About the person:Dr. Michael Conforti is a Jungian analyst and the Founder and Director of the Assisi Institute. He is a faculty member at the C.G. Jung Institute of Boston, the C.G. Jung Foundation of New York, and for many years served as a Senior Associate faculty member in the... Read More →
This presentation introduces the concept of epistemic trust—the fundamental human capacity enabling us to learn from others who are trustworthy and collectively establish shared beliefs and ideas, which we recognize as ‘culture’. The talk will highlight emerging evidence underscoring the critical role of epistemic trust in social learning and examine research demonstrating its vulnerability to adversity, particularly during childhood. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the extensive developmental and adult-life consequences resulting from disruptions in epistemic trust. Further, exploring the link between epistemic trust and mental disorders sheds light on one of the key mechanisms mediating trauma's lasting impact, notably in the onset of mental health difficulties and impairments in personality functioning. We will discuss therapeutic approaches aimed at addressing epistemic mistrust and epistemic hypervigilance, alongside recent findings on how mistrust disrupts human social communication systems.
About the person:Professor Peter Fonagy is a globally recognized clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and academic, currently serving as Professor and Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London (UCL). He is also the Senior National Clinical... Read More →
In a rapidly globalizing world, psychotherapists must develop cultural competence and therapeutic adaptability. This keynote presents the "Global Therapist" through Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy (PPT), a humanistic, psychodynamic method founded in 1977 by Nossrat Peseschkian. Emphasizing resources, values, and intercultural dialogue, PPT uses the Life Balance Model—focusing on body, work, relationships, and meaning—as a tool for diagnosis and growth. Dr. Hamid Peseschkian will explore PPT’s global application in psychotherapy and counselling, highlighting storytelling, metaphors, and transcultural techniques. Drawing on worldwide training and clinical experience, he will show how PPT equips therapists to meet 21st-century mental health challenges with empathy, structure, and hope.
