FIVE MOVESvs. Compassionate Inquiry
Compassionate Inquiry goes back to the origin. FIVE MOVES goes to the address in the body.
The Method
What is Compassionate Inquiry?
Compassionate Inquiry is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by Gabor Maté. Trauma-informed and mindfulness-based. The therapist asks gentle, precise questions to bring unconscious dynamics from the life story into awareness. Bodily sensation is included, but the main tool remains language and presence.
It is a process, typically across multiple sessions, in which the therapist guides the inquiry.
FIVE MOVES vs. Compassionate Inquiry
| Criterion | Compassionate Inquiry | FIVE MOVES |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Therapeutic conversational inquiry | Body GPS + somatic release |
| Focus | Unconscious dynamics from the life story | Desired feeling in the heart space + blockage in the body |
| Role | Therapist leads through questions | Mover navigates, Guide accompanies |
| Timeline | Past (origin of trauma) | Present (desired feeling now) |
| Tool | Language, mindfulness, presence | Body address, five steps |
| Sessions | Multiple, often long-term | One session is enough |
| Past material | Old stories can be reactivated | No digging through the past, no retraumatisation risk |
When Compassionate Inquiry?
- You want to understand the origin of your patterns
- You have time for a longer therapeutic process
- You want to work with a trained therapist
- Insight matters as much as relief
When FIVE MOVES?
- The understanding is already there, the pattern still remains
- The body should hold the address, not the story
- One session is enough
- You want change without digging through the past
Understanding can take years. Dissolving can happen today.