Workshop for Russians in Armenia with Olaf Trapp

On December 1-3, Olaf Trapp's therapeutic group for Russian trainees and bioenergetic therapists took place in Yerevan. All participants in the meeting are grateful to the land of sunny and hospitable Armenia for the opportunity of this unusual and very significant meeting, which gives new hopes. The thirst of all Russian IIBA members for knowledge and connections with the Big World of BA in the current situation is understandable. But in Yerevan, a space of deep self-knowledge and cooperation opened up not only in this sense. We, those who found the opportunity to come, overcame our own separation by circumstances, finding each other in close contact – side by side, with hugs and confessions. Those who stayed in Russia and those who went abroad met. Also met current trainees (participants in the Moscow training program, undergoing bioenergetic training almost entirely online), and therapists of the “first wave” (who remember and appreciate the experience of Olaf Trapp’s therapeutic group, which united Moscow and Perm in 2013-2015). And our team member was again Evgenia Soboleva, whose highly professional translation and presence served as an indispensable support for the process.

The long-awaited live work at the workshop was devoted to the specifics of early trauma, where Olaf Trapp revealed his experience of clinical analysis. This way of work based on individual sessions, when the group somehow lives the process together with the client and the therapist.

It is always difficult to fit such energetically powerful work into real conditions – limited time, group size, specifics of current processes and relationships of participants. The gained experience of live work still needs to be lived and integrated. But what helps to overcome all obstacles is known. This is a reliance in our activity on the community (the importance of which was emphasized by Olaf Trapp), dedication to common tasks, love in the human sense and patience, honesty and sincerity, faith in the prospects and in the world that we can to build. And, of course, creativity and music that sounded throughout the workshop.

After the meeting in Yerevan, we repeatedly addressed what happened. And first, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of live meetings with professionals. I will quote my colleagues:

• No theoretical knowledge can replace live contact in Training and for subsequent movement. We can talk as much as you like about how to touch a client. How to ground yourself. But only live can you see how often people keep their center of gravity on their heels, how much tension there is in the neck, and the breathing is blocked... This is not realized and online it is difficult to track;
• These three days were much richer in "fullness" of the energy, presence and living,  than our online training;
• The “magic” happened here – with the participants personally, and with the group as a whole. And this is created solely due to the experience of the Leader and the openness of each group member. Trusting each other and being willing to be vulnerable are the most important ingredients for this magic, and we succeeded! For which we thank everyone who shared these lively and unique minutes. Yes, special thanks to Olaf for his support and generosity to share;
• Thanks to Olaf's professional guidance, his amazing ability to include the group in almost every therapeutic process, and the opportunity to be in deep, vulnerable personal contact, it was possible to not lose touch with others and with the group. As a result, the amazing effect for me was that I was not tired after the three-day workshop, but on the contrary, I had energy and high performance.

In general, it would be good to meet more often.

Svetlana Dinaburg | Perm Society Bioenergetic Analysis