Joint IAAP, LAAP and Vilnius University conference, 11-13 April 2025

Photo: Domantas Dragūnas

2025, April 11-13 a joint conference of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP), the Lithuanian Association for Analytical Psychology (LAAP) and Vilnius University "The Interplay Between Culture and Psychotherapy: Research and Reflections" was held in Vilnius. 196 participants and speakers from 22 countries attended the conference.

The conference featured presentations on the following topics: “ Meeting the Other” , “Culture and the Destiny of a Woman” , “ On the Issues of Cultural Trauma ” , “Coping with the Consequences of Trauma” , “On the Issue of Cultural Complexes” , “Literature and the Unconscious” , “Music and the Unconscious” , “Living Democracy” , “Culture in a Changing World” , “About Cross-Cultural Cyber Therapy” . The presentations were given by analytical psychology practitioners and researchers from Lithuania, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Ukraine, Italy, Poland, Latvia, Switzerland, Estonia and the United States.

The idea of the conference emerged from the research initiated by Prof. Dr. Gražina Gudaitė on the role of culture in analytical psychology practice and training process, and some of the speakers participated in this research. Prof. Dr. Gražina Gudaitė presented part of this research in her presentation "The Role of Culture and Engagement with Unconscious in Jungian Psychoanalysis".

It was especially touching to listen to the reports of colleagues from Ukraine - Svitlana Shevchenko "Ukrainian Women and War: Cultural Aspects and Historical Perspective" and Valentina Samus "Facing Death: Traditional and Modern Ways to Cope with Fear and Grief ". The reports of Lithuanian representatives Prof. Danutė Gailienė and Dr. Dovilė Petronytė-Kvedarauskienė about Lithuania's experience in the context of cultural trauma and the ongoing war nearby provided a counterbalance and strengthened the sense of community. The thoughts of the speakers and other conference participants - both from Europe and across the Atlantic - echoed the turbulent processes taking place in the world and encouraged us that the resources provided by cultural experience and psychotherapy enable us to find ways to cope with the current situation and create change.

Photos: Domantas Dragūnas, more photos.

This was the 3rd international conference on analytical psychology held in Vilnius, all of which were united by the theme of culture.

Irma Skruibienė, LAAP member candidate