psyCHUmbrella association of swiss psychology students
psyCH
Who we are and how we function is the result of our early experiences. They determine to a large extent the way in which the brain, personality and corporality develop. Resilience, or the immunity of the human nervous system, and thus the human mind, depends to a great extent on the history of the bonds of every human being.
Change is possible, but it requires a deep understanding of the basis of human functioning. The network of links between the brain, attachment, trauma and resilience is one of the most important areas of research and clinical investigation of the last decade. It is also a key area for the further development of the psychotherapeutic practice, allowing for the development of more effective methods of help.
We invite you on April 24-26, 2020 for a conference dedicated to these issues. Eminent representatives of the theory and practice in the field of psychotherapy will discuss how and to what extent a person can be healed after the trauma and what stands on the way of it.
Rachel Yehuda – Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, is the Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Yehuda is a recognized leader in the field of traumatic stress studies. She has authored more than 250 published papers, chapters, and books in the field of traumatic stress and the neurobiology of PTSD. Her current interests include the study of risk and resilience factors, psychological and biological predictors of treatment response in PTSD, genetic and epigenetic studies of PTSD and the intergenerational transmission of trauma and PTSD. Dr. Yehuda’s research on cortisol and brain function has revolutionized the understanding and treatment of PTSD worldwide.
Katerina Fotopoulou, Ph.D. – studied cognitive neuropsychology and theoretical psychoanalysis before completing her Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Durham, UK and her clinical training as a Counselling Psychologist (DCounPsych) several years later. She is currently an Associate Professor (Reader) at the Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London. There she researches how embodied experiences are interpersonally ‘mentalised’ and perceived to form the basis of our selves. Katerina is the Founder of the International Association for the Study of Affective Touch (IASAT) and the London Psychodynamic Neuroscience Group on: ‘Psychodynamic Neuroscience and Neuropsychology’.
Richard F. Summers – Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Senior Residency Advisor of the training program for residents specializing in psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, lecturer at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. Dr. Summers is a nationally recognized educator, author of numerous articles and scientific books and clinician. His book, Psychodynamic Therapy: A Guide to Evidence Based Practice, co-authored with Jacques Barber, is currently used in over thirty training programs. In his works he deals with the therapeutic alliance, psychodynamic case studies, psychiatry residency training and positive psychology. Particular emphasis is placed on the contemporary revision of psychodynamic theory and technique and a new approach to conducting and teaching psychotherapy. His achievements in the field of didactics have been recognized by numerous prestigious awards.
Stephen Briggs – professor of Social Work and Director of the Centre for Social Work Research in the University of East London. He teaches, researches and writes about psychotherapy and social work. His work focuses on adolescent mental health and psychotherapy, suicide and self harm and infant mental health (using infant observation). He worked in multidisciplinary mental health practice in the Tavistock Clinic’s Adolescent Department, where he combined clinical practice with teaching and research. He has written 4 books, reflecting these specialisms, and he has contributed chapters to books and written articles for peer review journals. He is an accredited psychotherapist with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC), a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (PFHEA).
