Participant Point of View
Not knowing what to expect, the idea of a meeting with young physios from all around the world was enough to get me there. The theme was “More than just a body” and these two days of talks (I can’t call it lectures, it was way too informal for that), workshops and other activities went around the Machteld Huber definition of health: “Health as the ability to adapt and to self manage, in the face of social, physical and emotional challenges”. The goal is to clean the negative side of the word health and to transform it from a stage into a dynamic process. The program allowed us to learn, discuss and experience this concept in all its six dimensions: Bodily functions, Mental Functions, Spiritual and existential dimension, Quality of Life, Social Participation and ADL.
So, the international participants were hosted by Dutch students in their own houses (thus the couch part). The organization was perfect and left room to changes that made the event unforgettable.
The first presentation by the three organizers (Kars, Kasper and Thom) managed to set-up the mood for the entire event. All of the sudden, we were in a massage train with 70 physios. And this was a thing to repeat during the couple of days…even at a bar during one of our nights out!! During the rest of the day, always with a joyful attitude, we went through the first dimensions that compose this positive health model.
Not knowing what to expect, the idea of a meeting with young physios from all around the world was enough to get me there. The theme was “More than just a body” and these two days of talks (I can’t call it lectures, it was way too informal for that), workshops and other activities went around the Machteld Huber definition of health: “Health as the ability to adapt and to self manage, in the face of social, physical and emotional challenges”. The goal is to clean the negative side of the word health and to transform it from a stage into a dynamic process. The program allowed us to learn, discuss and experience this concept in all its six dimensions: Bodily functions, Mental Functions, Spiritual and existential dimension, Quality of Life, Social Participation and ADL.
So, the international participants were hosted by Dutch students in their own houses (thus the couch part). The organization was perfect and left room to changes that made the event unforgettable.
The first presentation by the three organizers (Kars, Kasper and Thom) managed to set-up the mood for the entire event. All of the sudden, we were in a massage train with 70 physios. And this was a thing to repeat during the couple of days…even at a bar during one of our nights out!! During the rest of the day, always with a joyful attitude, we went through the first dimensions that compose this positive health model.
One of the high points was the first night. Since the HAN facilities have a huge kitchen for the nutrition studies, we used it to cook dinner. Yes, around 30 physios or more cooking dinner for 70 physios (the ones who didn’t cook did the dishes and the cleaning at the end).
The people who were free got hold of some of the music instruments that the HAN also has and sang some of those guitar bonfire classics. Everyone joined us with their singing and their own specific international accent. |
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The second day was characterized by getting out of our comfort zone and, with that, connecting to our colleagues. The line of thought from the previous day was completed with lectures and workshop in which we went from establishing a path of values, playing football with a conditioned ability (and exploring this different condition the best we could) to dancing like nobody is watching or staring into someone’s eyes for a bit longer than awkward. |
The second night was not planned. Literally, there was nothing on the program. So we all had to decide what to do; we had to co-create. The teachers mischievously reminded us they had the keys to the school and, with the commitment of leaving the rooms perfectly clean, we could order pizzas (for all of us…80 pizzas) for dinner. Two delivery cars later, we were all eating pizza in one of the physio halls and then we left to one bar for our second night together. The night was great and between hugs and massage trains, we said goodbye to these new people we just got to know.
The consequences? A group of strangers that, in two days, were already discussing the next time to meet, what kind of international projects they could create together and how they could contribute to unite physios across borders and empower these kind events and ideas.
Spread this event, spread this concept and be part of it. Physio is a lot more than just a degree and you should be part, involved and active. There is nothing like a Physio party because a Physio party never stops.
My personal thanks to the organizers Kars Abeling, Kasper Bos and Thom May and to all the people involved.
Lucas Brink
Portuguese Representative of ECPTS
Oficial website : http://physiocouch.wix.com/physiocouchevent
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