Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 12:00 PM
Venue: Kino 35 (French Institute in Prague, Štěpánská 644/35, Prague 1)
Price: 2,000 CZK, but we don’t want the price to be a barrier. Please write to us if you can’t afford the full price of the conference, and we’ll work something out.
The conference will be held in English with simultaneous interpretation into Czech. You will also receive the recording of the event.
If you are unable to attend in person but are interested in purchasing a recording only, please fill out the form—we will notify you once we have more details.
What do we truly need for well-being – as children and as adults?
What defenses do we build against pain we’re often not even aware of?
Why is it essential for us to feel our emotions?
We invite you to a unique event with world-renowned experts in development, relationships, and childhood psychology: Gordon Neufeld and Deborah MacNamara.
Dr. Gordon Neufeld – Canadian psychologist and author of the attachment-based developmental theory – will speak about why emotional experience is the foundation of mental health and true resilience.
Dr. Gordon Neufeld is a leading global expert in developmental psychology with over forty years of experience working with children, youth, and their caregivers. He is best known as the co-author of the bestseller Hold On to Your Kids. His interpretation of the developmental approach helps adults not only understand children’s behavior but also create the conditions for healthy growth. He is the founder and leading figure of the Neufeld Institute, which provides online courses to educate parents, teachers, and helping professionals.
Dr. Neufeld has created a comprehensive model of child development based on attachment theory, offering deep insight into phenomena such as aggression, anxiety, bullying, emotional defenses, and so-called “alpha children.”
His work is valued for its clarity, depth, and ability to connect scientific knowledge with the everyday practice of caregivers around the world.
“There is an overwhelming amount of information about emotional (mental) health and well-being coming at us from all sides.
— Gordon Neufeld
My intention is therefore to distill the issue of emotional health down to its absolute essence. To provide you with the essential foundations so that you can find answers to your own questions. So that you yourself can become the answer for your children. And so that it all makes sense to you.”
Dr. Deborah MacNamara – developmental psychologist and author of the bestselling Rest, Play, Grow and the new book Nourished – will explore the topic of psychological defenses: how (and why) we protect our hearts and souls, and what we as parents and professionals can do about it.
Deborah MacNamara is a clinical counselor and educator with over 25 years of experience. She serves on the faculty of Canada’s Neufeld Institute, runs her own counseling practice, and regularly lectures on the development of children and adolescents. She is also active in writing, radio and television interviews, and advocates for the needs of children and youth based on developmental science.
Dr. Neufeld wrote this about Rest, Play, Grow:
This book is a tribute – not only to Deborah’s exceptional gift, but also to her deep and unwavering belief that the insights of relationship and development must be shared with those responsible for raising our children. Deborah is uniquely qualified to tell this story, guiding you all the way from theory to practice. You couldn’t be in better hands.
The program will include a live Q&A with both speakers, giving you the opportunity to ask your own questions.
The event will be interpreted – the conference will take place in English with simultaneous interpretation into Czech.
What will the lectures be about?
Gordon Neufeld will talk about how we can support emotional well-being and health in ourselves and our children. It’s a topic that is widely discussed, but few people truly and deeply understand how to actually do it.
Deborah MacNamara will talk about emotional defenses. This is also a very important topic, because defenses explain a range of phenomena – from the seemingly trivial, like “a child misbehaves, hits their brother, and laughs about it,” to various psychiatric diagnoses.
Who is the conference for?
Parents, educators, psychologists, therapists, child guides, social workers, and anyone who wants to understand the human inner world – and help create safety, growth, and trust within it.
Schedule:
11:30 – Doors open
12:00–13:45 – Talk by Gordon Neufeld + a small surprise
14:00–15:35 – Talk by Deborah MacNamara
15:50–16:50 – Q&A with both speakers
17:00 – End of event
If you’re in a difficult life situation and the ticket price is too high, please write to us at hrejivadeka@gmail.com. We’ll try to find a solution. We want to make sure price is not a barrier.
Limited capacity – early registration is recommended.
Information for those who purchased tickets to the Body Mind Unity Congress is here.
