David deBardelaben-Phillips
Favorite Quote
What really makes us safe is taking risks and discovering we are OK. It requires a willingness to step into our discomfort.
Lisa Loustaunau, Former Academic Director, Institute of Core Energetics New York
Imago is a team sport.
Michelle Bohls - Imago Faculty
Instructor's Biography
David is the Founder and President of Energetic Awakenings in Cleveland, OH. He is a leader in mind, body, spirit healing. David works with clients to identify roots causes that prevent them from being their full self and helps them to take actions to achieve personal transformation. His main goal is to help each client Live Life Fully! In his private practice, David works with individuals, couples, and groups. He is also a workshop leader and group facilitator for many organizations dealing with challenging topics such as racism, conflict, & LGBTQ cultural competency. David holds his Master of Education from Cleveland State University with a focus on Adult Learning & Development. David is a senior faculty member at the Institute of Core Energetics based in NYC. He is an Advanced Certified Core Energetics Practitioner, Reiki Master, Certified Exceptional Relationship Mentor, Certified Imago Relationship Facilitator, and Faculty Associate with Imago International Training Institute.
Instructor's Story
My Imago story began with a love story.
On Friday the 13th in 2017, I met an amazing man named Bentley deBardelaben. We dated for a year and a half and were happily married in May 2019.
Then COVID arrived, and Bentley and I experienced a significant rupture in our relationship. We loved each other, but we needed help finding our way back to one another.
We were fortunate to find Paula and Yael, a biracial couple who offered Imago relationship work. They invited us to Providence, Rhode Island, for a private couple’s weekend intensive. That experience helped us listen to one another in a new way and begin to heal. IMAGO SAVED OUR MARRIAGE!
About a year later, we returned to participate in their Getting the Love You Want workshop for biracial couples. Through both experiences, I saw the power of Imago to help couples move beyond hurt and into deeper understanding and connection.
If Imago could help save my marriage, I thought it was time for me to start “horsing around” with Imago people!
I convinced my dear friend and colleague Clare, to join me for Imago Facilitator Training, and together we headed to Featherheart Ranch in California. There we met our trainers, Garet and Michelle, and began a journey that started on a ranch and ended on a beach in Costa Rica.
I completed my project and became a Certified Imago Relationship Facilitator. I was excited to put what I had learned into action.
Clare and I began incorporating basic mirroring into our couples’ retreats, and I brought the practice into my work with couples in my private practice. I also discovered how valuable Imago could be beyond couples’ work—as a way to help people listen more deeply, build understanding, and strengthen relationships in organizations and communities.
My certification capstone was an Imago facilitation project with Strowmatt Rehabilitation Services. Since then, I have used my Imago Facilitator Training in a variety of programs, including:
- A two-day leadership retreat for the United Church of Christ Love of Neighbor team in Cleveland, Ohio
- A half-day presentation on stress, burnout, and boundaries for United Church Homes in Columbus, Ohio
- A presentation for the US HIV/AIDS Faith Coalition in Washington, D.C.
- A four-day board and staff retreat for the Council of Health and Human Services in Wakeman, Ohio
- A two-day retreat for the Southern New England Conference, including a session on minimizers and maximizers
- A half- day presentation for United Church Homes on De-escalation: Responding vs. Reacting
In August 2024, my Imago story came full circle in a way that felt like a fairy tale. Bentley and I traveled to England to participate in a Getting the Love You Want retreat at Thornbury Castle. While we were there, we renewed our vows in the castle—a celebration of our love and the journey we had traveled together.
Imago has touched my life both personally and professionally. It helped Bentley and me find our way back to each other, and it gave me tools to help others create more understanding and connection in their relationships. Today, as a faculty associate, I am honored to share those tools with people who want to bring Imago into their own communities and work.
