The joint conference of the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA) and the Red Europea y Latinoamericana de Escuelas Sistémicas (RELATES) took place in Lyon from August 27 to 30, 2025. Over 1,300 experts from 66 countries took part in the renowned event - including several representatives from Witten/Herdecke University.

Keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Christina Hunger-Schoppe

A special highlight: Prof. Dr. Christina Hunger-Schoppe, holder of the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III at UW/H, was invited to give one of the keynote speeches in front of an international audience of experts. In her presentation, she addressed the effectiveness of systemic therapy, methods for recording subjective experience in social relationships and the importance of including key attachment figures in psychotherapy research. Prof. Dr. Jay Lebow, long-standing editor of the journal Family Process, was full of praise: "It is very impressive to see the high quality and diversity with which Prof. Hunger-Schoppe has been researching systemic therapy for years, publishing internationally and promoting young researchers."

Workshop by Silvia Scholz

Another contribution from Witten was made by Silvia Scholz, research assistant at the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III, who presented her doctoral project on systemic case conceptualization in a practical workshop. Her well-founded, evidence-based perspectives on the dynamics in client systems were met with great interest by participants from research and practice. Prof. Dr. Günter Schiepek, a pioneer of clinical complexity science, emphasized: "Ms. Scholz inspires with her extensive knowledge of the systemic perspective - a benefit for research and practice alike."

Practice-oriented workshop with the sysTelios Think Tank

The sysTelios Think Tank - a close research partner of the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III - was also represented with a workshop. Under the direction of Nora Daniels-Wredenhagen, Stefanos Gkaitatzis and Heiko Pfister, participants were able to gain practical insights into the basic principles of complexity science. Dr. Tamara Thomsen, former employee of the UW/H and now working at the HAWK Hildesheim, summed up: "One of the most practice-oriented workshops of the entire conference."

Together with Kasra Mirzaie, Dr. Ann-Kathrin Bockmann (University of Hildesheim) and Melanie Herff (supervisor, Hamburg), Dr. Thomsen also organized an interdisciplinary symposium on the Internal Family System (IFS) - at the interface of research and practice.

Thanks to the organizers

Prof. Dr. Christina Hunger-Schoppe, Silvia Scholz and the sysTelios Think Tank would like to thank the EFTA, the scientific committee and in particular Prof. Dr. Matthias Ochs for the invitation and the opportunity to help organize this important international conference.

In the photo from left: Heiko Pfister (sysTelios Health Center, Siedelsbrunn, Germany), Prof. Günter Schiepek (Institute for Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical Private University, Salzburg, Austria), Nora Daniels-Wredenhagen (sysTelios Health Center, Siedelsbrunn, Germany), Silvia Scholz (Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany), Prof. Christina Hunger-Schoppe (Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany), Stefanos Gkaitatzis (sysTelios Health Center, Siedelsbrunn, Germany). (Photo: Melanie Herff)