Meet Badass Counseling’s Sven Erlandson

“The Grand Goal Of Life Is ALIVENESS — That Sense Of Being Truly And Fully ALIVE And Vigorous In Every Moment. That Is What We All Seek. That Is The Goal!”

— Shakti Gawain, American Writer (1948 - Present)

Sven Erlandson’s Biography

Sven Erlandson's background, family history, experience, and education include:

• Born in North Dakota, raised in Minnesota, college at the US Air Force Academy (and others), graduate school in Berkeley, CA, and presently living and working in Manhattan/New York City and Stamford, CT.

• Father of the 'Spiritual but not religious' movement in America. First author in America to both name and delineate the then-unknown 'Spiritual but not religious' movement (which is now the single largest spiritual-religious movement in American history), years before the phrase entered common parlance and even longer before the movement reached critical mass in America. Cited in Wikipedia for this cutting-edge work

• Author of six books (see Books page for descriptions and to purchase), including:

  • There’s a Hole in My Love Cup: The Badass Counseling Method for Healing the Soul & Unleashing Greatness

  • I Steal Wives: A Serial Adulterer Reveals the REAL Reasons More and More 'Happily Married' Women are Cheating, Book One and Two

  • Badass Jesus: The Serious Athlete and a Life of Noble Purpose

  • The 7 Evangelical Myths: Untwisting the Theology behind the Politics

  • Rescuing God from Christianity: A Closet Christian, Christmas Christian, and Non-Christian's Guide to Radically Re-thinking God Stuff

  • Spiritual But Not Religious: A Call to Religious Revolution in America

• Represented by the top literary agency in America

• Father: Ordained Lutheran Pastor for over 60 years (See "He Told The Story" -- Eulogy of an American)

• Mother: Director of Christian Education, Writer, Seminary Adjunct Faculty

• Four Uncles: Ordained Lutheran Pastors

• Youngest of five brothers and one sister

• Father of two adult children

• Twice divorced

• SERE-trained military

• Air Force Pilot (glider planes)

• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Head Coach -- Strength and Conditioning

  • Coached/trained MMA fighters; NCAA, pro, and Olympic athletes;

• Adjunct Lecturer at the Graduate and Undergraduate Levels (see Speaking page)

• Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.) and Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies & Mathematics)

  • Including years of study at the US Air Force Academy

  • Two-plus years of graduate work at a Catholic seminary, and two years at a Lutheran seminary, with additional work at Jewish, evangelical, and mainline seminaries

  • Studies in Hebrew, Greek (ancient and koine), Latin, and German

• Advanced counseling certification and training, including clinical experience

  • Critical Incident Response Team training

  • Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

  • Advanced Pastoral Counseling

  • Peer Counseling Instructor Certification

  • Re-evaluative/Co-counseling training

• Served four different churches in various Pastor positions, including

  • The very first full-time Sports and Recreation Pastor in the 500-year history of the Lutheran Church

• 20+ years in private practice as a spiritual counselor

  • Private Excellence Counselor to NCAA coaches (Head, Assistants), from D1 to D3, CEOs, Hollywood stars, corporate executives, private businesspeople, athletes, couples, and more

• Record-setting powerlifter

• NCAA Division 1 football player, US Air Force Academy Falcons

• Emergency Room Chaplain Intern at a Level One Trauma Center

• Co-Manager and Lead Counselor, Critical Incident Response Team; Emergency Response Team, Sun Country Airlines

• Published numerous articles and reviewed in:

  • Newspapers, Magazines, and ezines (The New York Resident, Minneapolis StarTribune, MetroLutheran, et al.)

  • International Theological Journals (Parish Teacher, Word and World, Missiology)

• For over seven years:

  • Living among and ministering to the needs of the homeless:

    • 2.5 years literally living on the street, sleeping on concrete every night -- California -- interacting with all races and types of people and problems

    • 5 years living in car -- Minnesota, California, Ohio -- reaching out to transient populations and the poorest of poor

“The Heart Has Its Reasons That Reason Cannot Know.”

— Blaise Pascal, French Mathematician And Writer (1623 - 1662)