Heart to Heart – Meeting Irvin Yalom and Sakino
Please watch the talk that Irvin Yalom and I gave to our Israel friends on zoom
An Elephant Moves Slowly But Steadily
I am currently rewriting my first book ‘How to move an Elephant – Embracing Life beyond Trauma’ View a sneak peak on ‘Publications’
‘Heal your Roots’ Tuesday Online group
This group has been going on for over 2 years and is a great support for the participants, including myself.
Holding space for each other
Reflections about Responsibility
I want to share with you my process of the last weeks, because I believe that it is important to be open about one’s inner processes, especially when clients are involved. I have shared these reflections on social media, and I share them in their original format. Reflections on responsibility As a teacher, groupleader,
Another new beginning
Breaking the Silence
In my understanding the healing process starts with uncovering the wounds, so that they can heal. This is true not only for physical wounds, but also for emotional, psychological wounds. And it is not only individual, but also collective. In the video I talk about my understanding of breaking the silence.
IDC – Dan Bar On International Dialogue Center
The Dan Bar On International Dialogue Center was founded in 2009, to honour and continue the work and legacy of the late Dan Bar On. I am trying to keep the IDC alive, that’s what this blog post is about. Dan Bar-On International Dialogue Center _____________________________________________ About us The main
Aufstellungen und Storytelling
This is a lecture I held for German colleagues about my work. It is mainly my life story and how I combine Constellations and Storytelling. It is in German. Dies ist ein Vortrag, den ich für Kollegen über meine Arbeit gehalten habe. Auf deutsch.
A very meaningful meeting
My meeting with Irvin Yalom Do I have dreams? Yes. And one of my dreams came true. I had a (zoom) meeting with Irvin Yalom. Irvin Yalom has been my main (yes, indeed) inspiration for more than 40 years now, both, for my professional as well as for my private life. I read all his
Merry Christmas – Hope over Fear
It is the season of hope, that there will be light again some day. Often we get trapped in fear and anxiety, even despair, especially in times like this. In my video this Sunday I want to encourage you to cherish hope. https://youtu.be/msWxs0YyidA For those of you who feel lonely and want to be with
Intuition
Do you trust and follow your intuition? Whenever I do, my experience is a good one. Whenever I went against my ‘gut’ feeling, I found out that it would have been better to follow it. But it is not always easy, because our minds are strong fellas and often try to convince us with ‘reason’.
Intimacy
This week’s ‘Sakino on Sunday’ video is about intimacy. For me this theme is a very delicate and vulnerable one, and I believe, for many others too. Please share your thoughts with me, I will be very happy to read them. I wish you all to have people in your life that you can be
Listening
This photo says probably more than thousand words. It shows the participants of the 3. module of my ‘Heal your Roots’ Family and Systemic Constellation and Trauma Healing Training. We were listening to each other’s lifestories. Each story was so unique, so moving, and the listening deepened with every lifestory. Again I experienced this part
Joy of Living
This week’s video is about the ‘Joy of Living’ . In my understanding living a joyful life includes all aspects of it, all emotions and feelings, not ‘just’ the ‘ beautiful’ ones. Waiting for better times to come after suffering through the hard times means we miss out. Live all of your life, include all,
Completion – A very personal story
2 weeks ago I attended an online retreat with Gabor Mate, which touched me deeply. It opened a channel for me to complete something important in my life. In this video I share about the completion process and why I think that completion is needed in order to move on in life. Please feel invited
The Healing Power of Storytelling
Dear friends and loved ones, did you ever experience that someone listened to you, I mean really listened, without interrupting, judging, making comments, questioning your story or giving advice? How was that for you? Did you feel it as a healing? In which way was it healing? In this video I share my experiences in
Patience
Dear friends and loved ones, how are you? Really, how are you feeling? Is your patience being tested in these times? Mine certainly is. It is not easy to live in a time of uncertainty and insecurity, not knowing how and when this will end. I hope you have all the support you need to
Resilience and making your bed
Dear friends and loved people, how are you? How is your life at this time? What are you doing to keep up your spirit? This past week I was focusing on resilience, this wonderful capacity that we all inherit to stand up again, get back to our life force and keep going. One of my
From my heart to yours
Dear friends and loved ones, how are you? How do you feel? How is this ongoing time of Corona affecting you as time goes by? Are you healthy, or have you or any of your family or friends been sick from the virus? I sincerely hope that you are well and that you are supported
A New Life
Dear beloved friends, in this ‘Sakino on Sunday’ video I share with you a few exercises which I adapted from Peter Levine, the founder of Somatic Experiencing,( next to a few thoughts on Easter.) These exercises help me personally when I need to calm and relax and settle back into myself. I hope that they
How are you treating yourself in challenging times?
Dear beloved friends, another week has passed, living in a new world, that is unpredictable and insecure for most of us. How are you dealing with this situation? What are your thoughts, feelings, emotions? How is your daily life unfolding? Do you feel supported? What do you need most of all? I have been reflecting
This touches all of us
Dear beloveds, today I am reaching out to you because of the situation that we all share due to the corona virus that affects us collectively. Mainly I want to encourage us all to stay in touch, stay connected in the ways that are possible now. Do not isolate, when you feel you need support,
Ready for change?
Yesterday was my last day at my ‘living room’ Mae Cafe Montefeore in Tel Aviv, before going back to Berlin.. I took a little time to reflect on a few things. Many times clients ask me: ‘Is there ever an end to those inner growth processes?’ What they are really asking is, is there an
A challenging time
The last few months have been a challenging time for me, in several areas. Therefore I was not in any mood to write on my blog. I had to first deal with those situations, before I could talk about them. I have always been like that. When I am in a challenging or scary situation,
Loving memory
Two days ago I was attending the commemoration of the 10. anniversary of the departure of Dan Bar On, my very dear friend, teacher and mentor, who was one of the most important people in my life. In the commemoration many people from his lifetime were speaking about him, remembering him from early childhood until
What is love?
All my life I have been busy with those questions: What is love? How can I be a loving person? Can I love unconditionally? The closest I have come to an answer is by reading Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving. I understand: Love is not a romantic feeling that we ‘fall into’. Love is
Transition
I am sitting in Ben Gurion airport, Tel Aviv, waiting for my flight back home to Berlin. This last month was an amazing journey. First of all I celebrated my birthday here, and I felt that it was a very special event, for many reasons. My ex -husband came with his oldest son, which was
Memories
Yesterday I stood again at the corner of this boulevard which means so much to me. Everytime I walk down this beautiful avenue I recall my dear friend, mentor and teacher Dan Bar On, Israeli professor of psychology, who lived here. The fact that I am here in Israel now is thanks to him. When
Sometimes…
Sometimes… unexpected beautiful insights arrive. Yesterday someone said to me: “Can you grant yourself this?”(in German: “Kannst Du Dir das gestatten?”) I have been reflecting about this since. Granting myself my way of living, my way of loving, my way of doing or not doing things is so much more than just doing it. It
Completion
Last week I had a very happy and special day. I had the honour and tremendous joy to graduate 4 beautiful women from the “Heal your Roots” (HyR) Family and Systemic Constellation and Trauma Healing Training at the Humaniversity in Holland. This training contains my lifelong experiences and therapeutic knowledge, combined together in a unique
Forgiveness and Compassion
Today is Yom Kippur for the Jewish community, the day of atonement, the highest Jewish holiday. Interestingly it made me think about the concept of forgiveness which is discussed with great diversity, not only in the therapeutic world. These thoughts came up: Forgiveness could be an act to make me feel superior to the other:
Being authentic
Yesterday I had to make a choice: either to adjust to the wishes of a friend or to be true to myself. It was not an easy situation, because there were expectations and hopes on the other side, which I would disappoint if I stayed true to myself. But if I would follow his wishes
Moments of life
At this moment I am sitting in my living room in Tel Aviv, Israel, where I spend a month to teach, give sessions, enjoy meeting my friends, trying to cope with the heat, and generally being happy. Life has blessed me all along the way until this day, and the more I become aware
Walk the walk
My very dear teacher and friend Veeresh said many years ago: When you want to be an authentic honest teacher, you have to be the same person on stage as you are behind the stage. Wow! This was truly a discovery for me. In my studies and in my education as a therapist I had
Living Young
Many times people ask me: What is it that makes you look so young? Well, I think, mostly it is, because I have good genes. But there is also something more to it. At one point in my life I chose to live exactly how I want to, make very little compromises (only if absolutely
Free Spirit
A dear friend calls me a “free spirit”. I agree. I am a free spirit! But what does that mean? For me it means that I think and act according to my own values and standards, that I do not compromise my values for the sake of money, acknowledgement, power, career, love, or anything else,
Healing and Love
I believe in the healing power of unconditional love. This may sound illusionary or naive, but it is my own experience. I grew up in an environment of violence, abuse and restrictions of all kinds. Love was not an issue, everything was about fitting into a religious system that dealt with guilt, shame, sin, confession,
Aloneness
Being alone and celebrating it can be a wonderful meditation. I am still in the process of learning and enjoying aloneness. Sometimes I really do, for instance in the morning, when I wake up, make myself the first cup of delicious coffee, take it back to bed, take my iPhone, read messages, answer mails, tuning
When the heart is turned upside down
In times of sadness, loss, grief, how can we be there for each other without violating the boundaries of each other? Recently a dear friend lost a close friend of his who had died unexpectedly. I felt so sad for his loss, and I expressed this to him. I knew, that there was no consolation
The healing power of Family and Systemic Constellation work
Why should one attend a Family Constellation: Many of the issues that we face in our lives today are related to our family of origin, e.g.: Family or relationship issues, physical and/or psychological issues, such as heart disease, cancer, depression, anxiety, addiction, professional issues, and others. Family Constellation is a gentle yet powerful technique that
Change needs courage, determination, motivation, perseverance
I just came back from an incredible week that I spent with a group of people in Ali Bey in Turkey. We engaged in a program called Lifestyletraining, which is basically physical training in high intensity, and it is geared to gain physical strength to ‘stay strong – stay young’. 3 1/2 years ago I
Born again
Today is the beginning of spring! This is the time of year when everything starts growing again. In nature and inside us there is a fresh new start, coming from what has been completed and fertilized during the dark season. As a symbol I like to look at this time as the time for new
Believing in the power of magic and creation
Believing in at least 6 impossible things before breakfast! I am a truly passionate Alice in Wonderland fan. In order to create the life that we want to live, it is in my understanding inevitable to be a little daring, and that starts with wishes and imagination of the seemingly impossible. Whether it is a
Season Greetings
For this Christmas and Hanukka season I wish you all the love and blessings that you can receive. Follow your heart, your dreams, your passion. Do not allow fear to rule you. Take the fear with you and follow your own path. Be blessed, all the way.
Welcome to my new homepage
Welcome to my new homepage! I am very happy to present to you my new homepage, created with love and the wonderful support of Mandi Gould, a friend who I met in New York last year at the Frankie100 festival. This new page has so many new features to play with, and the best thing
„Alt werden ist nichts für Feiglinge“ – Achtsamkeitsbasierte
1. Warum habe ich diesen Titel gewählt? Dazu möchte ich eine Geschichte erzählen. Vor etwa 15 Jahren kam eines Tages eine 81jährige Dame in meine Praxis, um eine Therapie zu beginnen. Sie war die Mutter eines Bekannten, und sie hatte noch nie in ihrem Leben mit Therapie zu tun gehabt. Auch schien sie nicht besonders
Unwiderstehlich – die Kunst ein erfüllter Mensch zu sein (Teil 2)
In meinem letzten Artikel habe ich darüber geschrieben, was die Zutaten sind, um ein erfülltes Leben zu führen. Nun wird nicht jeder Mensch mit einem goldenen Löffel im Mund geboren. Wenn ein erfülltes Leben davon abhinge, ob jemand reich, als Kind berühmter Eltern, schön, gesund und talentiert auf die Welt komme, würden viele schon aus
Unwiderstehlich – Die Kunst, ein erfüllter Mensch zu sein
Als ich vor einiger Zeit gefragt wurde, ob ich zu diesem Thema einen Artikel schreiben wolle, war ich zunächst etwas zögerlich. Zwar habe ich vor vielen Jahren ein Selbstentdeckungs – Training mit diesem Titel ins Leben gerufen, mir auch viele Gedanken dazu gemacht, dennoch war es eine ziemliche Herausforderung, der ich mich stellen wollte. Unwiderstehlich
Was ich von Wolfgang Joop gelernt habe….
Ich lerne ja immer. Von meinen Klienten (ein Super Klischee), durch das Leben (noch eins) oder aus meinen Erfahrungen (na so was), und auch aus der Zeitung (wer hätte das gedacht). Vorigen Sonntag las ich in der Berliner Morgenpost ein Essay von Wolfgang Joop, dem Modedesigner aus Potsdam, mit dem Titel: „Schön Stil halten“. Ich dachte:
Heilen – eine Kunstform oder: Die Kunst der Trauma – Heilung
Neuerdings wimmelt es im Therapiefeld von „Trauma – Heilungs – Methoden“. Klopfen, Körperempfinden, Meridiane befreien, Augenrollen, und was sich sonst noch alles auf dem Markt tummelt, ist beachtlich. Manche der Anwender versprechen Heilung in nur einer Sitzung (oder in ganz wenigen). Noch abenteuerlicher sind diejenigen, die Weltfrieden versprechen, wenn nur alle Mitglieder der verfeindeten Parteien ihre Methode anwendeten.
Das Märchen von der Kreativität
Es war einmal ein Mädchen, ich nenne sie Elisabeth. Elisabeth war zierlich und von empfindlicher Gesundheit. Ihre Eltern dachten, sie müssten sie schonen und von allzu viel Anstrengung fernhalten. Sie liessen sie zur Volksschule gehen, dann auf die Realschule, aber nur mit grossem Zögern. Ständig beobachten sie, ob es Elisabeth zu viel würde. Und tatsächlich war
Dankbarkeit als Weg zum Glück
Was macht Menschen glücklich? Mit diesem Thema beschäftige ich mich seit vielen Jahren sowohl in meinem eigenen Leben als auch in meiner Arbeit, in der ich Menschen auf der Suche nach mehr Glück und Erfüllung begleite. Viele Menschen hoffen, glücklich zu werden, wenn sie endlich mehr Geld verdienen, den richtigen Partner finden, ihr Wunschgewicht erreichen oder was
Der Traum von der ewigen Liebe
Im Januar ist die Anzahl der Scheidungsanträge eine der höchsten im Jahr. Warum? Ich glaube, weil wir uns wider besseres Wissen und all unseren Erfahrungen zum Trotz immer noch Illusionen machen und romantische Träume von der heilen Familie, dem immerwährenden Glück zu zweit hegen und pflegen. Ich habe dem sehr viele Jahre auch angehangen! Ich
Wie bewegt man einen Elefanten?
Ut: – der Workshop zum gleichnamigen Buch von Sakino Sternberg Mitte Juli. Ferienzeit. Die Sonne scheint, und ich radle Richtung Süden – nach Schöneberg. Als mein Ziel erweist sich schließlich ein schön modernisiertes altes Haus in der Ebersstraße, in dessen Schaufenstern im Erdgeschoss große bunte Seidentücher mit der Inschrift »Avalon« hängen. Kurz darauf stehe ich
Das große Schweigen: von Tätern und Opfern
Von Susanne Elten Sakino ist Therapeutin in Berlin. Sie ist mit mehreren spannenden Projekten zugange: sie ist Psychotherapeutin mit eigener Praxis und seit 1981Sannyasin. Sie hat ein Buch geschrieben mit dem Titel „Wie bewegt man einen Elefanten“ in dem ihr eine Synthese gelingt mit allen ihren therapeutischen Ausbildungen, mit ihrer Lebenserfahrung als Sannyasin und den
Danke, dass du ein Teil meines Lebens bist und es auf so wunderbare Weise bereicherst.
“Ich lernte Sakino im Dezember 2006 im Rahmen meines Psychologie-Studiums bei einem Wochenendseminar zum Thema „Berufsfelder für Psychologen“ kennen. Sakino fiel mir damals vor allem dadurch auf, dass sie anders war als die anderen Referenten und ich mir nicht sicher war, ob ich im Seminar bleiben sollte. Gott sei Dank hat mich die Neugierde bleiben