WCP 2025

Depression is a serious mood disorder affecting approximately 175 million people worldwide, with a significant increase after the pandemic. Research on the possibilities of interventions in this disorder is polarized between those from a biological and pharmacological perspective and those that consider them insufficient to deal with all its complexity. In this context, the perspective on multifactorial, multicultural and phenomenological of this suffering is emphasized, considering the underlying psychic origin of depressive symptoms, a privileged subject of a clinic with a psychological-phenomenological basis. Despite the urgency for answers, there is a lack of research on clinical-psychological interventions that consider a broader perspective of the phenomenon, indicating the need for studies that discuss the contributions of psychotherapy to the treatment of depression as well as the evaluation of the degree of therapeutic changes and the psychological processes involved in it. This research aimed to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the Direct Approach to the Unconscious (ADI) Method used in the psychological clinic by Personal Integration Therapy (TIP) – ADI/TIP Method - in subjects suffering from depression. The ADI/TIP Method was created by the Brazilian psychologist R. Jost de Moraes (1936-2013), through her experiential clinical practice since 1975. It is presented as an Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology for Depressive Syndrome (EBPP), and finds its fundamentals in the phenomenological psychology of E. Husserl (1859-1938) and the phenomenological anthropology of E. Stein (1891-1942). Its therapeutic resources allow for a conscious and direct approach (without analysis or interpretation) of the psychic contents registered in the unconscious layer of consciousness, enabling the therapeutic-diagnosis of primordial psychoaffective livedexperiences, allowing changes in essential layers of subjectivity, in a short-term clinical psychological intervention (10 to 15 sessions) preceded by a preparatory phase. This research is distinguished as a mixed and prospective longitudinal study with a sample of 341 participants. Data collection was carried out in four stages: 1) initial phase; 2) final phase (immediately post-therapy); 3) longitudinal phase 01 (after three months); 4) longitudinal phase 02 (after six months). The psychotherapeutic process used was the ADI/TIP Method and the BDI-II was the quantitative data collection instrument. For the longitudinal analysis, the nonparametric Friedman statistical test was used, complemented by the Wilcoxon test with Bonferroni correction for post hoc analyses. The results indicated significant improvement in the final phase and partial maintenance over time. The analysis of individual trajectories confirmed the efficacy of the treatment, with 100% of the participants showing improvement in the final phase, with an average reduction of 80.5% in depression scores and 92.6% maintaining clinically significant improvement (≥50%) after six months. For the qualitative research, 15 participants were selected according to the scope and richness of the content of their individual psychotherapeutic trajectory, and the Generic Change Indicators Scale (GCI) was used for data analysis. The participants achieved the highest levels of change on the GCI, results that remained consistent. The qualitative discussion was based on the psychological-phenomenological theory that allowed a more comprehensive interpretation of the observed changes, connecting therapeutic advances to fundamental aspects of human existence. These results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the ADI/TIP Method in the treatment of depression within the scope of Clinical Psychology (psychotherapy), and it is suggested the increase in research into longitudinal psychological-clinical interventions that meet the demands of a science that contemplates the human being in all its integrality.

Der Krieg zerstört Leben, lähmt den Alltag und hinterlässt tiefe Spuren im Gedächtnis. Das psychische Trauma betrifft nicht nur die direkten Opfer, sondern auch diejenigen, die die Zerstörung miterleben. Viktor Frankl, ein Überlebender des Holocausts, zeigte, dass das Finden eines Sinns im Leiden hilft, es zu überwinden – ein Beweis dafür, dass der Mensch selbst im Angesicht des Grauens die Wahl hat seine eigene Haltung einzunehmen.
Renate Jost de Moraes betont mit der ADI/TIP-Methode die Bedeutung der Wiederherstellung der Identität und der menschlichen Verbindungen. Sie vergleicht die Menschheit mit einem großen Netz, in dem jede Person ein wesentlicher Knotenpunkt ist. Wenn einige fallen, wird das Netz schwächer, doch diejenigen, die sich erheben, stärken das Ganze. Kultur und Erfahrungen prägen uns, wie wir Herausforderungen bewältigen und einen Sinn finden können. Selbst im Chaos bestärken uns zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen und verwandeln Wunden in Narben.
Indem wir die Menschen ermutigen, sich frei und verantwortungsbewusst zu entwickeln, können sie die Auswirkungen von Mutlosigkeit und negativen Handlungen überwinden. Frieden erfordert Respekt, Dialog und Versöhnung. Die Überwindung der Wunden des Krieges hängt nicht nur von Resilienz ab, sondern auch von der Fähigkeit, Schmerz in Wachstum zu verwandeln und das Leben durch bewusste und sinnvolle Entscheidungen neu aufzubauen.

The increasing number of asylum seekers in the UK underscores the urgent need for research addressing refugees' unique mental health challenges. These challenges often stem from pre-migration trauma, displacement, and post-migration stressors. Despite their elevated risk of psychological distress, refugees in psychotherapy experience high dropout rates, the causes of which remain underexplored.
This qualitative study recruited ten adult refugees and asylum seekers from five countries—Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia—through purposive sampling via refugee charities and therapy centres. Semi-structured interviews explored therapist cultural competence, language barriers, and differing belief systems between patients and therapists.
Reflexive thematic analysis identified five key themes: (1) Cultural Barriers, including disconnects and communication challenges; (2) Therapeutic Relationship Challenges, such as unmet expectations and fractured alliances; (3) Rigid Therapeutic Approaches; (4) Supportive Therapeutic Relationships, emphasising connection and practical support; and (5) Appreciation for Research Advancing Refugee Well-being.
The findings reveal that refugees' psychotherapy experiences are shaped by significant cultural and relational barriers, rigid approaches, and the value of supportive therapeutic dynamics. These findings emphasise the importance of culturally sensitive and flexible therapeutic practices, alongside tailored linguistic and practical support, to meet refugees' psychological needs. This research informs therapist training, refugee-centered interventions, and the development of equitable mental health services to enhance integration and well-being.
Future research should adopt participatory methods to actively involve refugees in co-designing and implementing mental health interventions. Such approaches could directly inform and transform therapeutic practices and policies, ensuring they effectively address the needs of the communities they serve.

This presentation explores the role of psychotherapy, particularly Psychodrama, in societal contexts and social movements. It focuses on the student-led civil movement in Serbia, which advocates for democracy and the rule of law, having emerged as a response to the decade-long capture of state institutions by an authoritarian regime and its resulting detrimental consequences.

The movement began after the collapse of a newly reconstructed train station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people, including children. The reconstruction, a state project linked to corruption, sparked protests that started as 16-minute silent commemorations in public spaces.

During a commemoration silence, students from the Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade were physically attacked by ruling party officials disguised as bystanders. In response, they blockaded their faculty. This action sparked a nationwide university blockade, with professors joining in support. The protests rapidly evolved into a leaderless, peaceful civil movement that engaged hundreds of thousands of people across 400 towns and villages. The movement advocates for justice, the rule of law, human rights, and institutional independence, all while facing repression from state-controlled institutions. Solidarity, tolerance, and empathy are its core values.
Over four months, the movement reshaped daily life, permeating personal and therapeutic spaces. The Institute for Psychodrama in Belgrade, where I work as a psychotherapist and trainer, responded by offering pro bono therapy for traumatized students, supporting trainees, and organizing public psychodrama actions during protests. This presentation will examine the practitioner’s considerations from an open psychodrama event held in the public space of the southern city of Niš during a protest that gathered over 100,000 people.

This psychodrama event is grounded in the philosophical foundations of psychodrama and the personality theory of its founder, Jacob Levi Moreno, who emphasized the social embeddedness of the psyche and advocated for psychodrama’s social outreach and impact.

The presentation will explore several critical questions and offer potential insights. Key issues to be addressed include: What is the social responsibility/role of psychotherapy and psychotherapists in times of significant social upheaval? What are the implications of expanding the psychotherapeutic setting beyond the confines of a traditional office—how does this shift affect the roles of the client/protagonist, the scene, the therapist, auxiliary egos, as well as considerations of confidentiality and safety? Who is the primary focus of the psychotherapeutic intervention—an individual (protagonist), a small group, or the protest collective as a whole? How do social themes reflect issues of personal loss, grief, oppression, violence, trauma, healing, and hope? Lastly, how do the therapist’s experiences and background shape their capacity to navigate countertransference, containment, and the complexity of multiple roles, including those of demonstrator, therapist, and trainer?