EAP 30th Anniversary Congress: The Hope of Psychotherapy for our Endangered World

The European Association for Psychotherapy is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a major congress on 12 and 13 March 2022. This hybrid congress will be held in Vienna, and all UKCP members are invited.

UKCP is one of EAP’s National Awarding Organisation, which means that it is able to award the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) to all UKCP registrants with at least three years’ post-qualification clinical experience. EAP is a flagship for psychotherapy in 42 European countries, with both EU and non-EU members. UKCP remains a member of EAP post Brexit, and the professional links across Europe in this organisation form important living bridges between European countries. More information about EAP can be found on EAP’s website.

EAP made a bold theme choice for the 30th anniversary congress - “The Hope of Psychotherapy for our Endangered World”. We aim to reflect on how psychotherapy can offer hope to humanity and to a planet endangered by the climate catastrophe, pollution and pandemics. We are not politicians, policy makers, engineers or technologists but we have something to contribute to the climate emergency.

The web of life is sustained in all its forms by connection and communication. Our expertise as psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors lies in weaving connections, meaning making, and facilitating communication processes to support and revitalise individuals, couples, families, children and groups facing personal crises and threats. But psychotherapy is all too often limited to personal realms, and the field is still searching for its voice in response to the challenges that humanity and the planet are facing. We need to raise our voice to the public, politicians and policy makers about the psychical consequences that the threats facing humanity have on people.

How can we offer a therapeutic response to humanity in the face of the threats to us and to our endangered planet?

This is the existential question that we wish to address in our 30th anniversary congress. We are inviting some of the world’s most insightful psychotherapists to speak. We do not know the answer to this question at the moment but let us do what we do best as psychotherapists: allow ourselves to sit with the greatest problems facing humankind, listen to each other, speak, discern, allow ourselves to be in the place of unknowing in order that insight, discernment, imagination and hope can emerge.

Do join us for this important congress. Everyone’s thinking and insight are important. There will be reflective groups, both in-person and online, giving everyone a voice. At the end of the congress, there will be a video of words and music capturing the most insightful, imaginative and helpful quotes from keynote speakers and reflective groups.

Book your ticket before 31 December 2021 to enjoy the early bird offers.