WCP 2025

Introduction
Human suffering exists in two forms. The first arises from traumatic experiences, such as abuse, humiliation, loss, violence, or neglect. This type of suffering, while profoundly painful, can ultimately lead to healing through mourning of grief and processing of feelings like terror, loneliness, despair, and rage. By confronting these feelings, individuals can integrate their trauma and move towards emotional wholeness.
The second form of suffering stems from the very defenses we employ to avoid confronting trauma. Dissociation, projection, and acting out are such defenses, which, while enabling short-term survival, ultimately hinder emotional growth. These defenses, by blocking genuine emotional expression, create a chronic state of inner turmoil and disconnect.
Psychodynamic therapy aims to help individuals understand and gradually dismantle these defensive structures. By exploring the origins and functions of these defenses, clinicians can facilitate the emergence of authentic emotions and experiences. This paper will delve into the specific case of "acting out" in borderline and psychotic clients, examining its biographical origins, which would include looking at the defense intergenerationally, intra-subjectively, and inter-subjectively.

Methodology / Approach
The study employs a qualitative psychodynamic clinical case study approach, affirming that reality is constructed through social processes and is subjective. The population includes university students, faculty, and staff in India.

Results / Findings
In the therapy of clients with borderline and psychotic states, the primary and basic defense mechanism of acting out is frequently encountered. Acting out is characterized by impulsive reactions and expulsions of emotion.
Intergenerationally, acting out is an internalized defense mechanism inherited from the primary caregiver (often the mother) who has exhibited behaviors of abandonment and repulsion toward the infant. She can be referred to as a bad object who desires to throw away the infant from her life and her world. This defense mechanism covers and dissociates the infant's terror of being in the world. The mother, who transfers these feelings and defenses to the infant, often lacks the desire to live and may have experienced suicidal thoughts and depression. This repressed trauma is passed on to the child along with the defense mechanisms. The mother of one of the borderline clients I worked with was suicidal and depressed at various stages of her life.
In the intra-subjective experiences of adult clients with borderline and psychotic disorders, there is often a lack of desire to live. Clients may wish to throw away or waste their lives as a way to cope with underlying feelings of terror, despair, abandonment, and isolation. Their psyche lacks a stable container and has a fragile sense of self, making it difficult for feelings to develop fully. Anger and sexual charge, in particular, need to be expelled. Planning and executing tasks in an organized manner is challenging, and there is a lack of boundaries between the self and the world.
In terms of intersubjectivity, one client exhibited reckless hypersexuality, engaging in sexual activities with many men during her college years. She felt worthless and ugly, believing that being desired by men was the only way to feel important and worthy. By acting impulsively, she desired to live and feel connected to the world. She also had fantasies of being raped and tortured during sex. Another client had a strong urge to break things or end relationships when overwhelmed. If a job became too much, he would leave it. No matter how much emotional good they receive later in life, they would throw it away, regress and won’t be able to digest it.
These findings highlight the complex interplay of intergenerational, intra-subjective, and intersubjective dimensions of the defense mechanism of acting out.

Conclusion / Perspective
Defenses are in some way a consequence of trauma. Trauma not only causes pain but also disrupts our sense of self and continuity, much like a patch or hole that leaves us wounded. Our cultural response to trauma often involves avoiding emotions through learned defenses internalized from caregivers and intimate relationships. This study delves into the biography of the defense mechanism "acting out," exploring its intergenerationally, intra-subjectivity, and intersubjectivity through case studies of clients in psychotherapy. By understanding these complex dynamics, we can facilitate healing through psychodynamic psychotherapy for borderline and psychotic clients, offering pathways to integration and recovery.
Often, the defense mechanism of acting out is accompanied by other defenses. Acting out enables individuals to function in fight mode, whereas shutting down serves as a way to hide and take flight. Frequently, the underlying terror and anxiety are projected outward, leading to feelings of paranoia. Additionally, patients exhibit high levels of dependency. The intergenerational transmission, intersubjectivity, and intra-subjectivity of these defenses warrant further exploration.

This presentation focuses on ideas that help us achieve goals, regardless of how objectively correct or incorrect, falsifiable or verifiable they may be. Such regularities—whether about the world, humanity, ourselves, etc.—that allow us to create order and meaning out of the chaos of life, even if they do not necessarily reflect an ‘objective reality’, will hereinafter be referred to as Functionalia (F). These are statements that serve a meaningful purpose, regardless of their factual accuracy.
Replacing maladaptive F with more purposeful F can be seen as a central—if not the guiding—principle of (almost) all therapeutic approaches. In cognitive behavioral therapy, this is referred to as “functional cognitions” (Einsle & Hummel, 2015, p. 20); in other modalities, as “reframing” (see e.g., Barker & Chang, 2013, p. 156; Gilligan, 2019, p. 60; Popescu, 2023, p. 23); and in individual psychology, as “fictions” (Wiegand, 1995, pp. 152–153).
Beyond psychotherapy, many schools of thought also operate with diverse F—across philosophy, religion, and culture. The positive effects of engaging with such Functional Systems (FSys) have been well documented, particularly in the context of religion (see e.g., Schwalm et al., 2022; Lucchetti et al., 2021; Thomas & Barbato, 2020).
It can be assumed that adopting helpful F from existing FSys leads to better outcomes than developing them independently. Likewise, therapists who are familiar with a variety of perspectives and their associated F are likely to be more effective in helping clients reshape or create new Functionalia than those working solely within their own school of thought.
Disciplines such as psychotherapy, philosophy, religion, and cultural studies could benefit from a structured exchange of F. Importantly, Functionalia should not be limited to academia—they can be understood as fundamental guiding structures of human thinking and action across all domains of life. Actively engaging with F can thus offer valuable insights and practical benefits in fields such as education, entrepreneurship, elite sports, politics, diplomacy, prevention of extremism, inclusion, and more.
This presentation explores two key questions: (1) How can the exchange of F between different FSys be organized in a structured way? And (2) how can both patients and therapists gain access to individually helpful F? The focus will be on the development of a shared (IT-supported) platform. This foundational work aims to lay the groundwork for a new field of research and education.

Statement of the problem: Creativity can serve to transform constructively despair, hate and violence. But creative efforts to cope with depression and aggression can also fail.
Methodology & theoretical Orientation: Summarizing the “Big Five of Creativity” as a result of creativity research we show on the example of Madonna, Amy Winehouse and Taylor Swift, Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison how eminent creative Pop-Icons treat personal despair and hate but also collective violence. Finally, we draw conclusions in respect to everyday creativity and psychotherapy.
Findings: The “Big Five of Creativity” - gifts and talents (1), skills and knowledge (2), motivation and discipline (3), flexibility and resilience (4), supportive and challenging environments (5) - interact in the creative transformation of despair, hate and violence. Investigating the lives and works of extraordinarily creative Pop-Stars like Madonna and Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger it is shown how the creative transformation can succeed but also how it can fail.
Conclusions: Extraordinary and everyday creativity are elementary means to cope with despair, hate and violence. They are necessary to lead a fulfilling personal life in social responsibility. Creativity can be effective in different approaches to psychotherapy: relational (A), behavioral (B), cognitive (C), psychodynamic-psychoanalytic (D) and existential (E) (see Holm-Hadulla 2021).

Introduction: Meaning is a distinct resource and indicator of human health and well-being. According to Viktor Frankl, founder of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis (LTEA) or the so-called meaning-oriented psychotherapy, music and the arts can play a decisive role in the context of meaning actualization. However, there is a lack of research considering the thematic field of LTEA, music therapy, music and meaning in life.
Methodology/Approach: The author was head of a team that conducted an international mixed-methods survey among logotherapists and music therapists. The survey focused on the potentials of music in the context of meaning-actualization among clients suffering from mental disorders and on the music therapists’ and logotherapists’ music-assisted concepts and approaches in relation to meaning-fulfillment.
Results/Findings: Music was judged to have many beneficial potentials in the context of meaning-actualization in clients suffering from mental disorders. Music seems to be a powerful factor in relation to meaning-fulfillment along creative values. Relying on the outcomes of the survey, a music-assisted model of meaning-fulfillment was developed. The practical application of this model will be demonstrated by clinical case examples.  
Conclusion/Perspective: A music-assisted model of meaning fulfillment, as well as a combination of LTEA, music therapy and music, could complement existing treatment concepts and theories. Such arts-based approaches could prove to be effective when meaning-oriented topics, crises of meaning and feelings of meaninglessness take center stage in psychotherapy and counselling.

Statement of the problem: Modular and common factor approaches in psychotherapy are a central issue in psychotherapy research. It seems necessary to mark the limitations of specific approaches and to detect where interdisciplinary perspectives are indispensable. This presentation is an attempt to integrate psychotherapeutic models as well as neurobiological, psychological and socio-cultural and practical aspects of psychotherapy.
We offer a comprehensive psychotherapeutic model which integrates relational, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic-psychoanalytic and existential aspects. In this process neuro-biological, psychologic and socio-cultural perspectives come into play.
Methodology & theoretical orientation: The case of a patient suffering from schizotypic episodes is studied under the perspectives of relational, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic-psychoanalytic and existential psychotherapy. In a hermeneutic circle biological, psychological and socio-cultural findings are integrated.
Findings: It is shown that psychotherapy can and should include psychological, cultural and neurobiological knowledge. The dialectics between coherence–incoherence, stabilization–destabilization, construction–deconstruction of cognitions, emotions, and actions are shown to be general principles that can be found in neuroscientific, psychological and cultural approaches in psychotherapy.
Conclusions: The interdisciplinary reflection of different psychotherapeutic methods leads to a practical model that can integrate relational, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic-psychoanalytic and existential aspects of psychotherapy.

Introduction: There is growing evidence of the curative and preventive effects of nature, nature exposure and nature relatedness on health and well-being. Recent studies and reviews show that psychotherapy and counselling conducted in nature affects, for example, working alliance, clients’ and professionals’ mental and physical health, therapy motivation, eco-anxiety, pro-ecological behaviours. Still, overall empirical evidence is poor – especially in the context of clinical applications.
Methodology/Approach: The presentation provides insights into a randomized clinical study that compared walk and talk psychotherapy in nature with conventional psychotherapy indoors and in seated position. Participants were clinical patients suffering from major depressive disorders and their psychotherapists. We applied a mixed methods approach (quantitative measures and qualitative follow-up interviews) and assessed feasibility (primary outcome parameter) and mental and physical health (secondary outcome parameters) among participants.
Results/Findings: Results show that psychotherapists and patients estimate psychotherapy in nature as a valuable addition within the range of psychotherapy treatment. Walk and talk psychotherapy in nature affects the participating patients’ and psychotherapists’ health and well-being.
Conclusion/Perspective: Considering that pioneers of modern psychotherapy, such as Sigmund Freud, Hans Zulliger, C. G. Jung, Lou Andreas-Salomé, Viktor Frankl, had already conducted psychotherapy sessions while walking and/or in nature or highlighted the importance of nature in relation to human health, the lack of current research or concepts in this context is surprising. Nature-assisted approaches may also be a valuable psychotherapy contribution addressing the effects of global challenges (e.g., climate change/crises) on human mental health by focusing on the treatment of eco-anxiety or the promotion of pro-ecological behaviours. This presentation – and the accompanying clinical study – are intended to provide impulses for further theoretical, empirical and practical discussions on the topic.

Systemic therapy thrives on the dynamic interplay of expansion and contraction—shifting environments, evolving cultural contexts, and the cyclical nature of resources and relationships. This workshop explores how expanding narratives and cultivating nurturing spaces can profoundly enrich therapeutic practice and enhance client well-being. Through collaborative activities and interactive dialogue, participants will discover innovative strategies to broaden systemic perspectives, adapt to diverse needs, and foster meaningful growth. Join us to exchange ideas, deepen your understanding, and strengthen your ability to create transformative therapeutic experiences and environments.

Emotional disorders (e.g., anxiety disorders, depression), is the most common psychological disorders across different countries, while the global clinical professional capacity is relatively weak. In order to treat these disorders and sub-health state more efficiently, Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED) was developed, based on Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Unified Protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders (UP). Compared to other mindfulness-based interventions or UP, the MIED includes transdiagnostic Psychopathological Diamond Model and the corresponding four core intervention strategies. A series of studies indicated that both the eight-week MIED intervention led by professionals and/or the online digital self-help intervention program iMIED (Internet Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress) with only limited professional support have effectively alleviated the symptoms of patients with anxiety and depressive disorders or individual participants in subhealth. Moreover, mindfulness, experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and decentering are potential mechanisms of action, which initially support the Psychopathological Diamond Model of MIED.