creating the first world congress for existential therapy in london, may 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Freedom, Responsibility and the Meaning of Being
A historic and unique gatheringof existential therapists from
across the world.
OUR KIND SPONSORS
Creating the first World Congress for Existential
TherapyEmmy van Deurzen and Digby Tantam
Co-chairs of the organizing committee
Facebook and LinkedIn: Existential Therapywww.existentialpsychotherapy.netwww.emmyvandeurzen.comwww.existential.academywww.dilemmas.orgwww.nspc.org.ukSlides will be posted on:www.slideshare.comTwitter: #exist @existtherapy
Emmy van Deurzen and Digby Tantam
Putting existential therapy into its cross cultural
perspective
The background
I have dreamt of this gathering for many
decades of my life. I have longed to
become part of this community and
contribute something new to the world,
something of value to the whole of
mankind, especially to those who are in
mental, emotional and existential pain and
who need us to help them articulate this
without us pushing them into the abyss of
mental illness, labelling them and
entrapping them in chemical alienation.
Drawing on our contacts in Europe
Work with EAP: European Association for
Psychotherapy
Work with European grants to create online
resources in existential therapy across
Europe, including Ireland, Belgium, France,
Portugal, Romania, Austria, Poland, Albania,
Sweden.
Twenty years of giving European and
worldwide talks. Lost of contacts and
connections.
Creation of ICECAP in 2006 in Waterloo
Reaching out Early invitations to create a core
of strength: key people:
Irv Yalom
Alfried Längle
Kirk Schneider
Ernesto Spinelli
Semjon Esselson
Xuefu Wang
Paul Wong
Alison Strasser
Decision to be inclusive
Daseins analysis
Logotherapy
Existential Analysis
Existential/Humanistic therapies
Existential/Integrative therapies
Existential positive therapy
Existential Therapy
Existential Phenomenological Therapy
Gathering strength
International conferences in Toronto, Kiev,
Lima, were the run up to gathering
colleagues
Research by Edgar Correia, providing email
addresses from all existential trainers across
the world.
New electronic ways of communication
Google Plus
Vchats
Gathering the honorary scientific committee under one banner:
international collaboration
First Announcement
First World Congress
for Existential Therapy
Freedom, Responsibility and the Meaning of Being
14 -17 May 2015
London
Come and listen to international keynote speakers and participate in
experiential workshops and live demonstrations. Watch rare footage of
classic Existential Masters.
You will be able to engage in a rich variety of lectures and debates with
leading Existential Therapists and Authors from all over the world. This
will be a unique chance to meet like-minded colleagues for an exciting
exchange and cross-fertilization of old and new ideas in relation to
Freedom, Responsibility and the Meaning of Being.
Supported by the International Collaboration of Existential Counsellors and
Psychotherapists (ICECAP) and by the Society for Existential Analysis (SEA) and
sponsored by the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling (NSPC)
Register for updates at www.existentialpsychotherapy.net
Honorary scientific committee
84 members from 50+ countries and all continents represented
LinkedIn group communication
Some very active and enthusiastic
Others silent
Some critical
Negativity rare
Only one person refused invitation
Agreeing a title and a date
Linked In discussions on title and purpose
Agree to name the congress: ‘Freedom,
Responsibility and the Meaning of Being’
One day devoted to Freedom, one to
Responsibility and one to Meaning of Being
Emphasis on first world congress for
existential therapy
Getting serious and having a proper logo designed
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Keynote speaker bios online
Invited speakers
Finding a venue
Westminster: central London
Choosing Westminster
Finding Church House
Dean’s Yard of Westminster Abbey
Church House conference centre
Right place for us
Testing the food
The announcement
Freedom, Responsibility and the Meaning of Being
A historic and unique gathering of existential ther apists from across the world.
World Congress forExistential Ther apyLondon, 14-17th May 2015
Come and listen to internation al k eynote speakers, including:
Partici
pa te in experiential w orkshops and live demonstration s wi th e xistential e xperts from many backgrounds.
Watch rare footage of classic Existential Ma s ters.
Engage in a rich variety of lectures and debates with leading Existential Ther apists.
Meet like-minded colleagues to exchange ideas in relation t o Freedom, Responsibility and the Meaning of Being and many other topics.
The Congress will take place at the historic
Church House conference centre, in
Westminster, Central London.
The first World Congress is organised by The New
School of Psychotherapy and Counselling (NSPC),
Irvin Yalom
Emmy van Deurzen
Kirk Schneider
Alfried Längle
Alice Holzhey-Kunz
Robert Stolorow
Mick Cooper
Digby Tantam
Rimantas Kočiūnas
Susana Signorelli
Xuefu Wang
Louis Hoffm
a
n
Betty
Cannon
Dmitry Leontiev
Erik Craig
Robert Neimeyer
on behalf of the Existential Ac ademy, and is
supported by the Internation al Col labor ation
of Existential Couns el lor s and Psychotherapists
(ICECAP) and by the Society for Existential
Analysis (SEA).
Tickets are selling fast. Please visit www.existential p sychotherapy.net to book yours now.
Concessionary tick ets for students are available.
Freedom, Responsibility and the Meaning of Being
A historic and unique gatheringof existential therapists from
across the world.
OUR KIND SPONSORS
Fin
din
g sp
on
sors
SEA
from
ea
rly o
n
Some of the organizing team.
Setback: the move to the Existential Academy
Getting the badges
Printing the programmes
The Congress programme
Digby with the badges team
The arrival of colleagues
Visits to Existential Academy
Training the volunteers
Grasshopper pop up
Freedom, Responsibility and the Meaning of Being
A historic and unique gatheringof existential therapists from
across the world.
OUR KIND SPONSORS
530 people over 4 days
Volunteers packing the bags
Volunteer team at reception desk
NSPC table
3 Book Launches
Bookshop by Waterstones
With Lindsay and Charlie: key members of organizing
committee
Pre-congress workshops
Erik Craig’s workshop
Digby’s workshop on ASD
Emmy’s pre-congress workshop
Opening ceremony
For so many decades existential therapists
have been silent, isolated, withdrawn,
secretive.
Existential therapy has long been one of the
more arcane and less well known therapies.
We have hidden our light under a bushel.
Electric atmosphere
Digby and Emmy co-chairs at the opening session.
FULL HOUSE: delegates from 56+ countries
Opening speech: a new clan
I thank you for being here. I feel very moved
that we are here together in this way. I feel
deeply grateful for the work and the effort
all of you have put into coming here today.
And I know you have made considerable
sacrifices to be here.
We are here today as a new clan. Really an
ancient clan.
Keynote speakers: Alfried Längle, Emmy van Deurzen,
Kirk Schneider
Yalom film and interview
Yalom award from the SEA
FRIDAY keynote: Emmy van Deurzen: existential freedom
Saturday keynote: Kirk Schneider: responsibility
Sunday keynote:Alfried Längle: the meaning
of being
Roundtable sessions with invited speakers
Cultural roundtable
Boat trip on the Thames with the Russian delegation
Martin Adams and PrunellaGee existential
development workshop
Defining existential therapy
Brainstorm
FETE (Federation of Existential Therapists in Europe)
founding meeting
Valuing a shared philosophy
Our long, deep roots in philosophy East and
West will enable us to grow steadily from
here and to affect the fields of psychology
and psychotherapy more than we have
been able to affect them in the past.
Meaning, purpose, choice, responsibility,
freedom to be. Authorship of human
existence. Courage to be.
Founding of the World Confederation for Existential Therapy (WCET):
Saturday May 16th 2015: 8am
Coffee and tea breaks
Catching up with old colleagues: Emmy van Deurzen with her graduates: Diana Mitchell, Simon
DuPlock and Lucia Moja-Strasser
Walkie talkie security with Digby Tantam
Congress dinner
Latin table
Keynote speakers table
Roehampton team
Swedes and Americans
International meetings
East and Central European table
Sasha Smith and Dawn Farrow, key staff at NSPC
Flowers and votes of thanks to the co-chairs
The after dinner dance
The band
Practicing the dance
Smiles on all faces
Explaining a new dance
Susana Signorelli in the Scottish dance.
2019: Argentine Tango
Cultural communication
A jolly atmosphere
Stripping the willow
Erik Craig in the dance
Dan Stiwne and Mick Cooper in the dance
The organising team
Passing the baton to the Latin American team for
2019 in Buenos Aires
With Yaqui Andres Martinez from Mexico
With Susana Signorelli, president of ALPE
Final goodbye
A most moving moment
Those who stayed till the end for the closing
ceremony
Posing by the queen’s portrait: relieved it was such a success!
The congress allowed us to launch the new generation of existential
therapists and secure the future of existential therapy worldwide.
Second World Congress for Existential Therapy: Anxiety and Guilt in Times of
Change
Buenos Aires: 8-11 May 2019