COMMITTEES
Congress President
Richard Beck (USA) LCSW, BCD, CGP, FAGPA
President - International Association of Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes; Senior Lecturer- Columbia University School of Social Work; Lecturer of Social Work in Psychiatry (Voluntary) Weill Cornell Medicine; Professional Associate (Psychiatry)- Social Work - New York Presbyterian Hospital; 2019 Honorary Member, Italian Society of Psychosomatic Medicine; Past-President Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society; Fellow-American Group Psychotherapy Association
Chairs of the Congress Committee
Mona Rakhawy (Egypt) M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of psychiatry at Cairo University, Founder of the Egyptian Association for Group Therapy and Group Processes, EAGT (2010). Chair of the Consultative Assembly of Organizational Affiliates (CAOA) and member of the board of directors and the Education Committee of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP). Founder and leader of Rakhawy Institute for Training and Research (RITR), Adjunct Faculty at the American University of Cairo (AUC), Chair of the Biorhythmic Evolutionary Psychiatry Section at the Arab Federation of Psychiatrists (EFT).
Cristina Martinez-Taboda Kutz (Spain) Ph.D.
Social Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Group-Analyst, Trainer, Supervisor and Researcher in cultural diversity, minorities, values, emotional regulation, social loneliness, well-being and on the clinical effectiveness of mindfulness. Her last publications are connected to her work on social psychology and Cultural diversity in groups. Coeditor IAGP Transcultural Book: (in press). IAGP Cochair Education Committee (2018-2022) Senior Prof. University of Basque Country/ EHU Spain. Chair IAGP Transcultural section (2016-2018). Former president Spanish SEPTG. IAGP Coorganizer & Cochair Scientific 21st IAGP Congress, the 1st Hybrid Congress (2022)
Local Organizing Committee (LOC)
Domenico Agresta (Italy)
Clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, group-analyst (GASi Full Member) and specialized in psycho-oncology (Chair of the national group research in psycho-oncology in NICSO). President of the Centre for the Study of Psychology and Psychosomatic Medicine (CSPP). Formerly Trustee of the Gordon Lawrence Foundation, now a member of “Social Dreaming International Network”. Academic Member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA); Chair of Family Therapy Section and Chair of Webinar Committee in IAGP. Board Member of SIMP (The Italian Society of Psychosomatic Medicine). Member of The Balint Society (UK).
Alessio Sangiuliano (Italy)
Clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, group analyst. Psychologist, psychotherapist at the Integration Reception System formerly the Protection System for asylum seekers and refugees (SPRAR). Teacher at Eventitalia. Head of the Young Psychologists Group of Abruzzo. Vice president of the ITACA cultural association. Member of the Center for Studies of Psychology and Psychosomatic Medicine (CSPP). Member of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP).
Treasurer
Heloisa Fleury (Brazil) MA
Heloisa Fleury, MA. Psychologist and Psychodramatist in São Paulo,Brazil; IAGP Treasurer (2009-2012; 2021-2022); Co-chair of the Scientific Committee for the 16th IAGP International Congress; Former President of the Brazilian Federation of Psychodrama (Febrap); Editor-in-chief of the Brazilian Journal of Psychodrama; member of the Deliberative Council of the Brazilian Association of Scientific Editors (ABEC Brasil); Organizer of 8 books on Psychodrama and Group Practices and author of chapters and publications in Brazilian and international scientific journals. www.heloisafleury.com.br
Research Committee
Catherine Mela (Greece), MD
Catherine Mela is Neurologist, Psychotherapist, Group-Analyst, Trainer, Supervisor and Clinical Researcher. She is the Vice-President of IAGP, founder and chair of IAGP Research Committee who organized and chaired 3 IAGP International Research Congresses, with scientific articles in international journals and books, lectures and conduction of Median and Large Groups worldwide. She is member of Cambridge Editorial Board, staff member of Summer Academy of Granada, Past Secretary of IOGAP (Melbourne), founding member and former director of Education in Group Analysis (HOPE in GA, Greece).
Consultants
Ingrid Söchting (Canada), Ph.D.
Clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and a director of the Psychology Clinic at the University of British Columbia. She is an American Group Psychology Association-certified group therapist, and has written a textbook on group therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy: Challenges and Opportunities.
Esther Stone (USA) LCSW
Was on the Board of IAGP 2009 – 2018 and Scientific Program co-chair of the 17th Congress of IAGP in Rome, Italy 2009. She was the consultant to the 19th IAGP Congress in Rovinj 2015 and the 20th IAGP Congress in Malmo 2018. She was awarded the designation of Fellow of IAGP in Malmo, Sweden in 2018. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association; co-chair of the AGPA Distance Learning Task Force 2008-2017 and co-chair of the AGPA Annual Meeting 2004-2008.Esther is in private practice in San Francisco, CA and continues to facilitate and lead group therapy training nationally and internationally.
Eva Fahlström Borg (Sweden)
Senior psychotherapist and psychodramatist offering international training and supervision in the field of psychotherapy, psychodrama, sociodrama, bibliodrama, and improvised theatre in many of the countries of the world. She is a founding member of the Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organizations (FEPTO) and a member of the Board of directors of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP). She is the Chair of IAGP Trauma and Disaster Intervention Team (TDIT). In 2010. She was awarded “Lifetime Achievement” by FEPTO.
Maurizio Gasseau (Italy) Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Dynamic Psychology at the University of Aosta. He is Co-chair of the Education Committee of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP). Founder of the Mediterranean Association of Psychodrama with the task to develop psychodrama in the Mediterranean countries. President of Mediterranean Association of Psychodrama, Former Vice President of the Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organization FEPTO 2000 – 2006. He has introduced psychodrama and has worked as trainer and supervisor in many countries of the world.
Scientific Committee
Alberto Amutio (Spain) Ph.D.
In Psychology (University of Deusto, Spain); Ms in Counseling and Educational Psychology (Texas A & M University, USA); Certified in Stress Management (Roosevelt University, Chicago); Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU, Spain); writer of around 45 articles in relaxation and mindfulness applied to different groups, including fibromyalgia patients, health professionals, workers of different organizations, and students; Past Assistant Editor of the International Journal of Stress Management, and member of the editorial board of different scientific journals; Member of IAGP since 2011.
Jacob Gershoni (USA), LCSW, CGP, TEP
Co-Director of Psychodrama Training at the Sociometric Institute, and private practice in New York City. Member of the BOD, scientific committee, and Chair of the fundraising committee at IAGP. Lifetime member and fellow of ASGPP, formerly on its executive board. A graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The University of Michigan, USA. Editor of Psychodrama in the 21st Century: Clinical and Educational Applications, (Springer, NY 2003) and book chapters and articles. Leading ongoing groups, workshops and training online.
Dena D. Baumgartner (USA), Ph.D., TEP, LMFT, CGP, LPC
Scientific Committee for Iseo and Malmo conferences. Elected member of IAGP board from 2009 - 2018. 3 years service as IAGP Psychodrama Chair. Lifetime member and fellow of ASGPP. Awarded the J.L. Moreno Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Previous chair of the American Board of Examiners and member for 9 years. Founder and Director of the Tucson Center for Action Methods and Psychodrama. 33 years as a national and international trainer of psychodrama. Private practice located in Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Marcia Honig (Israel, Brazil) PsyD
Psychotherapist, Art Therapist and Integrative Counselor. Chair of the Transcultural Section at the IAGP; Chair of the Master’s Degree in Art Therapy at Seminar Ha Kibutzim College; works with Group and Individuals at her private practice in Tel Aviv. Marcia has been conducting workshops in more than 15 countries for the past 17 years. Since March 2020 she has been leading online international groups, combining Art Therapy and Group Analyses. Her last publications are connected to her work with Cultural diversity in groups. Marcia is Brazilian, mother of 3, lives in Israel and speaks 4 languages.
Thor-Kristian Island, M.D.
Psychiatrist and group analyst. He is previous director of Institute of Group Analysis (Norway). International trainer and supervisor. Conducted large groups for 30 years, nationally and internationally.
Marcia Almeida Batista
PhD in Clinical Psychology, director of the psychological clinic Ana María Poppovic at PUC-SP, professor at the psychology course at the Faculty of Human Sciences and Health at PUC-SP. Psychodramatist and psychotherapist.