OVERVIEW
The 21st Congress of the International Association of Groups Psychotherapy and Group Processes - 1st IAGP HYBRID CONGRESS, July 22-24, 2022, is an international congress that aims to be a ground for the actualization of its theme, "Groups for the world, inspiration, strength, and transformation".
The congress will take place online and also face-to-face. On site participants will meet in the beautiful Italian city of Pescara.
The online platform will include hybrid activities and will feature workshops, plenary sessions, poster presentations, symposia, and other scientific, cultural, and social events.
Do not miss it out!
President Welcome Message
It is a great honour to welcome everyone to our 21st IAGP International Congress and our very first hybrid Congress "Groups for the World: Inspiration, Strength and Transformation"!
It has been a long journey for IAGP to work on deepening the development, practice and research of group psychotherapy and group processes in different therapeutic and social contexts.
IAGP has held Congresses in cities around the world! We have held them in Malmo, Sweden, Rovinj, Croatia, Rome, Italy, Sao Paolo, Brazil just to mention a few of our recent venues. This Congress is an international collective call for the outright necessity of articulating the importance of group work for a better future of individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. It is an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience, and to expand one's professional network in the field. Our perspective encompasses humanity!
IAGP has worked very hard to come up with a format that will give everyone the very best learning experience, in Pescara, and online! We were originally scheduled to meet in Vancouver, Canada in 2021, but because of the coronavirus pandemic the IAGP Board of Directors chose to wait one year to hold this Congress. We decided that having a hybrid Congress would be the safest way to proceed. Pescara, Italy became our choice for the on-site venue, and the internet will host our on-line component for those unable to travel to Italy.
This process has not been an easy one, but IAGP is resilient! We are all grateful for the hard work of our Congress and Scientific Committee Chairs, Drs. Mona Rakhawy and Cristina Martinez-Taboada, who along with their Scientific Congress Committee, put together an amazing and remarkable program for everyone!
We are also very grateful for the extraordinary support of our Local Organizing Committee, headed up by Drs. Mimmo Agresta and Alessio Sangiuliano, who along with their local committee, have put together a remarkable offering in the beautiful city of Pescara. Many thanks also to the Mayor of Pescara, Carlo Masci, for opening the city's arms to IAGP for this international Congress, and also Mr. Vincenzo D'Incecco.
We are also very grateful for the wisdom of our Treasurer, Dr. Heloisa Fleury, whose experience organizing a previous IAGP Congress, combined with her financial skills enabled us to develop the best contract for IAGP with our new PCO, that helped us organize this IAGP Hybrid Congress.
The theme of our Congress, "Groups for the World, Inspiration, Strength and Transformation" is as relevant now as in any time in human history. The program offers a diverse selection for everyone to choose from. It highlights the use of groups, clinically, organizationally and in all frameworks! The Pre-Congress and Congress, online and in person, will offer a diversity of courses, workshops, symposia, and roundtables in addition to meaningful Keynotes addresses. Participants will experience different facets of professional group work that will offer the inspiration and strength required for constructive transformations!
Whether you are attending in the very beautiful city of Pescara, Italy, or are participating online, we want you to have the best experience as you learn and share your experiences and wisdom with international friends and colleagues.
Attending this Congress will be therapists, clinicians, mental health professionals, trainers, students, organizational consultants, and others interested in experiencing professional group work! Each participant is an important component of the tapestry of this event.
Everyone's safety and wellbeing will always be IAGP's first, second and third priority!
Finally allow me to wish each and every one attending our 21st IAGP Congress a most meaningful experience. Listen, learn, share, connect and take really good care of yourselves.
As group people, we all know that 'together, we are better’.
Kindly visit our IAGP website, www.iagp.com to read about all of the people on our IAGP Board of Directors who have contributed deeply to this organization during the past three years.
Heartfelt thanks to all of them.
Please enjoy our Congress, whether in Pescara or on-line!
Warm regards,
Richard Beck
President, IAGP 2022 Congress
Welcome Message Congress
and Scientific Cochairs
Dear colleagues and friends,
As co-chairs of the Congress and Scientific Committee, and on behalf of our distinguished congress consultants and scientific committee members, we would like to invite you to join us at the 21st IAGP International Congress, the 1st IAGP International Hybrid Congress. We look forward to welcoming you to this special event.
Over three days the congress will offer an engaging program including creative ideas, experiential work and research and clinical case presentations. We believe that the hybrid combination of online and face-to-face is an innovative opportunity for meeting with colleagues from different countries of the world. We hope to reach all those interested in group psychotherapy and group processes in an inclusive and sustainable platform.
The program provides great opportunities for presenting, learning, and networking. It will be offered in three languages, English, Spanish and Italian and scheduled to accommodate different time zones. The large group will be conducted in the middle of the day to accommodate for different time zones. Keynote speeches, selected lectures and panel discussions will be recorded and accessible to participants living in different places of the world. Rooms for poster presentations, cultural activities and social gatherings will be available. The hybridity will also allow groups to meet with each other from different countries of the world. There will be special fees for students and young professionals, and we are working to offer sponsorship opportunities. The pre-congress will include a range of courses offered by experts in the field of group psychotherapy and group processes.
We fondly anticipate a successful event that would reach out to all professionals working in groups all over the world. Our goal is to achieve the congress theme “Groups for the World, Inspiration, Strength, and Transformation.”
Looking forward to your contribution and participation both online and in the beautiful Italian city, Pescara.
