WISDOM IN PRACTICE ESSAYS
Cicero wrote:
Litterarum studia adulescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas res ornant, in adversis (rebus) solacium praebent
The cultural studies nourish youth, brings joy in old age, enriches our future lives, and offers comfort in times of difficulty.
So, let us rejoice! I’m rejoicing, and I believe that some of you who, like me, are no longer so young are rejoicing too.
As many of you will be aware, the purpose of this conference – organized by the Scuola di Psicoterapia neoEsistenziale of the Istituto di Scienze Umane ed Esistenziali, together with the Federation for Existential Therapy in Europe – is to stimulate a renewed discussion on the training paths of young professionals and the need for psychotherapists to keep up to date. Reflecting on the theme of our meeting, I identified a few issues among many that I believe should be addressed in our discussion. I now propose them to you, in no particular order, as a kind of brainstorming.
1) In the global landscape of psychotherapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT) dominate in terms of popularity. Their history tells us how the need arose to combine cognitive work with early behavioral techniques. For this reason, the word “cognitive” is already part of their name. As a result, many clients, and even many experts, are led to believe that only psychotherapies following this approach deal with the cognitive sphere. But is that really the case? On the contrary, I believe that very few psychotherapies are truly “non-cognitive,” and existential psychotherapy certainly is not among them. 2) The basis of our psychological approach is that branch of philosophy known as defined as “existential”, that is, the radical thought that, through anthropo- phenomenological reflection, arrives at the philosophy of existence. But does this philosophy truly align with the current pragmatics of existential therapy in the world? I notice many overflows or slippages from this ideal foundation. 3) Our model, as we know, doesn’t pursue deterministic psychologies. However, it cannot ignore the evolutionary capacity of the human mind. Will the comparison with neurosciences, whose theories sometimes seem to me, more enchanted by fantasy than committed to scientific rigor, be able to explain when and why the evolutionary process led to the emergence of noesis in human animals? Will it help us understand the appearance of the capacities of meta-consciousness and the capacity for creative sublimation? 4) In light of the many questions and reflections on our therapeutic approach, as outlined in the collective work many of us contributed to a decade ago under the guidance of Stephen Diamond, would it not be more appropriate to define our therapy as “existentiell” rather than “existential”? Here, the Italian terms help us better emphasize the difference between the two adjectives. The existential/existentiell dichotomy sounds like this in Italian: esistenziale/ esistentivo.
All these considerations I leave to the dialogue we will have in the coming days. In short, I believe that the hallmark of our training – the legacy we pass on to our trainees – is our “mental attitude”, the attitude that enables us, as existential psychotherapists, to stimulate the autonomous self-reconditioning of the client (ricondizionamento autonomo in Italian), as Ferdinando Brancaleone suggests. But is it not a paradox to stimulate another’s autonomy? Is this not a kind of oxymoron? Not for our approach: the one who stimulates is not the therapist or the consultant, and the self-reconditioning does not belong to the client/ patient/ consultant, rather both the stimulus and the autonomous self-reconditioning live within and belong to the dialogue itself, that is the true phenomenological-existential ”actor”, that ”breathing together” as described by Ernesto Spinelli.
Because of this peculiarity, because of the mental attitude that characterizes our training, I feel justified in considering existential – or rather, existentiell – therapy not just as one form of psychotherapy among many, but as a true METAPSYCHOTHERAPY. Precisely because of its formative role, it appears necessary for all those who encounter others at critical moments in their existence and strive, through dialogue, to help them.
The mission of this conference is to validate this formative role of existential therapy: a meta-psychotherapy freely open to all— psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors at various levels, educators, nurses, social workers, coaches… I apologize to those I have not mentioned, but many professionals could benefit from this training! 32 years ago, James Hillman and Michael Ventura published a book entitled We’ve Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy – and the World’s Getting Worse. As we approach 150 years of psychotherapy, it doesn’t seem to me that the world is getting much better and I don’t believe that any psychotherapy, including the one we’re discussing here, can stem “the negative liquidity” in our world. I can only hope that existential therapy and us as existential therapists will help each and every person to fall deeply in love with life.
I wish everyone a fruitful and inspiring conference!
PRESENTATIONS
From inner peace to peace with others. Contributions from Contemporary Existential Analysis to democratic and peaceful coexistence
Asid María Laura
Psychometric properties of the Existential Scale and the Existential Motivations Test for adolescent population
Asid María Laura
Bracketing in an unstable world: What might the demands look like for the existential therapist?
Blåvarg Bo
From Therapy Training to Trauma Treatment – expanding and exploring existential supervision
Blåvarg Bo
Existential psychopathology: course for students of the second, professional level of training existential therapists of the International Institute of existential consultancy (MIEK)
Bolshanin Alexey
Modern teenagers and world classical literature. Way to wisdom. Experience of psycologist
Chupika Kateryna
Existential Psychotherapy Institutions Worldwide – A Replication Study and Questionnaire Application
Correia Edgar & Estanislau Rita
The dynamics of psychic change in the light of liminality: The figures of the trickster, the uncanny and Hermes/Mercurius
De Luca Picione Raffaele
The link between cultural competency and relatedness in the therapeutic encounter from an existentialphenomenological perspective
Galani Maria
Neuroscience & Existential Psychotherapy; A Facet of the Mind-Body Connection
Georgakopoulou Toli Despoina
Existential Dilemmas & “Dialectical Tensions”: An Existential-Developmental understanding of “inner conflicts”
Georganda Evgenia
The Home you cannot buy: the phenomenon of feeling at Home in an Era of Global Change
Gladka Nataliia
Existential challenges of a psychologist in working with involuntary dislocated people in Ukraine
Hlazkova Inna
Paradoxical Intention: reflection on the complexities of application in psychological practice
Ishanov Sergei
Worldview of Existential Phenomenology from the Mexican Movement of Analysis and Existential Therapy
Jiménez Max
Loneliness and connection: existential aspects of working with elderly involuntary dislocated people in Ukraine
Kaminska Helen
From Creative Expression to Existential Reflection: Emotional Support Groups for Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Kentigkeleni Kyriaki
Would You Go to a 25 Years Old Therapist? Nurturing Identity and Addressing Biases While Training Young Psychotherapists
Kiiaeva Katya
Holding Space for the Devil: Exploring Evil as Human Potentiality in Existential Therapy
Lempesis Vaggelis
Searching for truth to rely on: Ukrainians making life choices in the face of uncertainty
Malysheva Kristina
Balancing Depth and Relief: Existential Therapy in an Anxious World
Micheli Anna & Herling Alexandros
Creating a Multidimensional Scale to Measure Existential Anxiety with Contingency Included
Musliu Sabina
Dao, I – Thou, Borders and Quantum physics. Finding the right language and images for existential experience
Ometsinsky Dmitri
The Psychosis of Existential Training: Towards an Inclusive and Equitable Therapeutic Practice for Young Therapists
Osbourne Neresia & Boakye-Duah Sheba
Riding the roller coaster of emotions. A pilot study with greek guardians living with a fearful or reactive dog
Skrempou Paraskevi
Supporting Animal Guardians Through Pet Loss: Experiences from the Greek Population
Skrempou Paraskevi
Taking Care of the Caregiver: The Importance of Self-Care in Pet Care – A Pilot Study on Greek Volunteers and Guardians Managing Aging, Illness, or Disasters
Skrempou Paraskevi
Existential supervision: enhancing interdisciplinary teams in children’s and adolescents’ psychotherapies and special education
Sourelis Dionysios
We live in history. On the formation of the concept of psychotherapy and the profession of psychotherapist
Yesselson Semyon
WORKSHOPS & EXPERIENTIAL GROUPS
Training in Psychotherapy: The Experiential Group as a Matrix of Change
Battuello Michele & Guido Nicole
Encounter in Existential Coaching – The Process of Personal Existenal Analysis (PEA) according to Alfried Längle
Fährmann Annete
The Existential Wisdom of Zorba: Exploring the Possibilities of Kazantzakian Thought for Enhancing Personal and Therapeutic Vitality
Georganda Evgenia & Cris Erik
Dancing Around the Existential Maypole: a Discourse Between Stances, Views, Therapeutic Tools, Beliefs and Biases
Kourtis Anna & Dimitriadis Dimitris
Co-travelling on The Hero’s Journey: an exploration of a significant rite of passage in young adulthood
Ruxandra Anghel
Unravelling the Wisdom of the Youth a proposal for existential practice with young people and young adults in psychotherapy
Ruxandra Anghel
An existentially grounded approach in working therapeutically with terminally ill cancer patients
Ulrichová Monika & Launean Michaela
POSTER
The Emotional and Existential Impacts Affecting Special Education Teachers
D’Avino R., Schiavone M., Losacco V., Gaudino M., Rendina L., Buffardi G.
“On the Stage of Life”: Exploring the existential resources for the resilience of professional actors
Dobreva-Hristova D.
Existential Psychotherapy Institutions Worldwide, Part I: A Replication Study
Estanislau R., Correia E.
Existential Psychotherapy Institutions Worldwide, Part II: A Questionnaire Study
Estanislau R., Correia E.
The impact of the concept of incomparability on the self esteem of neurodivergent children and adolescents after diagnosis.
Grilanda F., Buffardi G.
Trauma and Existential Shattering: A phenomenological exploration of the impact of health trauma on a person’s lifeworld
Ioannou A.
Finding ways in existential counseling and working with parents how not to “fix” but to nourish children
Kuzina O.
Fear of the Gene: Existential Implications of the Risk of Genetic Transmission in Relatives of Individuals with Major Psychiatric Disorders
Restifo M.G., Desiderio R., Sequino M., Sampogna G., Buffardi G.
The Condition of the Elderly Through the Lens of Existential Needs
Figlioli S., Mesolella A., Verino C., Buffardi G.
