Transformational Coach and Author Dr. Barbara Morrill Recently Featured on Close Up Radui
REDWOOD CITY, CA, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Redwood City, CA –The Diary of Anne Frank is about a young 13-year-old girl who kept an account of her experiences coming of age while hiding in Amsterdam with her family at the beginning of Hitler’s reign of terror. Nearing the end of the Holocaust she was 15 when she died of typhus at Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. Anne’s Diary is one of the most popular and widely read books of all time. Not only has it sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, it has been translated into more than 70 languages. But many of us have not heard of an extraordinary woman young Dutch Jewish woman of 27, twice Anne’s age, by the name of Etty Hillesum, who also wrote diaries during the Holocaust and was tragically murdered at 29 years old at Auschwitz - Birkenau in December 1943. Etty's life and writings, including Etty Hillesum: An Interrupted Life and Letters from Westerbork, also have much to teach us and to inspire new generations with affirming messages of courage, presence and hope. Now more than ever in today's dark times under the current administration of authoritarian leanings of mass deportations and people being detained in camps that echoes Nazi era tactics, we need Etty's affirming message of fierce compassion, resilience, and transformation.
Dr. Barbara Morrill, a clinical psychologist who has been in private practice for over thirty years and an educator at the university level for the past fifteen years has made it her mission to spread Etty's message to the world at large. She feels Etty's work as a ‘chronicler’ of her times should be counted as one of the great writers of the intersections of history, cultural context, psychology and spirituality Perhaps even as required readings in schools as a wakeup call for the future.
Dr Barbara’s work is not only traditional talk therapy rather it is dedicated to Integral psychology which places a strong emphasis on healing mind body and spirit, our whole person. She knows how everything is interconnected and is integral to human consciousness. Her expertise has also placed great emphasis on the intergenerational trauma caused by racism and antisemitism.
Dr. Barbara's endeavor to understand human behavior and transcend personal traumas, dated back to her early childhood. Even from a young age, it was obvious she was destined for career in psychology. A precocious child blessed with inquisitive nature and an empathetic heart, she followed her instincts and intuition. What piqued her curiosity most was what makes humans tick, why are some driven towards compassion while others towards a path of power over another. Questions about how do we learn to love instead of hate brought her to delve into deeper realms of consciousness.
That led her to becoming an academic Professor teaching psychology to those desiring to be therapists. And to deeply ponder and interweave it together recognizing how cultural context is absolutely critical to psychology.
But it when she found the diary of Etty Hillson in a Jewish bookstore her path took a transformative turn. It connected with her so profoundly. Feeling inspired, she knew Etty's story must be told to a worldwide audience.
Her life and writing testify to the power of the human soul that can help us respond to the worst suffering.
Etty began writing her diary at the age of 27. In it she describes the struggles of her own internal world, her bouts with depression, inner demons, her love affairs and particularly with her analyst and teacher, Julius Spier, her disturbed dysfunctional gifted family, her tempestuous nature, all while living in the most inhumane suffering imaginable in the darkest time of history. In stunning passages between spiritual awakening and horror, Etty takes us on a transformative journey sometimes mired in self-delusion that emerges through her work and characterized by intense inner struggles and spiritual challenges. Rather than dwell in hate, Etty developed a deeper understanding of her place in the world. But most remarkable is how she chose not to dwell in hate for the Nazis but to embrace this phase as an opportunity for growth rather, than succumbing to its burdens. She knew that connecting with spirituality had become a part of her resilience, revealing a path to a more purposeful and enriched existence.
Etty knew her fate was sealed as she fearlessly volunteered to go to Westerbork a Nazi transit camp to work with women and girls as well as the sick in the hospital barracks. Her humanity and compassionate care is a source of life and inspiration to others. Even in these dark days she describes life as "magnificent," because she embraces it's raw beauty despite being under the ugliest of circumstances.
As such, Dr. Barbara knew sharing Etty's diaries is a gift to us all. This inspired her to write the following articles about Etty.
The Jungian Inspired Holocaust Writings of Etty Hillesum, The Significance of Etty Hillesum’s Writings and Etty Hillesum as Chronicler of Love Transcending Hate in Her Times, for Our Time, for All Time and Unfolding Toward Being: Etty Hillesum and the Evolution of Consciousness.
Dr. Barbara even took a trip to Amsterdam to walk in Etty's footsteps and met a Holocaust survivor. So she wrote more and began key note speaking in Holland, urging us to listen to our inner wisdom much like Etty did.
Today, more inspired than ever, Dr. Barbara staunchly reminds us its absolutely important for people to understand what happens during authoritarian leadership and like Etty not to let ourselves succumb to darkness.
She also wrote a book, The Jungian Inspired Holocaust Writings of Etty Hillesum; To Write is To Act that encourages us to can gain a deeper understanding of Etty's work and learn the lessons that come with it especially for the times we are in right now.
Intriguing, compelling, and raw, the book is also an example of how we can use Etty Hillesum’s writings to stand firm against today's administration. From the roundup of illegal migrants, brutal mass deportations, and ice raids unfolding before our very own horrified eyes, we are also seeing many immigrants documented and undocumented hiding out in fear. People are now looking back to the chilling Holocaust days and reliving the fear and pain.
That's why Dr. Barbara's work are not just factual accounts but a call to action. Because the alarming parallels between that time in history and now remind us how history is repeating itself but that love, hope, and kindness endure even in the darkest times. We must therefore stand up against prejudice and injustice in all forms.
Dr. Barbara says to rise above means standing in our truth. Today, we are seeing examples of that with people uniting in large numbers to peacefully protest human rights. Etty also expressed there is always an "Ivan the Terrible" or a "Hitler" lurking and we must deal with that reality. However, if we kept Etty's message alive throughout time perhaps we wouldn't be where we are now once again facing, oppressive regimes.
Are we once again undergoing a stark escalation of political rhetoric, fascism, and strong terrifying echo of authoritarians and Nazi ideology? The world needs to come to terms with the chilling fact we can be witnessing history repeating itself. And it's time to remember our own courage and presence and do whatever we are called to do to stand up to fear being used as a weapon to diminish our own resilience.
In the words of Etty: "The sky is full of purple lupins that stand up so regally and peacefully, two little old women have sat down for a chat, the sun is shining on my face – and right before our eyes, mass murder. The whole thing is simply beyond comprehension."
With Etty's grace and strength of character, she sees the beauty, emotionally and physically, in our world and how the capacity for evil exists among us, but we can keep living with trust, care for humanity, and not give up on the creativity and capacity for love in our own hearts and souls.
Don't miss Dr. Barabara Morrill's interview with Jim Masters. She discussed in depth Etty's writings, fascinating book and articles, and her expert views for living in today's times.
Close Up Radio recently featured Dr. Barbara Morrill in an interview with Jim Masters on Friday July 18th at 5pm Eastern
Listen to the Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-up-radio-spotlights-transformational-coach-and/id1785721253?i=1000718229271
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-close-up-radio-242020413/episode/close-up-radio-spotlights-transformational-coach-286932882/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/44YjM4YHZJ9sZjk1clKcNL
For more information, please visit www.barbaramorrill.com
Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+ +1 631-850-3314
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