Schedule:

Day 1, June 20th:
10 am - 1 pm:  Prof. Ruth Lanius
2.30 pm- 5.00 pm:  Prof. Thomas Fuchs
5 pm - 5.30 pm: Panel

Day 2, June 21st:
10 am - 1 pm:  Dr. Peter A. Levine
2.30 pm- 5.00 pm: Prof. Ruth Lanius
5 pm - 5.30 pm: Panel

Day 3, June 22nd:
10 am - 1 pm:  Prof. Thomas Fuchs
2.30 pm- 5.00 pm: Dr. Peter A. Levine
5 pm - 5.30 pm: Panel
resent moment. In addition to her neuroscientific background she will present her huge clinical experience an the successful moves she could observe in many clients.

Sunday:  10 am - 1 pm
Trauma as a Physical Borderline Situation
Prof. Dr. Thomas Fuchs (DE)

The philosopher Karl Jaspers describes borderline situations as experiences that fundamentally question our previously valid view of the world and ourselves and thus bring us to an abyss of existence. In this sense, trauma is an event that cannot be smoothly assimilated and integrated into a context of meaning in life as it has been lived up to that point - but rather dramatically changes our human existence. The intrusion of something foreign into one's own body, the experience of powerlessness and helplessness can irreversibly shake one's basic trust in the world. Those affected thus remain scarred by the physical borderline experience to which they were exposed and which they were unable to digest. This is why the key question in trauma therapy is about how to eventually integrate such borderline situations into an individual’s life.

Sunday: 2.30 pm - 5.30 pm
Vitality, Vibrancy and Joy
Dr. Peter A. Levine (USA)

“There is a voice
that does not use words. Listen.”
- Rumi

Trauma involves the loss of the relationship to an authentic, spontaneous self as well as a fundamental sense of justice and belonging to the world. When we engage with what once overwhelmed and shaped us one-sidedly, we encounter somatic and emotional blockages. Working through the experience with empathetic support leads to moments of deep connection, joy, happiness and contentment. As these special experiences are integrated more and more, the person becomes increasingly attuned to vitality and aliveness. Re-engaging in shared experiences of warmth, joy and excitement is a key to profound change. In Peter A. Levine's view it is only when this is consciously sought and nurtured that trauma work becomes truly valuable. This important realignment of one's own humanity requires a focus on the “bottom-up” principle, in which the brain stem and cerebellum play a central role. The pioneer of trauma work deems self-awareness to be an immediate function of the optimized interplay of the most elementary sensations, movements, emotions and feelings. In keeping with Erich Fromm, he focuses on the full realization of one’s own self.

We need to descend to
the deepest roots of life.
Any superficial ordering
of life that leaves its deepest needs
unmet is as irrelevant as
if no attempt at ordering
had been made at all...

- The I Ching