Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The idea behind this conference is to bring together young and old, researchers, teachers, and clinicians from East and West to rejoice and share how far we have come in understanding what is foundational to all therapies. It’s been a long journey. We have found how difficult it is to combine existing theories without compromising the richness of each one. We have explored common factors, especially around the therapeutic relationship, that correlate with success. We have built unifying frameworks that encompass and organize the many areas relevant to our work. Last year we hosted a summit of leaders sharing their views of the state of our art. Today we of the conference committee believe the time is ripe to create a forum bringing together what we have learned about how foundational elements work together and separately to support healing and growth. Our goals are for presenters to gain from sharing their latest ideas and work, for participants to come away with new understanding of the processes unfolding before them, and for all to enjoy common bonds in an unforgettable setting with its own long history as a center of support for psychotherapy integration.