Elena (Yuuka) Taurke (aka Elena TaJo) practices zen, psychology, clown, dance, drum, singing, video making, and writing. She is a disabled old mother with beige skin, heterosexual tendencies and queer interests who has craved belonging for as long as she can remember. Craving for belonging drives her to try to fit in, but it never works. This fruitful conundrum fuels every thought, feeling, and action. Along the way, she has learned a few things about how to live.
PsychoZen.org is her offering to the world that teaches her.
- Outsider Credentials: Childhood disability meant no gym class, no teams--only the company of other rejected bodies. Moving every two years from one army base to another precluded the development of any kind of alt-group. Being a child of Russian immigrants during the cold war (even though her Father was a patriotic military man) meant certain rejection by other army brats. There was no category to cling to. Not Jewish enough to be part of the club. Not Black. Not Queer enough to qualify. ADD but not officially. And not enough Ethnic, not enough Cynical, not enough Naive, not enough Hip, not enough Suburban, or Urban, not enough Not Enough.
- Professional Credentials: Elena has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from NYU, and completed a Fellowship in Family Systems Medicine from Beth Israel Medical Center and The Ackerman Institute of Family Therapy. Now in private practice in downtown NYC, she previously worked at Beth Israel and Columbia teaching medical residents Psychosocial Skills. LONG BEFORE all that, Elena made her first attempt at a performing career, but had to master psychology and her own mind to overcome her fear of auditioning. She has nailed it now though, and is just waiting for the call.
- By the way, Elena has no Zen Credentials. She is just a student of Enkyo Roshi at the Village Zendo. Any mistakes in interpretation are her own distortions.
Like all of us, Elena is continually supported by a network of sentient beings--family, friends, and beloved creatures.