgently needed, as the Whistle Blowers in the Alumni Association detailed in their July 3, 2023 letter.  

As Alums, elders and caring community members, we stand as protectors of the sanctity of this PGI's mission, values, origins and orientation, and as guardians at the threshold between the future and the traditions of Depth Psychology across the world. We feel a responsibility to current stakeholders, as well those who came before and those who will come after. We demand that the Trustees and owners of Pacifica Graduate Institute take immediately action. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image:  Ganesh Statue, Lambert Campus)

"Every religion is true one way or another. It is true when understood     metaphorically. But when it gets stuck in its own metaphors, interpreting them as facts, then you are in trouble." --Joseph Campbell

For 45 years, Graduate Institute (PGI) in Santa Barbara, California, has been a beacon of enlightenment, a college of healing, counseling and alchemy akin to Hogwarts for Harry Potter and his allies.

Joseph Campbell, the great mythologist who advised George Lucas on the Star Wars series  and brought the world "The Hero's Journey", was a beloved Pacifica mentor. His profound works are housed at the Opus Archives and Research Center on Lambert campus, where anyone can  visit. At least, they have been until now. The two, story-booked campuses, Lambert and Ladera, close to the Pacific Ocean, are lush with flora and fauna that have inspire dreams, imagination, creativity, and everyday magic. All of this is under grave threat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Ladera Campus Labyrinth) 

Please sign this petition created by Alumni. It is the second one offered by Pacifica Stake holders since the problems came to collective light (Click here for first one created by students). Both aim to let the Shareholders of this Employee-owned college know that The CEO/President of Pacifica, who seems backed unconditionally by the Board of Trustees, including three Evangelicals missionaries (a dark secret) allegedly wants to ax property, programs and people who stand in her way. Her mission in life, seeded by a vision she has share publicly dozens of times in her "Testimony" is to reach "millions" of vulnerable woman she seeks to convert to accept Jesus was their savior, and draw people to her own, for-profit ministry and materials. Communication has broken down so much between her and at least 50 verified faculty members, and over 150 students that they can not go to the Executive Administration for anything. A college CANNOT function like this. Yet the Board of Trustees keeps defending her. We do not know if she is so persuasive or if their own desires and special interests are keeping them from action. But we demand change as fast as possible. 

Matters are only going to get worse if she is allowed to proceed as she has stated she wants to do. The President/CEO is refusing to renew the lease of Lambert campus, as her 2025-2030 Strategic Plan indicates -- a plan she defiantly released in the very same email she announced the shocking resignations of two beloved Counseling Chairs. This caused enormous anxiety and upset among over 100 counseling students. (Read the full letter from the Pacifica Graduate Alumni Association here that Whistleblowers release on July 3, 2024.) 

(Image: Soul's Code James Hillman and a beloved Professor Emeritus, Dr. Christine Downing, in a display case out side of Opus Archives. The Purple Ribbon is part of a series of protest actions sponsored by Counseling Students to call for the retention of Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute). 

One example of Dr. Mattison's rejection of Pacifica's past and her duties as President/CEO is refusal to fund Opus Archives, until she was forced to do so (and then covered it up, claiming she was heroic in giving monies to hire a staff member, when she was actually two years behind in doing what she was legally contracted to do.) The Opus archives holds the papers of "the Soul's Code" James Hillman and Christine Downing (featured in photo above), Goddess experts Marija Gimbutas and Marion Woodman, etc. )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Barrett Center on Ladera Campus, with Pacifica elders watching from the hollowed walls. It has been an entire year since there has been Retreat programs related to the college's mission, where alums and community members could gather in deep conversation, learning, great food and camaraderie. We so hope Pacifica will return to regular, in person gatherings open to all.)

This erasure and animosity towards the ancestors of Pacifica are being threatened by the current President and Trustees of Pacifica. Faculty complains she takes little to no interest in their departments. For two years, an Ombudsman program that had been started with the former President to address pay, workload and benefit increases was ignored.

But this threat extends beyond Pacifica's borders and how current faculty and students are being neglected at best, forced out at worst: Pacifica has become known around the globe for nurturing exceptional and soulfully-diverse practitioners on its enchanting, eco-therapeutic campuses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Persephone's Garden, outside a class room where Depth/Archetypal Graduate students love to meet on Lambert Campus. This little sacred space was created by a cohort engaging in soul-centered ritual. It honors the mythic story of Persephone, Demeter the Earth Goddess, and Hades, God of the Underworld.)

(Image: Pacifica hosts Red Book for Our Time in Ascona Switzerland, May 2022)

Dr. Mattison professes that her "The Thread" materials are "Jungian", as did the Recruitment company who hired her in their online PR material. This is a lie. We have read ALL the materials throughly and none of them contain a shred of academic scholarship or Depth/Jungian psychology.

Yet, the  President's prolific marketing of her own personal books that form the written material for her Christian ministry, "The Thread, LLC" is dominating the web and quickly redefining the field of Jungian scholarship as "Jesus" according to search engines. It's all on the surface, but given how people utilize the Internet to vet people for jobs, search for colleges, define terms based on brief reads, and how AI and algorithms work, its entirely possible that when someone searches for "Jung" online, "Pacifica" or "Depth Psychology" they will arrive at Leonie Mattison's proselytizing materials. 

And what are her future plans at Pacifica that will help her reach even more people? Listen to this Pod cast that has many Pacifica Faculty on it, and Jungians: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhucxsNmbT4

Listen to the beginning to the question of "Will Jung last the 21st Century"? She does not answer directly, but tells the audience about the importance of technology, and then her Grandmother's quilting, and then she implores everyone to go find her "The Thread" material!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Upcoming conference at Ladera Campus. The only one in a year, and she makes herself a Key Note.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Pacifica hosting "Red book for Our Times" Conference in Ascona, Switzerland, May 2022) 

The CEO is rapidly linking herself with leaders in the field of Jungian Psychology across the world who have come to trust Pacifica Graduate Institute because of decades-long networking with revered leaders like some of PGI's co-founders, Dr. Stephen Aizenstat, Maren Hansen, and then the former President of the International Association for Analytical Psychology Dr. Joseph Cambray and his partner, Dr. Linda Carter. These are extraordinary scholars. What will Jungians across the world think of Pacifica -- and students with degrees from Pacifica in the future -- if they realize "Jungian scholarship" at PGI  = born-again Christian biblical references? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Page in her book, "I Wait In Him": Almost every page in every book and material is like this. This is NOT Depth or "Jungian" Psychology!

CLICK HERE TO SEE HER THE THREAD MATERIALS.

IT IS INAPPROPRIATE AND ILLEGAL TO ESSENTIALLY MARKET FOR HER FOR-PROFIT LLC. Presidents ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE PACIFICA'S LOGOS, NAME, REPUTATION TO BOOSTER THEIR OWN PERSONAL BUSINESS, IF THAT BUSINESS LACKS THE SAME MISSION OR STANDARDS. DOING SO DEGRADE'S PACIFICAS BRAND AND REPUTATION.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Dr. Mattison has no boundaries between her Presidency and her Personal The Thread, LLC. ministry.  She is using PGI's platform and resources to promote her own religious books and materials. "The Thread", "Grandmother's Quilting", "Trauma" is all part of her "Testifying" to lead people to Jesus. Once you see the pattern, it is in almost everything she does. This does not bring value to Pacifica. 

Pacifica has a responsibility and must live up to its reputation, or the degrees and careers of those from the past and those in the future will be tarnished. 

An example of how she is expertly "weaving the threads" of Depth/Jungian Psychology into her Seventh Day Adventist/Born-again "The Thread" material can be found in the June, 2024 "OneVoice" interview. 

Please note: there are many Jungian scholars around the world and illustrious Professors at Pacifica who have covered religious topics beautifly in the context of depth psychological research. Religion is not the problem. Carl Jung grapples with Christianity and the living presences and images of the deep unconscious throughout much of his writings. The problem is there is no actual material, arguments, theory -- aka "Scholarship" in anything Mattison talks or writes about: she is always "Testifying" and attempting to convert people. Sticking quotes in the middle of biblical scripture and imploring people to accept Jesus as Savior does not expand minds or "advance the field" or do anything but upset audiences and waste time.  There is no room for true depth exploration if there is only one end all and be all and that is Jesus Christ!

On behalf of Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Mormons, Hindus, Wiccans, Atheists, Agnostics, New Age practitioners of all types, and Christians that do not seek to impose their beliefs on others, we reject prothyletizing at Pacifica Graduate Institute. 

Listen to any of her almost 300 Podcasts. The problem is, to Pacifica audiences and community partners, she has been claiming for two years  this material is Jungian! Click here: 

Notice the image in the center of the tree of the new seal she created using AI: it's slightly veiled but still visible, like everything she does. This image alone ON HER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF PACIFICA, ALREADY VETTED BY THE TRUSTEES, AND REJECTED BY MUCH OF THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS WHEN IT WAS SHOWN TO MANY OF THEM 9 MONTHS AFTER SHE BEGAN IMPLEMENTING IT, is proof of her plans for "intentional transformation", her code word for Christianizing Pacifica Graduate Institute. 

 

CHANGE OF SEALS FROM ALCHEMY TO CROSS  IN CENTER OF TREE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one knew she was changing the PGI's traditional Seal. Click here to see it: No one gave her permission to remove an ancient alchemical symbol and replace it with a cross:. Pacifica is suppose to have "Shared Governance". THIS IS FUNDAMENTALIST TAKE OVER BY MISSIONARIES!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: DR. MATTISON'S FACEBOOK PAGE: for four months, on almost every post on Pacifica's FB and webpage there was a link sending readers to this Facebook page. Her personal page also links back to PGI's page.)

One Senior manager at Ladera was already told to "start getting packing boxes". Dr. Mattison has indicated in her 2030 Strategic Plan that moving classes on line is imminent. We suspect this is so she can reach her "millions" to spread the Gospel of Jesus to as many woman as possible. As she said in this podcast before coming to Pacifica, " I want to share it with millions! "Why wouldn't I? I want so many people to experience what I have experienced...it is just positivity all around and why wouldn’t I?! The Bible says that he calls us so we may get and share the Word this is the gospel, and our lives are this living testimony." (click above link for transcript and go to 30:00). Mattison also explains how she became a born-again Seventh Day Adventist in this podcast, (13:00).

WHERE ONE PERSON's RELIGION FREEDOM IMPEDES ON OTHER'S, THEIR RIGHTS END. WHEN THAT PERSON IS IN A POSITION OF POWER OVER EVERYONE ELSE, THE IMPOSITION CREATES A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT: 

Note that in every interview pod cast, lecture, and talk, she follows the evangelical rhetorical strategy called "Testifying: 1) She shares her trauma story 2) She tells how Jesus Saved her 3) She Pleads that Jesus will save us to. To Christian audiences, she does this outright. To Pacifica audiences, she veils it by talking about "The Thread" and imploring people to go to her website and buyer her books  -- they will get the Jesus part later if they do. The different versions of ""Testifying" for two different audiences in dozens of examples indicates she is consciously and intentionally concealing.  As Psychotherapists who value the sacredness of personal narratives, we object to using them for  subversive means: this feels strategic, disingenuous and coercive. She sets a terrible example for our students. 

According to a 2013 Article in The Independent, Dr. Mattison had a Telephone ministry as far back as 2013, and on her website offers a clear time line of its development: she has been seeking to grow it ever since, including by writing a series of books she calls "The Thread", partnering with YouVersion, a power house of evangelical marketing, ready - made biblical materials and networking to spread the gospel in the course of living one's life. It is necessary to understand, as Mattison herself declares in the Podcast linked and quoted above, " The gospel is not a religion! It is a way of life!" While we support everyone in living out their missions and visions, to use Pacifica's resources to do this is abhorrent to us and we suspect an illegal Conflict of Interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: from the Western States Accreditation Board --  WASC --Senior (Colleges) Division on Conflicts of Interest that must be avoided: they specifically give an example of the harms of Religious-Church influence.)

According to her "Timeline" after she hired a marketing mentor to bolster her ministry and re-enter the job market, she obtained a Fiscal Sponsorship with EYC.com in Santa Barbara to collect tax-free donations to support herself and spread Jesus to others.

The EYC's mission is to give full ride college scholarships to black men and women. She created "The Pacifica Soul Promise soon after arriving at Pacifica, which has the same mission as her fiscal sponsor. And who is the fiscal sponsor for the Pacifica Soul Promise? One of the most powerful philanthropic organizations in Santa Barbara, who give large sums of money to her Fiscal Sponsor. By all appearances, Mattison is using the office of the President at PGI to fulfill her personal mission and the mission of her LLC sponsor. While this may be legal, it gives the appearance of Conflict of Interest.

Not only does Mattison weave her LLC & books in to official Presidential Pacifica material,  as mentioned above she weaves her ministry and personal marketing in with Pacifica's in podcasts and on most social media posts, which have become increasingly exclusionary and offense to non-Christians.

This is a gross Conflict of Interest and we demand she be fired in no uncertain terms.

These are some of the reasons the Alumni Association publicly posted the call for her resignation on July 1; that 50 faculty members and hundreds of students have already begun a letter writing campaign, initiated a purple Ribbon Wearing protest, posted signs all over both campuses to raise awareness, etc. 

EVIDENCE OF COVERT AND OVERT "TESTIFYING" WHILE ON THE JOB AS CEO/PRESIDENT. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Image: Leonie Mattison features the PGI Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Introduces the new Vice President of People, Culture and Belonging, 

and writes, With God, all things are possible to those who believe."

WHAT ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS OR ATHEIST MINORITIES WHO DO NOT BELIEVE? THIS IS A TITLE IX AND EEOC VIOLATION! WHILE SHE IS INTRODUCING THE VP OF "PEOPLE, CULTURE AND BELONGING".

THIS IS CRAZY-MAKING!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most do not want missionaries knocking on their front doors; they certainly don't want to be groomed by them while attending college. Dr. Mattison has already created a hostile environment, as hundreds of complaints have already demonstrated, prime facie. 

While Freedom of Religion must be upheld in most circumstances, where one person's religion imposes on another is where that right ends. When it damages the Institute, and creates a hostile environment, religion becomes weaponized. And, those who have fiduciary responsibility  -- as College CEOs/Presidents and Trustees do -- cannot interfere with the mission, values and operations or finances of a corporation by imposing their own "special Interests", as per law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NECESSARY ACTIONS TO RECTIFY SITUATION 

We demand a full investigation into marketing materials, as well as all fiscal sponsorships and contracts the President/CEO made since being hired, for her personal LLC and that the President's pet project "Pacifica Soul Promise" be shelved until and unless it has been vetted and revamped by all stakeholders and outside legal experts, to ensure it legality; that it is in alignment with Pacifica's current mission, vision and departmental goals, and not to the detriment or demise of them. We also believe it is prudent for an audit by outside experts of the CEO's expense account and how time on the clock was allocated. We call for annual audits there after of all Executive Leadership, with the results being made transparent, at least to all stockholders of this "Employee Owned" Institute. 

It is hereby appealed to all stakeholders to help reverse this hostile environment and restore trust again by signing this petition. We demand the immediate removal of the President and all associated Trustees fostering conflicts of interest and influence from outside bodies like any church. 

We call for regularly scheduled, campus-wide "Town-halls" open to everyone, to address collective issues and campus-wide conflict, at least once a semester, in support of the previous petition and posters calling for "Openness" and "Transparency". 

We further demand that Pacifica do everything in its power to retain both Ladera and Lambert Campus, and assure that however PGI seeks to expand online or hybrid programs, it continues to offer Counseling, Clinical Psychology and many others in person. The beauty of both campuses, access to nature, access to organic, edible gardens and orchards, and ability to sit at the table and face each other in dialogue and ritual will always be maintained. Restoration of depth-oriented, in person, retreat programs is also required for Pacifica to remain Pacifica. Please preserve this institute mission and spirit. 

We also call for the re-instatement or re-employment to higher and better paid positions, as desired and as they come available, of the stellar Chairs, faculty and administrators whom were witnessed by many to have experienced the unhealthy and hostile environment that the Executive leadership has created. Pacifica needs to make amends to the extremely dedicated and hardworking employees it has hurt, and reverse the current atmosphere of fear and intimidation for all employees. Remove all gag orders on stakeholders!

It is the way of Depth Psychology. 

Please stand with us; sign the petition to reinstate PGI’s glorious ethos urgently. 

Signed, Alums, elders, and Pacifica's extended community 

_____________________________________________________________

For more info, contact: info@PacificaProtest.com 

PS. Feel Free to Sign Anonymously.  You will need to create a Change.org account with a new name and email to do this. If you do this though, please put in the comments your affiliation with PGI and check that email for updates. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note, once order is restored to Pacifica, and this petition is resolved in a satisfactory way, we will remove it from Change.Org