PATRICIA KAFWAMBA OGUEY
WHO I AM
Born in 1968 in Lausanne, I lived the first part of my life there. After several years spent in Berlin and Paris, I currently live in Geneva, Switzerland.
I am an intense and whole person, which makes me a passionate being! When a subject interests me, I like to explore it, take the time to go in depth even if it lasts several years. In my childhood, I had the opportunity to intensely practice activities such as music and competitive swimming. From the age of 18, my job as a physiotherapist allowed me to realize another passion, that of working with people and taking care of the human body. Later, as a body therapist, I discovered the passion to apprehend the individual as a whole with his physical and emotional world, his way of thinking, acting and relating to others, his vision of life or its bright and dark facets.
Intensity is an integral part of who I am. It's almost a trademark! I am therefore in constant search of authenticity, honesty and coherence between my knowledge, my words, my actions and my heart. I like and need the depth that allows me to best embody my values and bring them into my daily life in general and into my professional activities in particular.
Travel and contact with other linguistic and cultural environments are essential for me to enrich my vision of the world and to continue to move towards ever greater openness. This curiosity and this need for diversity led me to work in different European countries, including Berlin, Paris and Vienna. Today my regular activity is in Switzerland in Friborg and Geneva.
“ Even though we might have good reason to lose hope and live in fear with the events happening around us, my main drive is to make life better.
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MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE
My philosophy of life is the optimism of hope.
Even though we might have good reason to lose hope and live in fear with the events happening around us, my main drive is to make life better. A day where I have not been able to do something good, good or pleasant for others or for myself is a day wasted! And our days are numbered...
This hope, I put it at the service of the two major themes that have accompanied me for a long time: the body and the human relationship. In the end, these are not choices; these subjects somehow imposed themselves on me! They are who I am.
THE VALUES THAT DRIVE ME
In my work, I need to embody and bring the values that characterize me such as:
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the courage which means for me: daring to explore a place that bothers me, that is uncomfortable for me and to persevere ;
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constructive introspection, which is nourished by my curiosity and my need for honesty, to be constantly evolving ;
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the sharing of significant topics in an authentic exchange where everyone comes out enriched ;
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gentleness and patience to take care of yourself.
MY JOURNEY
Very early, as a teenager, I had the chance to participate in the Olympic Games with the Swiss swimming team. On this occasion, I experienced what human diversity means, of cultures, languages, morphologies… My Olympic motto has become “the important thing is to live together”.
As a young student in physiotherapy, during my internships in a hospital environment, I found myself in direct contact with suffering at all levels. It touched me deeply. Without being aware of it at the time, I decided that with the means at my disposal, I was going to contribute to reducing this suffering, both physical and human. This “decision” continues to live with me and remains my source of motivation.
About twenty years ago, as a body therapist, I understood that the body has its own language which is beyond words. With my presence, my attention, my touch, I develop my way of communicating with the body in connection with the different levels that I perceive (physical, mental, emotional or even beyond the body).
Then in order to enrich and complete my knowledge of body work, I undertook to train in Somatic Experiencing®, training which will end at the end of 2023.
This approach is aimed at working with trauma, a theme that je find unfortunately very frequently in the problems of my clients and which requires specific tools.