In 2024, I stepped into something new, a six-month online training in the Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy Level 1, offered by the Satir Institute of the Pacific in British Columbia, Canada. I live far away, in the Republic of Georgia, and yet this experience reached me in a way that felt very close, almost intimate.

At first, I wondered how much I could truly experience through a screen. Could it really touch me? Could I really feel the depth of Satir’s model this way? The answer unfolded slowly, beautifully, and surprisingly, yes. The training was alive, filled with moments that were not just about learning techniques, but about truly living them.

The nights were hard. Because of the time difference, my sessions often began when others were fast asleep. I remember sitting in the quiet of my home, fighting off tiredness, my body heavy but my spirit pulled forward by curiosity and commitment. It wasn’t easy, many times I thought it might be too much. And yet, every time, what I received filled me with energy stronger than the exhaustion. Looking back now, those sleepless nights were part of the journey, shaping my experience with even more meaning.

The most powerful moment for me came when I was introduced to the Family Map. At first, it looked like a tool, something we were asked to practice. But when I created my own map, something deep opened inside me. Suddenly, I could see my patterns, the hidden threads connecting my experiences, my choices, my way of being in the world.

It was not only about understanding my family, it was about seeing myself. I discovered places of pain, but also places of strength. I saw how my story shaped me, and I also saw possibilities for change and growth. The Family Map became a mirror, and in that mirror, I found compassion for myself.

This experience touched me so deeply that I now carry the Family Map into my work with almost every client. Time and again, I see the same light of recognition in their eyes, the same opening of understanding. It feels almost magical to watch people connect the dots of their own lives and step into new awareness. For me, it is not just a method, it is a gift, one of the most powerful I have as a therapist.

What surprised me most was how connected I felt, even from a distance. The trainers and participants created a space that was safe, alive, and real. Even though we were separated by screens, I could feel the warmth, the honesty, the courage in every person sharing their stories. I wasn’t just learning a model; I was experiencing a community of growth.

This journey changed me. It asked me to stretch beyond comfort, to stay awake when my body longed for sleep, to face my own family story with honesty. And yet, it gave me so much more than I imagined, clarity, connection, and a deeper way of seeing myself and others.

When I look back, I don’t think of the tiredness anymore. I think of the moments when something inside me shifted, when I felt the energy of transformation moving through me. I think of the Family Map, now living inside my practice and my heart. And most of all, I feel grateful, for the chance to walk this path, even from far away, and for the way it continues to shape not only my work, but my whole way of being.