After postponing our launch in-person event of Therapy 4 the World on July 11th, in London to make way for the UK Psychologists for Palestine we’ve written an article with reflections from the therapists, thinkers, feminists, activists, academics, and peace makers who were to speak at T4W to help us and our clients make sense of where we are, and where we’re going in an upside down polycrisis world.
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How do we help our clients sit with conflict, hold different views yet stay in relationship? One of these women was tortured by the Israeli army, left with a broken spine. The other served in the Israeli army before leaving to become a passionate advocate of justice.
We plan to interview Avigail and Ashira in a future podcast to hear how, as human beings, they can come together in dialogue with compassion and understanding.
- T4W is for therapists of all shapes, sizes and colours, from different modalities to explore how the current planetary crisis of war, oppression and climate change impacts our own and our clients’ inner world.
- For EMDR therapists, we can explore how you can live up to Francine Shapiro’s goal for EMDR to break the cycle of violence.
- For IFS therapists, this may be about turning from the inner world, the internal family system, to look outward at the world system. Explore which parts of you are currently activated during these challenging times.
- For other modalities, can you be an activist therapist? Or do we need to be neutral? Is that even possible?
- Find your story: who are you? What have you come to planet Earth to do? What is your purpose/mission?
- Have you, like me, been feeling frustrated, powerless, numb, about the state of the world? From climate change to war and fascism – from poverty to Palestine. Globally there’s troubling evidence of a rise in hate of all forms: racism, genderism, sexism, beliefism. What are the issues you feel passionate about?
- Have you been shocked – terrified even – by the US-Israeli attack on Iran & Lebanon? Horrified by global indifference to the genocide in Gaza? Dismayed by your clients’ lack of focus, the rise of addiction to social media, pornography, gambling and drugs?
- Or maybe you’re feeling depressed, miserable, overwhelmed and hopeless about the state of the world so you simply want to shut it out of the therapy room?
- I’m exploring ways to connect with like-minded souls to explore your grief, anger and horror. I’ll begin with online conversations, with time to share; to connect in a warm, welcoming space to activate your own networks of outrage and hope.
- All money from the event is going to Palestinian causes: Dalia Association, here and Catharsis here.
Therapy 4 the World grew out of a recent webinar with Gabor Mate, Breaking the Silence for trauma therapists to talk about the genocide in Gaza. Future workshops will focus on tools and exercises for clients. Initially, I need to gauge the appetite for world work:
The workshop is for therapists of any modality to awaken your activist parts, set your own compass on a path to change yourself and change the world.
- Ultimately, I am developing these ideas into a book on the topic, and some in-person workshops. Watch this space and join the conversation.
- To read more about Annabel’s work in Peace Journalism and her academic writing on the topic go here.
- To read Annabel’s recent article on EMDR & Palestine, go here. And her recent article in Pearls & Irritations.