Who I am

Stefano Monellini is a spiritual seeker and practices different forms of meditation and prayer, both inspired by traditional and contemporary mysticism. He works as a psycho-social counseler and vocational trainer, as well as social entrepreneur commited to nonprofit activities.

Born in 1966 in Italy, he currently lives and works in Mexico. Stefano has a catholic background, but is a strong supporter of ecumenism, dialogue between different cultures and religions, science and faith.

At the age of 18, he achieves his bachelor in classical and humanistic studies. He loves travelling and different cultures: as a result of this, in 1991, Stefano graduates in tourism (cum laude, thesis entitled “The phenomenology of Christian religious tourism. An interdisciplinary approach) and learns 3 foreign languages (English, French and Spanish).In 1991, after painful personal and family experiences, he begins a personal research that leads him to meet different spiritual experiences.

In 1992 he starts his professional activity as a helping professionist, focusing primarily on social work aimed to children, teen-agers and their families. Meanwhile, he continues his academic studies, achieving, in 1996, a second university degree in human sciences and helping professions (cum laude, thesis entitled “The choice of the profession of social worker. Research on students of the university of Perugia).

In 1996, he moves to France, near Lyon, where he works as a volunteer at the “Communauté de Taizé”, an ecumenical Christian monastic community. He shares the monastic life, praying 3 times a day and working in the welcome activities. In Taizé Stefano knows Martha, his mexican wife, married in 1998. They have 2 children, Esteban (8 years) and David (2 years).

In the same period he starts studying the works of Ken Wilber, the American most translated philosopher and mystic. Through his work Stefano begins to deepen the Integral Thought and Theory. He is interested in the dialogue among human sciences and spirituality: ILP (“Integral Life Practices”)  methodologies become his main counselling activity tools.

Besides his counselling and training activities, from 1997 to 2008, he works in a big Italian nonprofit company, as fund-raiser, project manager, trainer and researcher, as well as writer and congressist.

In June 2009, he moves with his family to Mexico (Ensenada, Baja California Norte), where he works as psycho-social counseler and vocational trainer with different kinds of target.

He is commited to his family and children, to meditation and prayer, and to ILP practice. Stefano practices tennis, swimming, running and weightlifting. Plays keyboards and guitar. He continues travelling in his free time.