Hi, I’m Gabriel Gonsalves. My friends call me Gabs. I’m a spiritual teacher, leadership consultant, filmmaker, and an avid student of The Path of the Heart (not necessarily in that order.) I’m the guy people come to when they need to get out of their heads and into their hearts, so they can feel more connected to themselves, live a more meaningful life, build deeper relationships, and experience more joy.
Heart Leadership and Approach
The question that drives my life is, “How can I live more fully, authentically, and in greater alignment with my true Self and the truth inside my heart?” To answer this question, over the past twelve years, I developed a deep, heart-centered, transformational approach to personal mastery, leadership development, and spiritual growth I call Heart Leadership.
The Heart Leadership framework helps you develop nine fundamental skills every leader must have. It also provides a methodology for embodying Tej Steiner’s Five Ways of Being while exploring the roles that our emotions, heart-brain coherence, and electromagnetic attractor fields play in personal development and spiritual growth.
My Journey
Venezuelan native, I grew up in the United States, where I attended Canterbury School and Texas A&M University. After graduation, I rode horses professionally and later went on to work in the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, and producer for nearly two decades. During that time, I followed other people’s ideas of success. But the more I achieved, the emptier I felt inside.
In 2008, after my mother’s death, experiencing the most profound depression, and navigating through the biggest existential crisis of my life, I decided to move to South Africa and start a new life. It was there, while working as a volunteer for a non-government organization providing HIV Aids support to the destitute, that my heart fully awoke.
While in Cape Town, I became an ordained minister under the New Thought, Ancient Wisdom Tradition. Then founded Agape SA, a trans-denominational spiritual community inspired by the teachings of Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith. Week after week, while ministering to the members of this beloved spiritual community, I discovered the true path of my heart.
Over time, my ministry evolved into a spiritual counseling practice and later into Heart’n Mind Consulting, a boutique coaching and consulting agency specialized in Heart-Centered, Transformative Leadership Development, Emotional Self-Mastery, and Compassionate Communication. I also founded the Heart Leader Academy, a learning portal for leaders who want to master the Nine Skills of Heart Leadership, and The Path of the Heart Seminars, a series of transformative learning weekend experiences.
Expertise and Experience
When I work with someone, I bring to the table my rigorous scientific, philosophical, and spiritual studies in the ancient wisdom of the heart and my personal life experience in dealing with emotional trauma, grief, addiction, and depression. I also bring the knowledge and wisdom I’ve gained as a HeartMath Certified Coach, New Thought minister, leadership consultant, entrepreneur, filmmaker, musician, and workshop facilitator, and what I’ve learned from coaching and counseling hundreds of people from all walks of life.
Spiritual Lineage and Influences
I was raised Catholic and feel most at home with the original teachings of Christ, the magic of Sufism, and the ancestral wisdom in the Native American Shamanic traditions. In my work, I draw not only from these teachings but also from the spiritual wisdom of countless spiritual masters, mystics, and saints, who, for centuries, have guided humanity to God through the heart. I also draw from the teachings of Dr. David Ramon Hawkins, Ken Wilber’s Integral Framework, Susanna and Puran Bair, Mari Perron’s A Course of Love, and the scientific research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences as well as the Institute of HeartMath.
The work I’ve been called to do in this lifetime is not affiliated with any spiritual group, dogma, or religious organization. It’s rather based on universal spiritual principles and values. Everything I do, write about, or create is solely to support others along their Heart Awakening process and offer inspiration and support along the journey of Heart Leadership and Mastery. Love is the religion of my heart.
Personal Healing and Transformation
What I don’t want you to know about me is that I’ve been afraid for most of my life. When I was 5, I hid in a bathroom during a school play because I was terrified of coming to the stage and being laughed at. When I was 7, I would pretend to be sick, so I wouldn’t have to go horseback riding because I was afraid of falling and getting hurt.
When I was 10, I overheard my father tell a friend that he was worried about me because “Gabriel didn’t have a personality.” For years, I did all I could to have a personality my father would be proud of. And I lost myself along the way, often feeling like a stranger in a strange land, looking for love and approval in all the wrong places.
When I was 12, I was the victim of sexual abuse. This event not only traumatized and wounded me at my core, but created so much confusion around sex, trust, love, and intimacy that it forced my heart to close. As a result, I struggled with sex and pornography addiction and felt unsafe in my intimate relationships.
Each time I reach a new level of success, I immediately judge and criticize myself by thinking it wasn’t good enough. I often worry about what others think, compare myself to others, and feel I’m not enough. I’m afraid to ask for what I want; afraid others will say no. I’m scared to ask for help even when I crave it the most. I struggle opening up and making new friends.
Sometimes, I’m afraid that people will think I’m a fraud. “Who am I to be calling myself a coach, a leader, or an expert at anything?” For years, I kept waiting for someone to qualify me or give me some accreditation so that I could do what I’m doing now. Even when I got one, I still felt like an impostor.
At 53 and after all my accomplishments, I often feel I haven’t achieved much. Fear visits me every day. I’m afraid to grow old, lose my hair, get fat, have no money, get sick, lose people I love, and never meet my soulmate. I’m afraid I’ll die with so many ideas, movies, projects, and songs still inside me.
Yet I’ve learned that behind each of my fears, there is also deep DESIRE. So, fear has become my compass, my guide, my friend. Ask yourself, what scares you the most? And you’ll discover your biggest desires.
Mission and Impact
Following your heart’s path means you must be willing to love yourself enough to courageously go after 100% of what you believe in your mind and know in your heart is possible. This requires courage, that rage you feel in your heart when you are afraid to do something but do it anyway. Along the way, you heal your heart, transform yourself, and change the world.
My life’s mission is to assist individuals in awakening their hearts, accessing their inner wisdom, and living a life that aligns with their true purpose. By doing so, they can create a life they genuinely love, forge deeper and more loving relationships, and cultivate a profound sense of inner peace and fulfillment. Through my teachings, courses, programs, and resources, I aim to provide guidance, inspiration, and practical tools that empower you to become the best, most loving, joyful, and powerful version of yourself.
Services and Offerings
I offer a range of services to assist you on your journey. Whether you’re looking for one-on-one support, interested in joining my courses or group programs, or would like to attend my seminars, I am here to guide you.
Together, we will explore the depths of your heart, uncover your core values, and find your true purpose in life so that you can create a vision that aligns with the truth inside your heart. I’ll show you how to use your heart’s power to master your emotions, access your intuition, and respond to others from a place of compassion, kindness, and love. Finally, I’ll help you release past traumas, emotional pain, and addictive behaviors that prevent you from becoming the best, most joyful, and loving version of yourself.
Using my Heart Leadership framework, we will explore the nine fundamental skills that every leader must possess. This transformative approach will delve into emotional intelligence, heart-brain coherence, and the power of our electromagnetic attractor fields. Ultimately, this will empower you to lead from the heart and make a positive impact in both your personal and professional life.
A Shared Journey of the Heart
I’ve had the privilege of working with countless individuals from all walks of life, helping them overcome major challenges, realign with their true self, find inner peace, and unlock their true potential. Witnessing the transformations and breakthroughs my clients experience brings me immense joy and fulfillment.
But let me be transparent with you – I’m not immune to fears and doubts. I’ve faced my own inner demons and navigated through my own shadows. I share this vulnerability with you because I believe that we are all on a shared journey of growth and self-discovery. Together, we can support each other, learn from one another, and create a community rooted in love, compassion, and understanding.
A Special Invitation
So, I invite you to join me on this journey of the heart. Explore the inspiring resources on my website, enroll in one of my courses, or attend one of my seminars. Take the Heart Mastery Quiz so you can discover your current stage of Heart Awakening. Remember that it takes courage to follow the path of the heart, but the rewards are immeasurable.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my work. I am honored to be part of your journey, and I look forward to supporting you as you awaken your heart, embrace your true self, and create a life filled with love, purpose, and joy.
From my heart to yours,
