XIV EFTA-TIC Meeting
Systemic Training ans Supervision in a Multi-Challenged World: Reflections, Roan maps and Actions
October 19th-20th, Lisbon, Portugal
Host of the XIV EFTA-TIC Meeting was Sosiedade Portuguesa de Therapia Familiar – SPTF. EFTA-TIC particularly wishes to thank Ana Gomes, President of SPTF.
Traditionally, the day before the Meeting, Pre Conference workshops were organized. On Friday, October 18th, Umberta Telfener, President of EFTA and Teresa Moratalla, EFTA-TIC Board member, conducted Pre Conference workshops which were open to local therapists and trainers, delivered in English and in Spanish respectively. Held in a highly interactive manner, they both summoned over forty participants. Two topics which were focused on therapeutic impasse and work with intensive emotions, ignited rich discussions.
Participants came from 21 European countries: Norway, Italy, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, Latvia, Russia, Malta, Ireland, UK, Check Republic.
Presenters came from 28 different EFTA-TIC Member Institutes.
The program was organized in a two day format, begining with an interactive warm-up exercise conducted by Joana Sequeira and Vassilis Charalambopoulos, creating a lively and warm athmosphere. This, apart from joining participants, also invited them to express expectations from the Meeting which were written down and put on the walls of the Hall and remained visible until the end of the Meeting.
The warm-up was followed by a Round Table chaired by Kyriaki Polychroni, Honorary Chair of EFTA-TIC Board,titled “Family Today…Therapy/Training for Tomorrow:changing needs and challenges” with Pavlos Salichos and Petya Varcheva presenting. A tape with Kyriaki Polychroni interviewing and conversing with seven trainers from Greece, Croatia, Serbia, Latvia, Iran, Romania and Denmark was played and highlighted common and different challenges famlies, therapists and trainers are facing today.
The program was organized in parallel sessions, one having Oral Presentations, and two with Workshops going on. Altogether there were 10 Oral Presentations and 15 Workshops.
A slot for “Getting together”, EFTA-TIC meeting tradtional ritual of reflections on Meeting experiences from the participants, was provided.
Also, the EFTA-TIC General Assembly was held on the first day of the Meeting and issues concerning Calendar of TIC Meetings, TIC Budget, TIC Membership were discusesd.
Call to Member Institutes for hosting next TIC Meeting in 2026 will be sent soon.
Another Round Table titled “New wine in old bottles” chaired by Nevena Calovska Hertzog, EFTA-TIC Chair, was organized before “Closing Together” session, aiming at reflection of the participants on the intial expectations, discussed topics, and experienced encounters and dialogues. Slavica Gajdazis-Knezhevikj and Mariana Miranda spoke about riskis and possibilities in training therapists encountering LGBTQ families and racism.
Second part of this Round Table was dedicated to training standards, titled “Towards New Training standards in EFTA” presented by Valerie O’Brien, addressing different pathways in training systemic practitioners in the future.
Nevena Calovska Hertzog, EFTA-TIC Chair
