Dear colleagues,

Our work on the preparations for the 69th Congress of Psychologists of Serbia, which will be held between 29. September and 01. October, online, continues. This event, the largest and most important annual gathering of psychologists, is not organized for the first time in extraordinary circumstances; it also took place when it was hampered by the war drums of the civil war, during economic crisis when going to a congress was an adventure by itself and it also took place when the country was hit by a natural disaster, in a state of emergency. It will take place this time as well, despite of the uncertainties of the global pandemic. We believe that you will join us with your contribution, works, discussions, exchanges of experience.

So far, it has been shown that the topic of the Congress “Human being in a Time of Contradictory Expectations” has attracted a large number of fellow researchers, as well as practitioners who are willing to enrich the program with their knowledge and ideas. The actuality of this topic has brought a great variety of works, as well as a wide area of ​​applicability for further improvement of the work of psychologists.

Thus, this year's topics of plenary lectures lead us in the direction of a more comprehensive understanding of the situation in which we and our profession are. It seems that the complexity of the situation in which we work has led the lecturers on an intriguing, but also integrative approach, so our plenary list consists of exceptional authors and very interesting titles:

- prof. Jonathan Sklar, President of the Independent Psychoanalysis Trust: “Authoritarianism and dancing bears: implications for a new beginning”. The paper deals with the introduction of some psychoanalytic ideas for the purpose of understanding and the possibility to travel below and on the surface of what can be discovered in the dark unconscious traumas of individuals and societies;

- prof. Fernanda Coelho Liberali, teacher educator, researcher and professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo: “Creating futures in a desolated world - playing with possible worlds” (activism and development of creative potential through play, performance, social therapy and group support);

- prof. Vesna Gavrilov Jerković, professor at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, whose topic gives us answers on complex questions about pluralism in psychotherapy and the consequences of that pluralism on the further development of psychotherapy as an area that for more than a century hovers between numerous controversies and incompatible extremes;

- prof. Jaakko Seikula, professor of psychotherapy (emeritus) at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, with decades of work in the development of family mental health care field. The topic of the lecture is: “Dialogue cures: Better outcome in most sever crises together with families and with less medication”;

- Dr. Jelisaveta Sanja Rolović, family psychotherapist with a private practice in New York, and whose work in our country is dedicated to increasing social awareness about sexual abuse of children in Serbia;

- Dr. Merima Isaković, clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist, New Zealand, will speak on the same topic from her point of view.

In addition to the plenary contents, among the many forms of participation offered (symposium, round table, oral presentation, poster presentation, workshop, seminar, book presentation or DPS section meeting), the Congress program offers much more space for your ideas and works. You can send your applications by July 26, 2021 to https://www.dps.org.rs/prijava-rada

All further details about the Congress, as well as information related to the applications of participants, please follow at www.dps.org.rs/kongres, as well as on the FB pages of the Congress of Psychologists of Serbia and the Program Committee.

We are expecting you at the 69th Congress of Psychologists of Serbia, because only by exchanging our knowledge and experiences can we find answers that will make our professional work more efficient and our overall professional influence more significant.

Aleksandar Kontić

President of the Program Committee

69th Congress of Psychologists of Serbia

Invitation letter