Transform Trauma Conference 2025 moved and surpassed any expectations

With my heart full of excitement, gratitude and utter joy, I arrived to the Transform Trauma conference 2025, in Oxford last weekend. It became three intense days filled with insights, humour, and knowledge from top neuro researchers, psychotherapists, mind body trauma therapists this world is so fortunate to have.

Profoundly thankful and privileged to being able to participate, the keynotes and lectures wouldn’t have been so precious without the kind, humble precious community that made it happen and valuable connections made. Priceless.

First, the one unmistakable truth that connection and belonging for all of us, humans as a whole species (ie not divided), is a fundamental crucial necessity, particularly in today’s polarised world, where we are facing daily news that can leave us frozen in inaction and shock, sometimes locked in passivity, anger and a collective ongoing trauma. We CAN instead take action humbly, with compassion and kindness, not only inwards towards ourselves (which is as we know often underestimated and quite hard, because most of us have not been taught, how to do this), but also outward by carrying the intention to be fundamentally kind in the larger as smaller actions and the interactions we participate in daily.

Dick Schwartz, the father of IFS, made a beautiful beautiful poignant statement in one of the last panel conversations, on how profoundly needed compassion is, not only to embody individually, but to actually act upon outwardly, innately. Nota bene: this doesn’t mean that we condone wrongdoings and cruel things happening, however it does mean that we make with ourselves the valuable living example by starting creating a better world by living the kindness we want to encounter. Not only for ourselves and our loved ones, but the one we wish to see from our world top leaders. How we show up is the world we create.

Dan Siegel delivered his enlightening intellectual speech on connection and interaction with so much warmth, clarity, humour and poise, that left the whole town hall roar. He made sure to let us know that from a scientific standpoint, very simplified put, we as humans are energy and are always navigating between chaos and stability. It’s the foundation from where all energy flows. So where are you today from this point of perspective?

As a certified grief educator with David Kessler, it was an honour and moving to be in a live heartfelt session on the topic with him, who together with Paul Denniston delivered their interactive, cognitive and empirical practices on how to deal with grief, mind and the body.

It was also an extra treat to be a member of Betsy Politans unmistakably body transformative session on interconnection, as learning new insights from another senior wise lady & researcher Ruth Cohn, who uniquely with vulnerability and genuineness shared her wisdom.

Another teacher of mine, Frank Anderson let us know about his next endeavouring chapter of continuing to build trauma guidance not only through clinical therapy but more specifically to the general public. Continue to be curious and keep your eyes open with what this remarkable man will do next.

Esther Perell brilliantly together with colleagues in the field put cases to the stage and shared invaluable insights, understanding and wit to our human conditions.
Bessel van der Kolk and Licia Sky demonstrated very directly the importance of taking the body into account when healing trauma. As we know: It is seldom only done with talk therapy, depending on the type of trauma.

Speaking of which, another factor of trauma healing is allowing joy, when we can, to flow through us. This was wonderfully possible through AJOIJAs performance on the last day, as well as the night before at the fans dinner, dancing away with the live band with above famous people.

Dance, movement, joy, intention, and kindness, helps move our energy in the right, healthy, wellbeing direction. Let’s each one of us do our part of what we can, to create the sound and connected future world we want to live in.

Namasté

Åsa

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#transformtrauma #wellbeing #connection #reconnection #belonging
#psychologicalsafetyintrauma

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Seen in photos: Bessel van der Kolk, Esther Perel, Frank Anderson, and many more