This conference – run and hosted by CONFER – proposes that caring for the natural world of which we are an integral part is critical for our survival and our emotional well-being.
The organisers says that: “Disrespecting that which nurtures us leads to deepening splits, tensions and conflicts within and beyond ourselves, which counter well-being and continue our dissociation from nurturing the planet, our home.
Simultaneously, embracing the realities of climate change and the interrelated crises we face – for example, the 6th extinction crisis and unprecedented ecosystemic degradation – confronts us collectively and individually with painful but potentially liberating psychological and transpersonal changes arising out of a sense of the impending and most likely irreversible changes for many species on earth. The programme thus rests on the premise that our psychological, social and spiritual health is being damaged alongside the biosphere but that we can still strengthen our capacity as practitioners and activists to counter this downward spiral.
In this context, we will be looking at spiritual traditions as well as psychological insights that support such capacity, and using insights from these traditions that support/deepen psychotherapy, in an attempt to find our own way through the conflicts posed by the interrelated emergencies. The conference will not offer answers so much as a sharing of the questions and a community of people with common concerns to ask how received, ancient wisdom can support contemporary eco-systemic and psychotherapeutic thinking to help us address and embrace these issues in an effective and empowered way.”
To see the full programme (and/or to make a booking) go here.