George Bertelstein is a Counselor and Spiritual Leader at Medicine Path NAC in Berkeley, CA. He has offered counsel, spiritual and otherwise, for over 30 years to thousands of individuals, including couples and families. The healing that is produced in the people that come to see George is certain, quick and long-lasting.
His door is open to all who come in a good way. Be willing to consider that your life can change in the best possible way.
“George is the most wonderful man and counselor that I have known. He is so very kind and helpful with his wisdom and support to help others navigate through the challenges of life experience. I highly recommend anyone to receive counseling from him.
“George is a wonder to this world. I cannot thank him enough for his heart inspiring guidance. I feel truly gifted that I have a connection to a spiritual and practical life councilor that sees directly to the heart of the matter and will never let me flounder in my own life.
“George is a humble man with a special gift that he gives selflessly. He has made a big impact on my life. I highly recommend his counselor services and workshops for anyone that is interested in knowing their true selves and becoming their highest, best self. The results are fast, deep and quite amazing.”
“Knowing George has changed me in that BIG way you want your life to go. I have undergone many life changes within his care and have learned the very real power of love and ability to invite even more love into my life. There is nothing flaky, false, or wishy-washy about George. He is solid wise ground to receive excellent council from.
“Without a doubt, George is one the most amazing “coaches” in the world; he really encouraged and inspired me when I had lost my own motivation to see thru the veil. He opened up long closed doors within me and nudged me, boldly and gently, back toward the center. If one should ever need an ally, he/she will find one…always…in George. His wisdom carries on in the heart.”
“Time and time again I have received potent counsel from George. His ability to help one cut through anything in the way of creating true joy and happiness in life is genuine and heart felt. His tell-it-like-it-is humor and wit have a particularly effective way of delivering the healing that so many of us are searching for.
“I’m at a loss of words to describe George. And I’m a writer.
George is a lifesaver. His wisdom, intelligence, compassion and level of perception and insight are immeasurable. He’s been the best help during the hardest times. He’s a beautiful man – I’m lucky to know him.”
“George is an amazing healer, I couldn’t think of anybody better to recommend for someone looking for counseling. A really kind soul with a unique, amazing, REAL approach to healing. I highly recommend his services.”
“I’ve known George for about 18 years and he’s the person who’s had the most positive influence on my life. He’s guided me through all sorts of life changes with gentleness, empowerment and wisdom. He’s smart and steeped in the spirituality of many cultures,
“I’ve known George for twenty years and have participated with him in many Native American ceremonies over these last two decades. I experience George as a humorous, compassionate human being with a heart as big as the world. He is highly intuitive and often sees things from a unique perspective that opens the door to much growth
“Real, honest, wise and funny, George Bertelstein has been of immeasurable value to me as a mentor, teacher, and friend, far beyond the usual bounds of a counselor. This man is truly dedicated to healing and will be 100% honest with you. As a young woman far from my family, I value the firm but loving corrections and suggestions
“When I first met George four years ago, I knew immediately I would hire him to counsel me. In our sessions, he clearly recognized issues and patterns I needed to address in order to progress in my personal and professional life. My work with him radically changed my life and immediately gave me clarity about issues that had previously muddied my vision.
“During the years I saw George for counseling, he messed up all my plans for hating my own guts, feeling so sorry for myself, and being a total brat. He told me big fat lies about who I really am and what I might really want to do with my precious life. Turns out, they weren’t lies. He was right.
“I was referred to George 4 years ago by a very close friend of mine. He helped me through a difficult time in my life. He is always helpful in the most direct and gently way. I am a father and I have always appreciated his insights into the challenges of parenting. If you are looking for and wise and kind counselor then George is your man.”
“In my time with George I felt held in a safe and supportive space. His clear seeing empowered me to engage my life more fully, shedding old skin and embracing greater possibilities. I am so grateful to have reconnected with him through Medicine Path. I see how deeply he has touched and inspired so many people to live the life they most want to live.”
“There are some excellent counselors out there. To which I would add that some people have an incredible and rare healing presence. George is one such as this.
I learn, and heal, a lot just by being near George. It is difficult for me to put into words how this is, so I won’t try.
I’ve put off writing this review because there are simply not enough words of praise or stars to rate this man’s service with. So, I’m keeping it simple. I’m not going to restate what others have stated. His gifts as a counselor are innumerable. I will say this from my own experience,
“George is a profoundly wise and gifted counselor and life guidance partner. His depth of wisdom and skills in deploying your internal warrior to gain awareness of our true capacity to heal is astounding. I was in need of a direct, powerful, effective counselor who could show me my strength and true character to move past some devastating
“I have known George for many years and am pleased he is expanding his business so others can be helped with the healing guidance he provides.
George is not only a counselor, but also a spiritual adviser, which in my opinion, is the next logical step after a cycle of therapy is complete.
“Impeccable is the first word that comes to mind for George Bertelstein. If you are searching for a counselor he is the one. I say this because i have counseled with him. He is authentic, compassionate and extremely effective. His kindness, life experience sets the stage for
“I have worked with George alone and when I was in a relationship. His wisdom,insight and humor help you to let go of your “thoughts,ideas,and opinions” of your situation so you can heal your life. I spent so much time in my “story” that I couldn’t move forward. George helped me to move beyond
“George has a special capacity to be calm, present, and absorbing in his practice. I appreciate his sense of humor and directness. He listens well, and asks challenging questions while providing a wise perspective steeped in a humble spirit. I recommend George to anyone and everyone.”
“I am happy and eager to spread the good news about this teacher, counselor, and very fine man, George Bertlestein. I have sat with him individually and in a group setting for counseling. My first experience with him was in a group setting on a guided healing journey to Peru.
“George is the same way all the time with every person: helpful, kind, insightful and trustworthy. George helped me to trust myself when I was habituated not to do so. George encouraged me to be more willing to believe that I was worthy of love and that there was nothing wrong
“George is a remarkable practitioner and spiritual leader adept at helping people see their truth within a safe and sacred space. His thoughtful, intuitive, and warm personality combines with an incredible sense of humor. All of these are brought to life through George’s powerful
“The first time I met George, I felt instantly safe and comfortable. In the 4 years I’ve known him, that has never wavered, not once. I had been through a great loss and George was always there through my healing journey, available for guidance and caring when I needed it.
“George counseled my husband and I throughout and engagement and performed our beautiful wedding ceremony. George is an amazing source our support, understanding and clarity for us in our lives.”
“Seeing George for counseling is not the typical counseling experience where you go talk, and go home. Seeing him will open doors beyond your wildest hopes and dreams for your best possible life.
“George was a big influence on me in my mid- to late-20s when I needed guidance on how to cope with difficulties in my life. He helped me learn many important ground rules. Even today, more than 10 years later, I may find myself wondering “What would George say?” Thank you, George!”
“To have the opportunity to sit with George, to be in counsel with him is beyond psychotherapy or spiritual counseling, it’s similar but different, for me it is to sit with a medicine man. To sit with a healer, a compassionate, strong and clear human being who is
“George is truly an inspiration. He speaks from the heart and is always on point.
When I first met George I was unsure of what I was getting myself into. But from the moment I heard him speak I knew that I was in GREAT hands. His words are profound and speak directly to my heart
“George really helped me through a huge part of my life, and continues to do so. His counseling is directive in a gentle way. He is honest, genuine, and easy to talk to. I have always felt completely safe telling him about my life. I highly recommend seeing George for individual or couples counseling if you are interested in making a change in your life.
“George is a unique human being who unfailingly makes himself available when called upon for help. He has that rare ability to be non-judgmental yet honest when trying to help others navigate the road of life, offering his great spirit and wisdom as a map to help them be better equipped to handle whatever direction it may go next.”
“When I first met George, in 2003, I was having a difficult time in my marriage. He helped us not only save our marriage, but to live in it with joy, integrity, softness. Love always wins. I have some complicated family
“George’s wisdom is the truth of the soul reflected back with compassion and in a very straight forward and clear way. Any time spent with this man will result in seeing oneself more clearly and feeling much more solid in one’s own capacity to make good choices, heal and grow.
“I have known George for almost 2 decades. He is honest, caring, patient, humorous, wise and very present. As a counselor He brings these attributes and His understanding of difficult life experiences to His healing work. I highly recommend George to help guide one back into wholeness.”
“I have recommended George to so many of my friends. I have sat with him only a few times, but I always have received so much from his simple, solid, wise and compassionate council. I feel like it is a powerful re-set that allows me to turn my concerns around and remember what I value
“George is amazing to say the least! With each visit my fiance and I reach a greater understanding of one another and are able to communicate with open minds and hearts. George creates and atmosphere of humility, peace, understanding and love.
“I highly recommend George Bertelstein for any kind of counseling you may need. He is smart, direct, FUNNY, real, and has amazing insight. I trust and respect him with ALL my heart.
He will do the right thing at all times…..a true healer. He is an inspiration to the very soul!”
“Down to earth and efficient, George sat down with my wife and I and helped us distill the essence of our troubles. It was kind of like emotional Ju-Jitsu, helping us get back to our feet and feel safe enough to fall again. George has a gift: I encourage you to find out for yourself!”
“Many of us find ourselves at a point where we cannot imagine our lives being good, or even suffer-able. I was at such a point when someone introduced me to George. What I lacked at that point was an ability to see myself as I really was, and the courage to be that person fully.
“George ‘Grey Eagle’ Bertelstein is a Sacred Prayer Pipe Carrier and holder of Oklevueha Native American Church. From my personal experience I have learned more about myself and life itself by sitting with one of the pipes that Grey Eagle gifted me, years ago.
“I first met George through a friend about 12 years ago when I lived in Washington state. After that, whenever I was in the Bay area it seemed the obvious thing to do was to go see George. Now that I live in SF it still seems the obvious thing to do.
Before I met George I had never
“I cannot recommend George’s counsel enough. He has helped me through multiple difficult circumstances and hard times in my life. George embodies two very valuable qualities that work hand in hand: one is great compassion, which is tangible and helps one to feel safe in his presence and know you are in good hands.
“George is a tremendous counselor and spiritual leader who has accompanied me through many difficult times and many joyful ones. His compassion, perspective, ability to help me see myself, deep acceptance of himself and other people, and huge commitment to community have deeply impacted my life.”
“George is masterful and kind truly a life saver. Words cannot express how much he has helped me.”
“George is an intuitive, grounded counselor, who can hone in on specific problems and make real world suggestions for solutions. His expertise can help clients see their own way through the murky world of human emotions, without bogging down in a lot of vague verbiage and simplistic slogans. I highly recommend him!”
“Seven years ago I got a divorce. My psychologist was $250 an hour, not too helpful and even nodded off mid session! I tried some one else who was nice and out of all our sessions gave me one piece of advice that was helpful. Thank God I was referred to George for counseling! In a matter of a few months I had many things that had been
“Working with George has forever changed my life. He is a true sage and offers so much wisdom. I am always amazed at the magnitude of this man’s guidance and ability to stay open to the truth. George is a man you can trust your life with. He is a man you can get vulnerable with. He is a man that you can heal
“George is a wonderful counselor. I came to him at a time when I really needed guidance and direction, and he helped me to better know myself and serve myself in my life. He is also very warm, caring and trustworthy, and I would recommend him highly to anyone looking to improve how they relate to themselves, others and their life in general.”
“George is a unique Counselor, and an amazing human being. His insights on human nature struck me as profound; I wrote many down as “Georgeisms”. George helped me to see clearly again, in a direct, compassionate way,and to let go of my pluckiness. I am forever grateful to George, and have an abiding love and regard for him.
“George Is the most helpful human being. His service in the counseling profession for the past 23 years is document-able. He’s helped literally thousands of human beings. George is the Master of Compassion and Loving Guidance in the pursuit of Peace and Happiness. He’s the teacher’s teacher. His service to the human spirit is inestimable.
“I have known George for over 10 yrs. in that time I have availed myself of his services as a spiritual counselor, teacher and mentor in one-on-one and group settings. I can honestly say that he has been the single most influential person in my development as a counselor and as a man.
“Wow. Talk about unconditional positive regard (that’s therapist talk but it about says it all)… George has this super intelligent, amazing, Mister Rogers crossed with Yoda kind of presence…and best of all he does NOT sit there and ask you “how did that make you feel?”,
“I am so thankful for George immense help; he makes everything simpler in a loving and compassionate way. I admire his authentic passion to help people and his vast experience in encouraging people to see the best in them, without prejudices and guiltiness his profound work
“George truly helps. I don’t know how, but he manages magic at times in helping shift awareness to what really matters. I recommend him as strongly as is possible, because I have witnessed in my own life and in many others the directly positive influence he provides. If you need another word, well, GO visit him and EXPERIENCE for your self the HEALING counsel.”
“George seems to have endless patience for each soul who walks into his world searching for answers. Sitting with him and the community that flowers around him has brought peace of mind into my life. I recommend his way to my friends and many have also found peace of mind
“I met George almost 10 years ago. I saw him professionally for about 8 months straight. In those 8 months, my life turned into my own. I had more faith in myself, and began to turn my negative thoughts into positive ones.
I still go back every once in awhile to recalibrate.
“Thoughtful, straight to heart, soft, hard, compassionate, loving, balanced, thorough, joyful, and so many other words describe George, but most important here is to let you know he is very effective in helping us move into a healing space where miracles happen. I am forever indebted to
“George is the person who I, as a Soul Coach and international facilitator of Dancing Freedom, go to to get straight with my psyche, with my heart and with spirit.
His depth, humor and immanent wisdom give me practical and refined direction in my life and in my prayer. When I am in his presence, clarity finds me.
“If you’re considering doing a session with George, my advice is this: Don’t wait! It’s not worth suffering for one more day about whatever is going on for you when a priceless resource like George is available. I just had a session with him where I was reminded of this. I was really struggling on my way in, and an hour later, feeling calm and clear.
“I do not have the words to adequately express my gratitude and appreciation for all George has done for me. He has a gift. My life was spinning way out of control when I first me with him. Marriage, substance abuse, obesity, verge of bankruptcy, extreme work stress, I had no idea which way to turn, didn’t like my life, didn’t like myself.
I have immense gratitude and respect for George and for the guidance, care, and healing he has offered me and my family. He beautifully facilitated the wedding ceremony for my wife and I and offered us invaluable counsel in the months leading up to and after our marriage. He has supported my
“George is a gifted counselor. I came to him 4 years ago to help me take care of the PTSD that resulted from a serious attack on my life. His caring, compassionate attention, and the emotional tools he provided me with have freed me from something I was convinced I could not be free of. He restored my faith in myself,
“George helped me find the clarity that I needed to navigate through a very clouded time in my life. His combination of wisdom, insight and compassion is very a powerful and effective tool. Practices that I have learned from George help me on a daily basis. George is a leader,
How do you “review” George. George Bertelstein is a wise man. An elder. A bridge. So necessary for todays society. A man. Especially a real man with a solid foundation capable of manifesting in the physical world.
“George is a wise and caring counselor with natural leadership abilities.”
“I heard about George from a fellow traveler on a Peru trip in 9/07. Two and a half years later, on a trip to San Francisco, I met with George. I was amazed because, on that day, I felt my life expanding, even more, into love and ease. Since then, I have traveled twice to the West Coast specifically to see George.
“Thank you again for meeting with me yesterday. Talking with you felt really good, and I was able to sleep well last night. I know that I am going to need lots of help to get through these times in my life. I am very glad that you have been there for me, and I hope that you can be there with me when I make it to wherever it is I need to be next.”
“George is a truly impeccable human being. His wisdom and council have allowed me to navigate my life with more joy and grace than ever before. He is that rare mix of profound, hard earned wisdom and funny, humble humanness. He keeps it simple and to the point,
“Just a quick note to say THANK YOU. That counseling session you did with me really gave me truly profound insights that helped me navigate the professional crisis I was facing. The bits about understanding tribe dynamics and the nature of peace as needing to often be simply passive, not active, was profound and fundamentally
“George is Great. I wish you knew me and you were here with me now so I could just look at you and say George is great, end of discussion. And then, you would just go work with him. If you are interested in a spiritual counselor, he’s your guy. I haven’t been to his ceremonies, but I will sometime.
“I just wanted to say thank you for putting things into perspective and bringing us back to what matters…..LOVE! We are very blessed and fortunate to have met you. I really appreciate you helping us to love one another! It means more to me then you will ever know.
Again, thank you!”
“George offers something completely different from any other person I’ve ever sat with in counsel. Simplicity and Truth. I really can not say enough amazing things about him but here goes…….
Since I began seeing him my WHOLE life has changed for the BETTER.
“George is a bright, shinning, example of manhood.”
“I can’t say enough about George as a counselor and life teacher. George has helped me through some very tough emotional transitions in my life in such a positive and caring way. The thing that is most unique about George, to me, is that somehow he is so good at helping me to see why I should make a
George Bertelstein is interviewed by John Burke, host of the Postmodern Shaman Podcast and owner of Zanni Studio Productions. George is a Counselor and Spiritual Leader at Medicine Path Oklevueha Native American Church in Berkeley, California. He offers Sacred Ceremonies, Counseling, Community, and ongoing support to all who come in a good way. He is… Continue Reading
George & Georgia Bertelstein take their marriage discussion to a more vulnerable level acknowledging what they’ve learned over the years of their marriage and life together about vulnerability, reassuring each other of their love, trusting and emotional and physical intimacy. Continue Reading
George and Georgia Bertelstein talk about the elements of their marriage. George: “Sacred Marriage is a two-headed eagle, but we only have the one pair of wings. We maneuver together though we might have completely independent thoughts, we don’t need to agree all we need is to agree that we are both moving towards peace,… Continue Reading