Some 500 students from several primary and secondary schools watched Sweet As at Lucerna Cinema, a movie that tells the story of a search for identity and our relationship with nature, through the eyes of an Aboriginal filmmaker. Psychotherapist Jana Švecová gave an introductory talk before the movie, presenting programmes focused on personal growth and therapeutic excursions via direct contact with nature.
A recipient of the Professor Zdeněk Matějček Award for her thesis and research in the field of developmental and child psychology, Jana Švecová shared the principles of wilderness therapy with the students and their teachers. Jana has worked intensively with children, adolescents, adults and whole families for the last 20 years. For ten years she led the project “Dependent on Addicts” at Anima – terapie. She was one of the founding members of the Locika Centre, where as a psychologist she provided psychotherapeutic care to children and adults affected by domestic violence, child victims of crime, etc. For the above-mentioned target groups, she created and led therapeutic stays, pilgrimages and expeditions within the framework of Wilderness therapy. She has carried out around 170 trips with many clients of different ages from various institutions, including foreign ones (e.g. “The Santiago Crew – The St James Pilgrimage for young adults in difficult life situations” with clients from five European countries, etc.). She has conducted therapies, developed methodologies and internal guidelines for organisations, provided substantial management and fundraising for these projects, and subsequently publicised the outcomes to the general and professional communities to raise awareness.
After this talk, Svetlana Vaštová then spoke about the mission of the Outdoor Adventure Education Foundation and Outward Bound Czech Republic (OBCZ). The organisations share a common goal – to support the personal development and resilience of young people through outdoor adventure programs, especially through school expeditions for classes as well as summer and winter expeditions for individuals. OBCZ is also part of the Lipnice School Holiday School which has a long tradition in experienced-based education and is a member of Outward Bound International. Without exceptions, young people from all over the world can therefore experience their own development expeditions as they transition to adulthood – from Australia and New Zealand to Canada, Finland and Singapore.
Through the movie and Jana Švecová’s presentation, the audience had a unique opportunity to reflect on the power of the natural environment and the value of inner adventure that can enrich life in many ways. We would like to thank Jana Švecová for her inspiring contribution and we are looking forward to future screenings and events we will host at the festival for you.
