9th Syros Summer Workshop


Σύρος Ερμούπολις
Parent-infant psychotherapy and short-term work with adolescents

Since 1998 the Syros Summer Workshop on Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Studies has become a living tradition. The Workshop combines Greek island summer weather with psychoanalytic studies and takes place in the neoclassical building of the Hermoupolis Town-Hall in the Cycladic island of Syros. It is organised by the Hellenic Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy under the auspices of EFPP. From the first Workshop (May 1998), EFPP and IPA members from all over Europe have been joining this event in this sunny and picturesque Greek island of the Aegean Sea. Successful Workshops of the past enjoyed the presentations of invited speakers, like: Margot Waddell (U.K.), Jean Begoin, (France), Gianna Williams, (U.K.), Imre Szecsody, (Sweden), Roberto Basile (Italy), Luc Moyson (Belgium), Serge Frisch (Luxembourg), Prof. R.D. Hinshelwood (UK). All presentations (theoretical and clinical) are discussed in small Anglophone and Francophone groups and then they are reported back to the plenary for a general discussion. The high quality of presentations in the plenary meetings and the exchange of ideas in the discussion groups, have always been characterised by a friendly atmosphere, the same atmosphere that has accompanied us after each day’s work to the seaside and the local tavernas. This is perhaps one of the reasons that most of the Syros Summer Workshop participants come back for the next event.

This year we invite you to the 9th Syros Summer Workshop 5th-7th June 2015. The themes of the workshop will focus on parent-infant psychotherapy and short-term work with adolescents.

We are delighted to announce our three invited speakers. The speaker of the first day, Friday 5th June, is Majlis Winberg Salomonsson MSc, Lic. Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, member of Swedish Psychoanalytic Association. The title of her presentation is: “Troubled babies – troubled kids?”

Many times parents search for psychological help when they experience problems in their role as parents of infants. They are worried about the baby’s situation and symptoms in the baby concerning sleep, crying, nursing, colics, mood and regulation of activity. Often they experience difficulties in attaching to their child. In Sweden, problems of this kind are often taken care of by the Child Health Centre Care, CHCC. In a new treatment method, Mother-infant psychoanalytic treatment (MIP), the therapist tries to obtain a dialogue both with the child and the mother, and to take into account the mother’s feelings of depression and insufficiency. Majlis will present the psychoanalytic work that she and Bjorn Salomonsson conducted in Sweden with mother-infant dyads and the follow-up study comparing MIP and CHCC when the children where 4½ years. Through the clinical material that will be presented, Majlis will explore the aspects (both clinical and theoretical) of this novel treatment method of baby worries or mother-infant relational disturbances, namely the mother-infant psychoanalytic treatment (MIP). The clinical material will focus on the psychotherapeutic work with a 6 year old girl who went into individual treatment illustrating the development of a child from the above study.

The speaker of the second day, Saturday 6th of June 2015, is Anders Jacobsson, Lic. Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, Member of the Swedish Psychoanalytic Association. The title of his presentation is: “Father lost and found”.
Starting with a brief introduction on Short Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (STPP), Anders will present James Mann’s method Time Limited Psychotherapy (TLP) and the way that this method is modified and applied at the Erica Foundation in the work with adolescents and young persons. Anders will include some data from relevant research at the Erica Foundation. In the clinical part of his speech, Anders will present the therapeutic work with an adolescent boy. The psychodynamic work with this adolescent who lost his father will illustrate the problems, challenges and advantages in applying a short term psychotherapeutic method where loss is a main trauma.

The speaker of the third day, Sunday 7th June 2015 is Athanasios Alexandridis, M.D., PhD (Psychology), child and adult psychiatrist, training analyst of the A.P.F., the H.P.S. and the I.P.A. The title of his presentation is: “The psychosomatic model of parent-infant consultations: the first encounter”.

Pierre Marty and Michel de M’ Uzan, the founders of «IPSO – P. Marty», use the term ‘psychosomatic investigation’ to describe a model for the initial exploratory consultations offered to psychosomatic adult patients. This model was modified by the paediatrician and psychosomatic therapist Leon Kreissler for the assessment of infants and children. According to the theory of ‘psychosomatic family system’, the whole family is regressed or disorganized and the ‘child-symptom’ is only the visible side of this condition. Thus, Kreissler suggests lengthy consultations with the whole family at the beginning of the investigation. As the initial attention is focused on the urgent issues, the therapists invite the family to do ‘psychological work’, through a psychoanalytic process, where the psychopathology and the transference – countertransference movements are taken into consideration, but not interpreted upon. This assessment process, consisting of a few (or more) consultations, clarifies the mental, somatic and psychosomatic pathology and determines the necessary treatments: psychotherapeutic, medical, educational and/or psychosocial. The model will be illustrated by clinical example of the speaker.
We are looking forward to welcome you to the familiar premises of the historic Town-Hall building in Hermoupolis Syros, 5th – 7th June 2015.

The joint organisers
John Tsiantis MD, DPM, FRC Psych
Professor of Child Psychiatry, Medical School Athens University
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, clinical supervisor
itsianti@med.uoa.gr

Effie Layiou-Lignos M.Psych.Psych.
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, clinical supervisor,
Child Psychiatric Clinic, Medical School Athens University, Children’s Hospital “Aghia Sophia”
effie.lignos@gmail.com

Programme

Friday 5th June 2015
17.00 – 17.30: Welcome introductory remarks
17.30 – 19.00: Majlis Winberg Salomonsson: “Troubled babies – troubled kids?”
19.00 – 20.30: Discussion in two small groups
(Anglophone & Francophone)

Saturday 6th June 2015
09.00 – 10.15: Discussion in plenary session.
10.15 – 10.45: Coffee break
10.45 – 12.00: Anders Jacobsson: “Father lost and found”
12.00 – 12.15: Break
12.15 – 13.00: Discussion in small groups
(Anglophone & Francophone)
13.00 – 14.00: Discussion in plenary session

Sunday 7th June 2015
9.00 – 10.15: Athanasios Alexandridis: “The psychosomatic model of parent-infant consultations: the first encounter”
10.15 – 10.45: Coffee break.
10.45 – 11.45: Discussion in small groups
(Anglophone & Francophone).
11.45 – 12.00: Break
12.00 – 13.00: Discussion in plenary session.
13.00 – 13.30: Closing up of the meeting

Conference Fee

The participants have to share the expenses for the invited speaker, secretarial assistance and other administrative expenses.
The total cost will be 180 Euros per person.
Conference fee needs to be paid upon registration in order to secure participation.

Travel and accommodation arrangements

All Syros Summer Workshop arrangements are handled by Mrs. Mary at Teamwork Travel Agency in Syros.
Mary, our local Syros workshop “correspondent”, will be able to take care of all your travel arrangements, and provide all the necessary details. She is amazingly helpful, friendly, very efficient and experienced.
Please contact her through email at mary@teamwork.gr or phone.
Tel.: 0030 22810 83400 (fax: 0030 22810 83508) mentioning Syros Summer Workshop

Further information for registration and programme:
The Hellenic Association of Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy hipp@otenet.gr