Lodzka Szkola Gestalt in partnership with New Gestalt Voices hold International Online Conference on March 16&23 2024 for psychologists and psychotherapists throughout the whole world. The Conference was benefited by participating 22 speakers from 12 countries, participants from Ukraine, Ireland, Germany, Mexico, Canada, US, UK, Belarus, Russia, Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, Kazakstan, Bulgaria, Italy.
The Conference title was “Re-Starting. Re-Thinking. Re-Connection. Rooting in Life” and it was very much about the most challenging and acute issues for the participants: – how to stay alive in the times of war with intention to avoid pain? how to survive when you are the minority? can we get adjusted to the mad house staying mentally ok? are there supporting roots in our history also traumatic history? how is it – recovering the dignity here-and-now, living in diversities of cultures, experiences, belongings…
The Conference got deep meaning and value for the here-and-now of international professional psychotherapeutic community. It became the first international platform since the war got started in Ukraine considering the challenges of here-and-now broader than trauma through:
the concepts of gestalt-approach, events going on in our field in different layers (cultural, historical, ecological, multi-disciplinary) and our professional identity. It was about the Meeting with diversities in order to get connected. We have shared our views and lives at the same time. We cried and enjoyed, we have got inspired for further explorations.
The current here-and-now was considered through the following phenomenon: polarities and splits; fixation and creative adjustments; actuality and awareness; paradoxical theory of change and field theory in connection to making choices. The question what became figural for the participants and were outspoken in many different shapes are: what can I do in the situation going on around the world? how can I be more aware? and how can I support the awareness of the others? And in this intention we were based on the basic theory of gestalt therapy: We can control and influence on the things we are aware about, though what is not awared by us can control and influence on us. We definitely talked about the good and the evil trying to find the ways to avoid splitting and keeping the wholistic approach, but we also came to the conclusion in regards to the surviving modes how important it is to belong to your pride. And this Conference was very much about it – about how to find your pride and we have succeeded to find each other from all possible places throughout the world and meet with the help of internet and translators speaking 4 different languages at the same time. It was an amazing connecting event, our joint contribution into improving vitality in our global field.
Lodzka Szkola Gestalt is so proud to be able to belong to this process, transforming avoidance into connection. There were a number of touching moments of interactions among participants authentically so deep that resonate in our bodies and souls beyond the Conference framework.
On behalf of Lodzka Szkola Gestalt we are so grateful to all speakers and all participants for being so open and human with us during these 2 very fulfilling days. Together we have created something very strong and fragile at the same time. And we as organisers feel some responsibility to keep it with the most caring attitude we can.
LSG is considering to make this event on annual basis, we are adherent to find resources for the important process started with our small and quite powerful team.
