Maria Gomori | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1920-05-25)May 25, 1920 |
| Died | December 10, 2021(2021-12-10) (aged 101) |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Alma mater | Sorbonne (BAUniversity of Manitoba (MSW)Haven Institute (PhD) |
| Occupation(s) | Therapist, professor |
| Known for | Training programs at St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg |
Maria Gomori (May 25, 1920 – December 10, 2021) was a Hungarian-born Canadian pioneer in the field of systemsfamily therapy. She contributed to the fields of psychiatric andsocial work training, and designed numerous training programs. She was a proponent of the Satir Method for Family Therapy. In 2004, she was named "Woman of Distinction" for the field of Health and Wellness by the City ofWinnipeg. In the same year Winnipeg's Saint Boniface Hospital Research Centre established a lectureship in her name to honour her long and varied contributions to the health system and the people who use it.[1]
She earned a B.A. at theSorbonne, an Economics degree in her nativeBudapest, an M.S.W. at theUniversity of Manitoba, Dip.C. from theHaven Institute and Ph.D. from the Open International University. Gomori developed the family therapy training program for the residents in psychiatry at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, MB, and was the Coordinator and Director of the Social Work Department at this hospital for 14 years. In her retirement, she continued to lecture and offer seminars and workshops around the world, teaching annually in China and Taiwan and North America, even at the age of 88.[2] She collaborated withBennet Wong andJock McKeen for over thirty years, and was an Emeritus Faculty of the Haven Institute.
After enduring theNazi incursion in her native Budapest in the 1940s, she completed her education and rose quickly in theHungarian Government's department of Economics. She fledHungary with her husband and young son in 1956 in the midst of theHungarian Revolution without money or possessions. They moved toWinnipeg,Manitoba, Canada, where she studied social work. Her life focus was on freedom.[3][4][5] She received numerous honours and citations.[6][7]
Gomori was afamily therapist in private practice, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at theUniversity of Manitoba's Faculty of Medicine. Gomori was also a Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor with AAMFT, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. She worked intensively withVirginia Satir for over 20 years and was a faculty member and advanced trainer in Satir'sAvanta International Training Organization from 1981. Gomori was also a certified practitioner and Master Programmer inNeuro-linguistic programming.[8]
She died in Winnipeg on December 10, 2021, at the age of 101.[9]
Gomori established an international reputation as a workshop leader, teaching, demonstrating and applying her interpretation of the Satir model. She conducted workshops throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, South America, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Australia. She co-authored with Virginia Satir et al.The Satir Approach to Communication andThe Satir Model: Family Therapy and Beyond; the latter book was chosen by the AAMFT Foundation for the 1994 Satir Education and Research Prize.[10] Gomori worked tirelessly in her international lectures and seminars, and was instrumental in establishingSatir Institutes in Winnipeg, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia. She integratedVirginia Satir's approach with her learnings from other teachers combined with her own experiences.[1]
Maria's life is a testimony to the principles addressed by existential philosophies: freedom, authenticity, responsibility, and moral agency. With balance and courage, she also accepts the inevitable challenges of angst, loneliness, and paralysing uncertainties. Her mind is alive with ideas, concepts, and novel perspectives on human beings.
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