Dr. Gabor Maté in Prague, Czechia
16 - 17 October 2023, Lucerna Hall
Less than a month has passed since Dr. Gabor Maté’s visit in Prague and, just like last year, the response has been fantastic. There is a growing wave of interest in our society in the power that childhood emotional wounds have over us when they remain outside of conscious awareness, and in the compassionate approach to healing, gaining wholeness and returning to authenticity. And also in how to care for the most vulnerable beings, children, so that we ‚traumatize them as little as possible‘ . Because there is no such thing as a perfect parent, as Gabor Maté says.
This wave of interest is reflected in the reactions of the media and official structures, but especially the general public. As Gabor Maté said at a press conference, the public is waking up faster than the system. This has been apparent, as 1,100 people came to the Conference on parenting and childcare in the context of the wisdom of trauma and the myth of normal held by Gabor Maté with Tamara Strijack Neufeld on 16 October, and nearly 500 more to his Compassionate Inquiry workshop the day after.
Gabor and Tamara brought a fresh alternative to the prevailing cognitive-behavioral approach relying on diagnosing disorders. We experienced two days full of wisdom, deep insights, aha-moments and learning about the latest scientific findings. With kindness and humility, in a broad context and with an exceptionally sharp, laser-like insight and understanding of the complexity of human experience, Dr. Maté spoke about childhood development, trauma, the abnormality and toxicity of our culture, in which it is so challenging to be a parent and/or caregiver.
Gabor Maté himself was pretty impressed by the number of visitors. You can find the photos from both days on our website. How symbolic that this extraordinary encounter was held at Lucerna (Lantern) Hall, knowing who it belonged to (the family of the late President Václav Havel), and what the lantern points to – our inner light, which we are free to let shine in its full power and authenticity. Whether we have children or not, whether they are young or grown, each of us can lit the light of self-awareness and compassion and begin to shine not only on our own wounds, but also into the darkness of the collective.
Markéta Černoušková, Therapist and Founder, Wisdom of Compassion
Gabor Maté in Czech media: Psychologie Dnes, Marianne, Respekt, Psychologie.cz, ČRo Wave, Studio 27, A2larm, Reflex.cz, Novinky.cz, TEDx Rio
24 - 25 May 2022, Hybernia Theater
In the spring of 2022, Dr. Gabor Maté toured Europe with the authors of the Wisdom of Trauma documentary, and stopped in Prague at the invitation of Markéta Černoušková, the founder of the Wisdom of Compassion. On 25 May, 2022, the main event Wisdom of Trauma: Questions and Answers took place, where Gabor Maté patiently and kindly answered questions on topics from the film for two hours. The day before, those interested could see him at a workshop on his therapeutic approach in the auditorium of the Faculty of Arts.
Over 1200 people came to the Hybernia Theatre and to the Compassionate Inquiry therapeutic approach workshop. Gabor’s visit generated an unprecedented response and opened up a space for anyone interested in healing on an individual level as well as for optimists with a vision of a more compassionate trauma-informed society.
Gabor stayed in Prague for only two days, but he left a significant mark, which opened a new perspective on the pain of the human soul, gave hope for its healing, and even changed the lives of some. This was the spirit of the two events that took place with Gabor Maté and Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo (the creators of the film The Wisdom of Trauma).