MACP Newsletter 2.pdf - Shireburn Software Ltd

EAC Conference in Geneva
26-28th October 2012
Jesmond Friggieri
The slogan behind the EAC Geneva Conference and the Annual General Meeting, which was held during
the Conference was “EAC the driving force behind European counselling”.
The EAC Annual General Meeting
This was an important Annual General Meeting for the EAC as new Statute and Operating Regulations
were brought to the Assembly for approval for almost 20 years of operation. The aim of the new Statutes
and Operating regulations was to make the EAC more efficient and effective within the European
context.
The Statute and Operating Regulations
were approved. This was the first time that
MACP was represented in the EAC General
Assembly as it was preparing to become a
member of the the same association. Actually,
in 2013 MACP was approved as an interim
member and is participating actively
within the organisation.
The Conference
The conference consisted of three key note
speeches by prominent psychotherapists
Photo: www.eac.eu.com - Opening of the Conference
and counsellors namely:
1. Prof Emmy van Deurzen who spoke
about “Counselling and the major challenges of depression and anxiety”: Happiness is at the centre
of the humanity and the role of the counsellor is to bring the ray of hope and relief from the burden of
depression and anxiety that might overwhelm any individual in everyday life especially during illness.
2. Prof Colin Lago who focused on “Relational Challenges to Successful Therapy” , contended that
difference, diversity and the therapeutic dialogue are at the centre of any therapy. The successful
counsellor-client dialogue is based on the common essence of any dialogue which includes:
- immediacy of presence,
- emergent unanticipated consequences.
- the strangeness of others,
- the collaborative orientation,
- the vulnerability of the human being,
- the mutuality between the two actors within the dialogue,
- the temporal flow and
- the genuineness and authenticity that should underlie any dialogue.
3. Prof Andew Samuels who is a Jungian psychanalyst spoke about the “Collective Fields of Emotions”.
The inner distress of humans is shared by the society and the ability of the counsellor is to facilitate the
process of decoding this negativity. The collective feeling is based on four aspects:
- Economics and inequality
- Leadership
- Violence and aggression
- Promiscuity.
The Conference has also a number of workshops held by speakers from all around Europe presenting
different approaches to counselling.
MACP Newsletter - July 2013
8