Discovering the Wisdom of Trauma
A 4-day participatory, interactive online workshop on understanding and healing trauma
with Dr. Gabor Mate, Betsy Polatin and Laura Inserra.
Trauma shapes our lives. It shapes the way we live, the way we love and the way we make sense of the world. It is at the root of our deepest wounds. Virtually all our afflictions, mental illnesses, physical diseases stem from trauma. Trauma distorts our view of reality and leaves us stuck in contraction, defense and reactivity. It compromises our capacity to be in the moment, to be present to our relationships and to fully take in the environment.
The wisdom in the trauma comes through when we realize that our traumatic responses and imprints are not us, that we can follow all traumatic responses back to their source, work through them, let them dissipate and thus reconnect to the unblemished, ecstatic consciousness that we were born with.
Join Dr. Gabor Maté for this 4-day participatory, interactive online workshop on understanding and healing trauma. Gabor will share decades of research and experience. He will guide us to discover the root cause of our trauma. We will begin building a relationship with it, so we can start to uncover the wisdom and reconnect to our true selves beneath the hurts and adaptations.
The workshop will include daily teachings and interactive engagements with and amongst participants. We will learn some of the tools offered by Gabor’s Compassionate Inquiry approach. We will also be gently guided daily by Betsy Polatin MFA, SEP in Somatic Experiencing practices and resolution of trauma in the body. This combination invites pain, discomfort and repressed emotions to come to the surface to be experienced, witnessed and let go of in a safe, supportive setting. Acceptance, allowing, non-judgement, expression and self-compassion are the ingredients needed for healing.
The teaching will be articulated in four main themes:
1. Recognizing Trauma
2. Loosening the Grip
3. Expanding Compassion
4. Developing Resilience
Recommended Pre-Event Orientation
On September 29 (the day before the retreat), 9:00–10:00 AM PST, we will conduct a highly recommended orientation for participants to log on and get familiar with the container of the event, both technical and practical. This session will explain question-asking procedures during the event, how to get integration support, and how to navigate around the zoom platform. This session is optional but highly recommended.
Retreat container
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- Gabor will be offering a mixture of didactic presentation and Q&A sessions with participants. The event is structured like a live retreat, and all participants are invited to participate live to all sessions on all days.
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- Gabor will be answering questions live, subject to limitations due to time available and number of participants.
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- Sessions will take place through the Zoom platform. A link will be sent to participants the day before the event.
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- Confidentiality is an integral part to the container of this event. Please do not share any session content with anyone.
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- Gabor’s questions are only an invitation. You choose at which level you feel comfortable participating.
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- If you have any concerns, please reach out to the SAND team. We are here to support you.
Metamusic Journey
On Saturday Oct 2 at 1:00 pm, Laura Inserra will host a MetaMusic Journey. MetaMusic is the development of Laura’s work around the universal, transformative, and healing power of sound. This immersive sound experience into enchanted soundscapes is an invitation to listen with your whole body to your inner visions, feelings, and states of awareness. For the best immersive experience, headphones or a good sound system are highly recommended.
Presenters
Gabor Maté
Gabor Maté, M.D. is a renowned speaker, and bestselling author who is is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress and childhood development. Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them. After 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, Dr. Maté worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. His book on addiction received the Hubert Evans Prize for literary non-fiction. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. His next book, Hello Again: A Fresh Start for Parents and Their Adult Children is expected in 2025. Gabor is also the creator of a psychotherapeutic approach, Compassionate Inquiry, now studied by thousands of therapists, physicians, counselors, and others in over 80 countries.
Betsy Polatin
Betsy Polatin, MFA, SEP, an internationally recognized breathing/movement specialist and best- selling author, has been teaching for 45 years. Her unique and intuitive perspectives are greatly influenced by the study of movement, breath, and trauma, as well as the teachings of spiritual and meditation masters. She speaks at conferences around the world.
As a well-known educator, she’s had numerous articles published in the Huffington Post, and is the author of The Actor’s Secret and Humanual.
