Next online IoPT Café Tuesday October 27th 2026

Warm welcome in the online IoPT Café. This initiative is started to offer a place where we can meet each other and where we can learn something more about IoPT or IoPT-related topics. It is a place where we can share thoughts, where we can be curious and learn something more about healing from trauma and eventually learn something more about ourselves. It is also a place where you can bring your friends with you who are also interested in IoPT and in healing from trauma.

It is my deepest wish to offer a place where you can engage just as much or as little as feels right for you and where you have an opportunity to connect and get inspired.

Presentation by Franz Ruppert

“A new way of working with IoPT”

Franz Ruppert is the founder of the Identity oriented Psychotrauma Theory, IoPT. Franz developed his traumatheory over 30 years of intensive studying, observing and finding out what the impact of traumatic experiences in early childhood is on the human psyche and how to heal from these experiences. Franz developed his theory around Identity, where Identity is defined as ‘everything I have experienced from the moment of my conception’. If we experience a traumatic event in our (very) early childhood, we need to split of this experience, the pain and the trauma-feelings in order to survive, to stay alive. This means that this experience, the pain and the feelings are unkown to us, they are unconsious and hidden in our psyche. We then do not fully know who we truly are because a part/parts of us are hidden in our unconsiousness. With the support of IoPT, with the Intention method, we can come into contact with split off parts of ourself and gentle, in our own pacing and timing, re-connect and come to understand more about ourself, about who we truly are.

Franz will give a presentation on the topic “A new style of working with IoPT” Since about a year or so, Franz is facilitating self-encounters in a new style of working, also know as ‘style II’. Style I refers to working with a maximum of three elements from the intention. The new way of working, Style II, refers to finding out what part may be hidden under the intention and coming into contact with this part. In his presentation Franz will go more in depth about this new style of working.

Warm welcome to join the online IoPT Café meeting. If your email address is not yet on the mailing list you can sign up by sending an email to info@ioptcafe.com

Please check the right time in your place, and please note that Amsterdam/Munich time will move into wintertime on Sunday the 25th of October, this can mean for you that we start the meeting on Tuesday the 27th of October an hour earlier or later that you are used to. We look forward welcoming you.

Online IoPT Café Tuesday September 22nd 2026

Presentation by Silke Zeich

“IoPT and Compassionate Inquiry – a perfect match”

Silke Zeich is a systemic coach trained in IoPT and working with the method ever since. Silke learned the craft of family constellations from her teachers Thomas and Diana Weber in Mainz. Already during her training, she got to know the constellation method of Professor Franz Ruppert, whose training seminars she has been attending in various places in Germany since 2014. In 2017, Silke deepened her knowledge with Professor Ruppert through an intensive training course in Munich, and has been working with the IoPT method ever since. She continuously review and updates her work through supervision and professional exchange with both Franz Ruppert and Vivian Broughton, London.

Silke gave a presentation on the topic of IoPT and Compassionate Inquiry (CI): “IoPT and Compassionate Inquiry – a perfect match”. In this presentation Silke shared her perspective about IoPT as a method and about CI as a method and why they fit so well together.

Compassionate Inquiry is a psychotherapeutic method developed by Dr. Gabor Maté that reveals what lies beneath the appearance we present to the world. Using Compassionate Inquiry, the therapist unveils the level of consciousness, mental climate, hidden assumptions, implicit memories and body states that form the real message that words both express and conceal. Through Compassionate Inquiry, the client can recognize the unconscious dynamics that run their lives and how to liberate themselves from them. (source: drgabormate.com/compassionate-inquiry)

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com and ask for the link to the recording.

Online IoPT Café Tuesday June 30th 2026

Presentation by Lilit Ranu Abrahamyan

“Shame, Guilt, and the Body. An IoPT Perspective“

Lilit Ranu Abrahamyan is an IoPT practitioner and trainer trained directly under Professor Franz Ruppert. With a background in IT project management and an MBA, she bridges organisational thinking with trauma-informed practice working with organisations on emotional intelligence and stress resilience. As well as she works with individuals on self-harm, body relationship, and emotional healing. Lilit has a particular passion for researching shame and guilt as survival strategies in the body, which became the focus of her diploma thesis at the Traumawork Institutt.

Lilit gave a presentation on the topic — Shame, Guilt and the Body: An IoPT Perspective. She draws on 2.5 years of practical work with over 35 individuals in more than 200 sessions. The presentation explored how shame and guilt operate as embodied survival strategies, why guilt can be conscious and shame not, and what IoPT reaches that other therapeutic approaches cannot. It includes original theoretical contributions developed through practical observation and a research interview with Professor Franz Ruppert.

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com to ask for the link to the recording.

Online IoPT Café Tuesday April 28th 2026

Presentation by Maria Louise Schilt-Thissen

“Bullying as part of a family culture”

Maria Louise Schilt-Thissen is a trauma sensitive counselor and IoPT practitioner and has been assisting people in many ways during her life. As soon as Maria Louise experienced the power of Identity oriented Psycho Trauma Therapy (IoPT), she decided to work with that method. Maria Louise: “IoPT makes it possible to effectively make contact with subconscious trauma’s and other negative experiences from the past and to neutralise the effect of those events on your current live.“

Maria Louise gave a presentation on the topic of ‘Bullying as part of a family culture” and she will look through the lens of IoPT to this topic.

Online IoPT Café Tuesday March 24th 2026

Presentation by Nadine Elzas

“How we are trauma-, healthy- and survivalparts, and how that makes us one”

Nadine Elzas has been in the IoPT working field since 2012. She has her own practice and is training three different IoPT year groups in Holland. Her main aim is to support anyone in a step towards feeling whole as an human being.

Nadine gave a presentation on the subject ‘How can we explain IoPT in a simple way to clients and/or people in the surrounding’. This presentation is supported by beautiful expressive drawings. It is Nadine’s wish to support facilitators to be able to have a handout, a little book with drawings. Nadine sees IoPT as precious work and is looking and finding possibilities to support facilitators and clients in working with IoPT.

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com to ask for the link to the recording.

Online IoPT Café Tuesday February 24th 2026

Presentation by Peter Devries

“IoPT & the understanding of Chakra energy centers” – Part 2

Peter Devries is a Family Constellation facilitator and IoPT practitioner, dedicated to supporting individuals on their journey toward emotional and relational healing. Trained in Chakra healing under the guidance of Anodea Judith, Peter integrates a range of therapeutic modalities to foster self-awareness and personal transformation.

In this IoPT Café presentation, Peter continues his exploration how the core “I” emerges when the seven chakra energy centers—our “wheels of life”—are open, balanced, and aligned. Using the simple metaphor of the human being as a vehicle, he examined how trauma and life experiences can disrupt these inner wheels, creating blockages or imbalances that affect our sense of self. In the first part of his presentation Peter shared about his perspective on how to make the connection between IoPT and the first chakra’s. The recording of part one is available, please feel free to ask for the link by sending an email to info@ioptcafe.com

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com to ask for the link to the recording.

Online IoPT Café Tuesday January 27th 2026

Presentation by Christian Frost

“IoPT, the Helper Syndrom, and the danger of prolonged dependence.”

Christian Frost is an IoPT facilitator and a systemic coach. In 2021 Christian completed his training in IoPT and is working with IoPT and the intention method as developed by Franz Ruppert.

In this IoPT presentation Christian shared about the topic of the Helper Syndrom, he maked the combination with IoPT and the theory behind this. Christian shared in depth about this topic and the danger of the Helper Syndrom: prolonged dependence. Christian: “If therapists, coaches and counsellors are not aware that excessive helpfing is a consequence of trauma and that narcissistic neediness in particular can be projected onto clients, there is a risk of new dependencies on the part of clients.” Christian describes this more in detail in his presentation and he also shows in his presentation how to get out of the Helper Syndrom.

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com to ask for the link to the recording.

Online IoPT Café Thursday December 11th 2025

Presentation by Peter Devries

“IoPT & Chakra Energy Centers: Supporting the Whole Psyche”.

Peter Devries is a Family Constellation facilitator and IoPT practitioner, dedicated to supporting individuals on their journey toward emotional and relational healing. Trained in Chakra healing under the guidance of Anodea Judith, Peter integrates a range of therapeutic modalities to foster self-awareness and personal transformation.

In this IoPT Café presentation, Peter explored how the core “I” emerges when the seven chakra energy centers—our “wheels of life”—are open, balanced, and aligned. Using the simple metaphor of the human being as a vehicle, he examined how trauma and life experiences can disrupt these inner wheels, creating blockages or imbalances that affect our sense of self.

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com to ask for the link to the recording.

Online IoPT Café Tuesday November 25th 2025

Presentation by Vivian Broughton

‘What is ‘The Patriarchy’? Can IoPT theory help us understand this phenomenon?‘

Vivian Broughton is originally a Gestalt psychotherapist, she started her practice in 1989. After meeting Franz Ruppert, working with him, studying his theory and organising the translation of his books Vivian started in 2008 only working with Identity-oriented Psycho trauma Therapy (IoPT), the trauma work developed by Franz Ruppert. Vivian has written several books about IoPT, amongst which: “Trauma and Identity”. Vivian is an IoPT psychotrauma theorist and therapist.

In her presentation Vivian shared about a context where most of us are functioning in: Patriarchy. Vivian explored in her presentation what Patriarchy means, why we live in a Patriarchy and what IoPT can tell us about why we are living in Patriarchy. Vivian expressed the hope that she gives some information about this topic interesting enough to follow up on.

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com to ask for the link to the recording.

Online IoPT Café Thursday October 30th 2025

Presentation by Katrina Mikiah

‘Triggers as Teachers: Navigating and Healing Together’

Katrina Mikiah is an IoPT Practitioner based in Missoula, Montana, US. She first came into contact with IoPT back in 2014. On her continuous learning journey she studied two years ago at the Institute for Trauma Work in Norway. In her presentation Katrina will bring the topic of triggers into the IoPT field and guide a discussion about this topic. Her role is not as an expert on the topic, but as an initiator – one who brings the topic up for consideration and throws out some thoughts of her own.

Katrina about her presentation: “I’ll open a discussion on triggers in the IoPT field, exploring how they connect to our own trauma. We’ll look at how to take responsibility for our reactions, hold safe space for each other, and use these moments as opportunities for reflection and growth.” 

This meeting is recorded, please feel free to reach out to info@ioptcafe.com to ask for the link to the recording.