PsyKo21 | psyCH

Johanna Blanc
Student Lecturer : Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
Infotable Host: PALA

What brought you to this year’s conference?

At first, the conference topic, Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, sparked my interest. As I read about the event, I realised it would be a great chance for me to talk about a subject I find very interesting, namely psychedelic therapy! I had registered for last year’s conference but as it was cancelled because of COVID. I was so happy that I could attend this time. This was my first time at psyKo and I’m really glad I got to attend before I finish my master’s.

What did you enjoy the most?

I really appreciated the fact that we were psychology students from all over Switzerland. We all have different interests and perspectives, and have so much to learn from each other. Secondly, I really enjoyed the Help to get Help workshop. Through it, I was introduced to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It was a great way to approach the subject. The workshop gave us an occasion to explore both theory and practice through role playing exercises with the other participants!

Did you make any new friends?

I was lucky to meet a lot of new people. Some even turned out to be from my own university! We’ve been in online classes together, but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that they’re not really the best place to get to know the other students. In particular compared to psyKo, where I felt that everyone was very open to meet people and learn from each other.

Léonore Guiet
Workshop Host: “Emotional regulation for a healthier life”.

What brought you to this year’s conference?

Some time ago, I participated at the psyCH’s trainer school, so I wanted to host a workshop. This proved a great opportunity for me to contribute to the conference by hosting a workshop. I also wanted to seize the opportunity to meet new people and learn more about psychology.

What did you enjoy the most?

I was a supporting staff member during the conference, and so I ended up not attending as many lectures and workshops as I would have liked to. However, I must say that the Saturday evening with the party and the concert were both very very good! That being said, I really liked being useful and helping out with the conference for the whole weekend, while still having some time for meeting new people. In the end, I’d say it’s more of a mix of everything that I really enjoyed.

Did you make any new friends?

YES ! I was actually saying to someone during the weekend that I find this type of event so great because we meet people who are there to learn more about a field you’re also interested in. The mix of opportunities for learning and socializing are really the perfect combination for meeting new interesting people.

Audrey Wampler
Infotable Host: ZETA Movement

What brought you to this year’s conference?

I’ve always wanted to come to the psyKo, but I knew no one there, and so was under the impression that it was mostly an event for german speaking Swiss. Luckily, I was wrong, all languages are represented at the conference! A big plus this year was that I had the opportunity to come and host an infotable event on the student association I’m involved in, the ZETA Movement. We ended up being a few people coming to represent the association, and this provided the final impetus to get going!

What did you enjoy the most?

I loved to listen to the different lectures, and participate in a variety of workshops. I especially liked the workshops on acceptance and commitment therapy, Help to get Help, and ACTivate your psychological flexibility skills.

Did you make any new friends?

Of course! I met other students from all parts of Switzerland. This was really great, and we shared lots of nice moments during the weekend! The speed-friending Friday night turned out to be a really funny way to get in touch with the other participants!

We’re always trying to improve psyKo. If you attended, please take a moment to give us some feedback by following this link
This will help us greatly when preparing for next year’s event.

Does this sound like something you would like to be a part of? There are so many ways to contribute. Hold a workshop, or give a student lecture about something you’re passionate about!

Get in touch with Raphi on psyko@psynet.ch, to discuss how you may contribute to psyKo22!

Less than 24 hours until PsyKo21 !

Yara Delgado, Head of Psyko

So Yara, tell us a little about yourself! How did you end up here?

I grew up on the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. We moved to Switzerland when I was about 11 years old. In 2019 I obtained my bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Zurich, and I am currently working towards a master’s in social and clinical psychology.

How long have you been in PsyCH/ the PsyKo team?

I first joined PsyCH in 2019 after attending that year’s PsyKo on a whim! During the conference I visited the PsyCH infotables and only then did I realize that they were the people that had put together the entire conference. I got so excited that I ended up signing up as head of PsyKo 2020. As you know PsyKo2020 got canceled, but by then I had put so much energy into the project, so I decided to stay for another year to see it to the end. In fact, this year’s conference will be the first PsyKo under my leadership.

What made you apply for this position? Most people might prefer to dip their toes before jumping head-on into such a large responsibility!

I love to create stuff, to see my ideas materialize, so I knew I had to do something to be a part of this great organization. Looking at the list of available mandates, I realized I’m not cut out for some of the other important jobs, such as contacting sponsors, or creating online content, but the leader mandate seemed like a natural choice, fitting both my level of ambition and personal disposition.

I think I might have been a bit hesitant if I knew how much work I have had to put into this, but I have learned so much, and gotten to know so many great people through PsyCH. Of course, there have been times where I wondered if I was up for the task, but the motivation to see the event take place has always outweighed any doubts that I’ve harbored.

What do you feel has been the hardest part about this year’s conference?

In one word: COVID: After last year’s conference got canceled, a majority of the team ended up moving on towards new projects. I decided to stay on for a new mandate, and I was left building up everything from scratch again, without even knowing if this year’s conference would take place. It was a rough start for sure.

We had to keep on postponing this year’s event, with each change of date causing us to lose steam. Luckily we’ve been able to rally the team, and push on all the way up the conference. Also having to run the organisation almost entirely online has definitely made team cohesion harder. It’s tough to build up that feeling of being in the same boat when you’ve never met in real life.

What are you the most happy with regarding this year’s conference?

Above all, I’m just so happy to know that PsyKo21 is actually going to take place. To see the fruit of my labors, and know for certain that my work has not been futile. I’ve put countless hours of work into this, and it’s incredibly satisfying to know that I’ve contributed to make this unique and exciting event come to life. Seeing that many psychology students together, and knowing that I’m offering them the same great experience I had when I attended my first PsyKo is just indescribable.

Sounds great! I’m attending my first PsyKo this weekend, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Any words of advice to those among us attending our first PsyKo?

Come with an open mind, and remember to enjoy yourself! We offer a lot of academic content, but don’t forget that this is also a unique opportunity to meet other students from all over Switzerland! These are people you wouldn’t meet otherwise, and there is so much to learn from them! Seize the occasion to gather some new perspectives. You’ll be sure to learn something you’d never hear in class!