by От 13 до 16 октомври ще се проведе онлайн конференцията на тема Child Mind – Child Psychology and Psychotherapy, организирана от италианската компания Psicologia.io.
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Подробна информация за темите на английски език вижте долу:
CHILD MIND. Child Psychology and Psychotherapy
Online Conference Schedule
13-16 October 2021 (Bulgarian time)
Youngstrom Joan Friedman
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13
Angela Sordano, 10 – 12 AM Bulgarian time
Title: The symbolic gaze: methods and techniques for conducting groups of children
Abstract: Therapeutic change for children is one of the most complex aspects of modern clinical practice,
both because of the scarce systematisation of the scientific research work in the field and because of the
specificity of the leader’s role. The leader is intersubjectively involved and invested with the parental
function to a greater extent than with groups of adults. Therefore, the subjectivity of the leader is one of
the central factors in the act of interpretation, in the construction of the group matrix and in the process of
signification of the experience. The symbolic dimension is not only a point of arrival, an outcome of the
therapeutic process, but the lens through which the leader must read the group’s dynamic events.
Bio: CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, PSYCHODRAMATIST AND GROUP-ANALYST – Memberships: Full Member of
Group Analytic Society International, Full Member of FEPTO (Federation European Psychodrama Training
Organizations) Full Member of I.A.G.P. (International Association of Group Psychotherapy and Process) Full
Member of C.O.I.R.A.G. (Confederazione delle Organizzazioni Italiane per la Ricerca Analitica sui Gruppi)
Full Member of A.P.R.A.G.I.P. (Association for the Research and the Training of Individual Psychotherapy,
Groups, Institutional Analysis and Psychodrama). Researcher at ARPA (Association for Research in Analytical
Psychology) Past President of APRAGIPSICODRAMMA. Education: 1981 Graduated from University of Padua
1981/1999 Training in Analytical Psychodrama, Family Therapy, Group Analysis, Jungian Psychoanalysis.
Professional career: 1985-2019 Psychologist at ASL TO 5 Psychology Service for children. 2012-2016 Tutor at
the Department of Psychology, University of Turin, for the subject „Theories and Techniques of Group
Dynamics“. 2002-2013 Lecturer at the Coirag School of Psychotherapy for training in Analytical
Psychodrama and for the Evaluation of Group Psychotherapy and Developmental Psychology. 2016-2019
Lecturer in Psychological Sciences and Techniques Lecturer (undergraduate) and “Techniques for observing
behaviour in groups”. 2017-2020 Lecturer and Supervisor at the IPAP School of Psychotherapy for
Psychodynamics of Groups and Psychodrama in childhood. 2015-20 Referee for the journal Group Analysis
London Books. Recent articles: 2006 Sordano A. „Fairy tale Dream and intersubjectivity. Lo psicodramma
analitico con bambini e adolescenti“, Bollati Boringhieri. 2009 Sordano A.“ Dialogue through images,
dialogue through projects“, Online Rev. Group Analytic Contexts-, Vol.43, March, London 2010 Bocquenet
L.,Sordano A., Rora D., „Il cadre e l’attualità dell’invisibile“ fasc.1, Rev. Gruppi, Franco Angeli 2013 Sordano
A. “ Il Gruppo nel tempo dell’attesa: obiettivi, contenuti, metodologia“ in „I percorsi formativi nelle adozioni
internazionali“.
Maria Laura Fasciana, 12 AM – 2 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Storytelling: the effectiveness of stories in hypnotic psychotherapy with children
Abstract: Humans need stories to understand their past, narrate their present and imagine their future.
Stories, as well as fairy tales and fables, are forms of communication that are naturally endowed with
hypnotic value. They have always accompanied the growth of children all over the world, helping them
explore the reality around them, drift into peaceful sleep, and understand and emotionally overcome
difficult moments, using the imagination and fantasy. The techniques of naturalistic hypnosis are at the
basis of Ericksonian hypnotic psychotherapy, and use multi-sensory phenomena that human beings
experience every day, such as relaxation, focus of attention, absorption, dissociation, ideomotor response,
emotional response and imagination. These conditions are reached by children in a very natural way
through play, drawing, stories and metaphors. This presentation will describe the main elements that,
according to the Ericksonian approach, make stories therapeutic, both in the relational aspects and in the
contents, highlighting their effectiveness in helping children to help themselves.
Bio: Psychologist, family psychotherapist and developmental hypnotherapist. Lecturer in the Masters in
Hypnosis organised by the Italian company Milton Erickson and in the Four-Year Specialization Course of
the Italian School of Hypnosis and Ericksonian Psychotherapy in Rome. Teacher in the Four-year
Specialisation Course in Psychosynthetic Psychotherapy and Ericksonian Hypnosis at the H. Bernheim
School of Verona. Speaker at numerous conferences in Italy and abroad. Main publications: Fasciana
M.L.(2009) (ed.) L’ipnosi con i bambini e gli adolescenti. Tecniche psicoterapeutiche in età evolutiva Milan:
Franco Angeli Editore Fasciana M.L. (2014) (ed.). Storytelling. Therapeutic stories to help children and
parents to help themselves Milan: Franco Angeli Editore Fasciana M.L. (2018) Hypnosis in Pediatrics. In De
Benedictis G. Mammini C. Rago N. (ed.) Blue Book – La Guida all’Ipnosi Evidence Based. Milan: Franco Angeli
Valentina Colozza, 2 – 4 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Clinical work with disabilities: an integrated approach
Abstract: People often think of children with disabilities as not belonging to the clinical work and
psychotherapy sphere. Nowadays, it is fundamental to talk about disabilities in the clinical field and to
know, explore and learn new methodologies to support children and their families.
The concept of disability will be introduced from a social and cultural point of view, and cognitive, motor
and communication deficits will be explored. Particular attention will be paid to rare and non-rare
syndromes; the absence of spoken language; and compensatory tools suitable for developing efficient
communication between child and family. The presentation will also focus on the typical development of a
child with disabilities, from diagnosis to paths to independence, from the possibility of a psychological birth
of the self to symbiotic pathologies. Emphasis will not only be placed on clinical work with young patients
with disabilities, but also on more theoretical issues related to attachment style, identity development,
fusional pathologies and new practices of integrated team intervention for families. This is an integrated
approach for ad hoc training aimed at psychologists and psychotherapists who want to work in the world of
disabilities; not just with the child, but also with the family and the whole network of professionals who
revolve around the case.
Bio: Psychologist, psychotherapist, interpreter of Italian Sign Language, head of the Association Io Se Posso
Komunico. She qualified as a psychotherapist at the family therapy institute ‘I.T.R.I.’ in Rome, where she
consolidated her systemic family theoretical and clinical approach before carrying out a “behind the mirror”
internship and immediately starting work with various families. She also studied the Italian Sign Language –
LIS- and soon became an interpreter. Through various experiences and collaborations, she started using LIS
in the clinical field with deaf patients and non-verbal children and adolescents. In 2017 she co-created the
association „Io Se Posso Komunico“, an association that deals with children and adolescents who cannot
speak due to being affected by rare and non-rare syndromes. This association structures an experimental
protocol, which combines preparation and clinical practice with the use of Sign Language. She completed
her first year of training in the master course on „Child Psychotherapy“ organised by the ‘A.I.S.P.T.
(Associazione Italiana per la Sand Play Therapy), in Rome. Here she encountered the clinical practice of
sand play, which she now uses with patients with disabilities. In 2013, she co-established (in collaboration
with associations and professors) the ‘Psycological Studies of Deafness’ award in the faculty of medicine
and psychology at Sapienza University. In 2015 she won a scholarship for the National Council of the Order
of Psychologists for the project „Friendship and psychological well-being of deaf people, psychodiagnostic
tools in Italian Sign Language“.In 2017 she published “ Sviluppo del linguaggio, psichico e cognitivo con la
Lingua dei Segni italiana. La sindrome di Coffin Siris: analisi di un caso clinico”, „Logopedia e
comunicazione“, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 409-428. In 2020 she presented two posters at the 3rd National
Conference on Deafness: „The use of sign language in a case of Coffin-Siris“ and „Deafness and
pluridisability, an integrated approach“.
Laura Rigobello, 4 – 6 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Attachment and Sensitive Discipline. A parenting support programme
Abstract: Evidence-based programmes are now attracting increasing levels of interest. The Dutch group has
developed a programme inspired by attachment theory and oriented towards the promotion of parenting
skills, in particular sensitivity. This programme uses video-feedback to promote positive parenting and
sensitive discipline (Video-feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline,
VIPP-SD), with a dual focus on affective and educational aspects. The programme was found to be
particularly effective for children aged 18 months to 6 years old (Van Zeijl, Mesman, van IJzendoorn,
Bakermans-Kranenburg, Juffer & Stolk, 2006; Pereira, Negrao, Soares & Mesman, 2014). In
addition to the focus on the importance of attachment bonds, the balance between exploration vs.
attachment, and the role of emotion sharing in child development, the VIPP-SD adds special attention to
sensitive discipline by working on techniques for managing early parent-child discipline encounters. The
intervention is divided into 7 home visits, each visit beginning with a video recording of the mother-child
play interaction or rule management. This is structured so to elicit prototypical situations useful for the
work of the next meeting. Each recording is followed by a shared viewing of the videos.
Bio: Laura Rigobello, Ph.D, is a psychologist and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist who works with
children, adolescents and families. She is an individual DBT therapist and group skills trainer for patients
with borderline personality disorder and their families. She edited the text “Disforia di genere in età
evolutiva: Sostenere la ricerca di genere nell’infanzia e nell’adolescenza”, (2016) and “Essere genitori
postivi. Come mettere fine ai conflitti e riconnettersi emotivamente (2019)”. She is a member of the Italian
Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (SITCC) and teaches at “Scuola Psicoterapia Cognitiva SPC” in
Verona.
Francesca Manaresi, 6 – 8 PM Bulgarian time
Title: The CoS model in the prevention and treatment of relational dysfunctions in children.
Abstract: The results of empirical research on attachment, supported by data from the field of
neuroscience, allow us to understand how and how significantly relational contexts can influence child
development. Data also shows that the major risk factors for mental health in the first five years of life are
mostly found in the context of the interaction between the child and his/her social context (dyadic
interactions, family relationships, etc.) and that it is important to address developmental issues, whatever
their aetiology, in the context of the child’s primary relationships (Sroufe 1995, zena, etc.). This webinar
aims at describing a model of intervention on child and parental functions.
Bio: Psychologist and psychotherapist of a cognitive-evolutionary orientation, working for over 30 years
with children, adolescents and families. She is president of the ASTREA Association, which works on the
prevention of psychological distress and clinical intervention for children. I trained in epidemiological
research and specifically in the study for the identification of risk factors for the development of borderline
personality disorder and dissociative disorders. I am the Italian contact person for the Circle of Security, a
programme for prevention and clinical intervention in childhood. I am lecturer and supervisor in many
schools that provide qualification for psychotherapeutic activity.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14
Vicky Anderson, 10 – 12 AM Bulgarian time
Title: Social competence: theory, assessment and intervention after child brain insult
Abstract: Social skills and interactions form the foundation of human consciousness. They emerge gradually
through childhood and adolescence, through a dynamic interplay between the individual and his or her
environment. They are central to the child’s capacity to develop and sustain lasting relationships and
participate and function within the community. With the recent burgeoning of the social neurosciences
there is emerging evidence that a number of social domains are affected by brain disruption and can impact
more broadly on the child’s capacity to adapt to their environment, establish rewarding friendships and
relationships, and perform in school settings. The psychological and biological bases, and developmental
pathways of social skills remain poorly defined. The impact of disruption, as a result of brain insult or
environmental influences, is even less well understood, but is likely to have dramatic effects as these skills
are developing and emerging during childhood and adolescence, resulting in psychological distress, social
isolation, and reduced self-esteem. Given the importance of social skills for children’s day to day function
and quality of life, it is critical that assessment models incorporate evaluation of these skills. To date, such
evaluation has been mostly limited to qualitative observation or parent and teacher report, with little
emphasis on the child’s perspective or direct assessment methods. This presentation will describe a model
of social function which incorporates biological, psychological and environmental parameters; ii) discuss its
relevance to research data from our longitudinal research programs investigating the impact of early
childhood brain insult; iii) describe cognitive abilities underpinning social skills; and (iv) consider robust
approaches to assessment of social skills and v) explore options for intervention.
Bio: Professor Vicki Anderson BA (Hons), MA (Clin Neuropsych), PhD, FAPS, FASSA, FAAHMS, FASSBI Dr
Anderson is Head, Psychology, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Professorial Fellow, Paediatrics & Psychology,
University of Melbourne, and Director, Clinical Sciences Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Her research and clinical interests are in disorders of childhood that impact on the brain, including both
developmental and acquired disorders. Her recent work has focussed on translating her early career
findings into clinical practice to optimise child outcomes from brain injury. Major translational
achievements include: i) publication of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, used by psychologists
across the world; ii) development of easily accessed, low burden, e-health approaches to parent-focused
psychosocial treatments as a means of maximising child outcomes; iii) development of a novel iPad
delivered tool for assessing social cognition (PEERS). Dr Anderson has authored over 500 peer reviewed
publications and 6 books, and her research has attracted $45M in competitive grant funding. She is an
Associate Editor for Neuropsychology (APA) and the J Neuropsychology (BPS, UK). She is a Fellow of the
Academy of Social Sciences of Australia, the Aust Psychological Society and the Aust Academy of Health and
Medical Sciences, and past president of the International Neuropsychological Society.
Lynne Murray, 12 AM – 2 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Book-sharing as a privileged intersubjective space: theory, evidence and practice
Abstract: The case for ‘book-sharing’ as a privileged intersubjective space will be presented, including basic
evidence on infant preparedness to share experience, non-human primate gestural communication,
prehistoric art, and mirror neurons; evidence concerning the benefits of book-sharing from naturalistic
studies and clinical trials; and an account of the practice of book-sharing
Bio: I studied with Trevarthen at the University of Edinburgh until 1980, and then worked in Cambridge UK
as Medical Research Council Senior Fellow and Director of the Winnicott Research Unit. I am a Fellow of the
British Academy and I am now Professor Emerita at the University of Reading, UK, and live in Italy. My work
has concerned the effects of parenting on child development, and the development of interventions to
support parents and child functioning. My recent work has focused on ‘book-sharing’ in both typical and at
risk populations, including clinical conditions and contexts of socio-economic adversity.
Daria Vettori, 2 PM – 4 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Effects of early deprivation and resilience in adoption
Abstract: The most recent studies (including neuroscientific ones) tell us that early deprivation has
important effects on a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. Adopted children often come
from unfavourable experiences, dragging with them important relational and behavioural burdens. Both in
terms of a sense of belonging (inter-subjective exchange) and a sense of security (attachment), they have
learned out of necessity to do it by themselves and not to trust the relationship with the adult. They usually
have not learnt to name their feelings. Instead, they get by through protective mechanisms, which are
functional in contexts of deprivation, but inadequate for the world in which they find themselves in: one
that is foreign to them, but full of expectations. For many of these children, the encounter between before
and after, between different body languages and relationships, leads to confusion and dysregulation that
hinder integration. Often everything is resolved in a dis-continuity between past and present, a caesura
that does not really allow for the elaboration of past traumas. The intersubjective and intracorporeal
dimensions therefore become the primary areas of intervention. Based on this knowledge, individual and
group clinical experiences will be proposed, addressed both to parents and children/adolescents. Among
these, particular emphasis will be given to the experience of a group of adoptive parents who participated
in a training on book sharing (see int. by Professor Lynne Murray), learning to use this very simple but
exceptional tool to work on building a deep relationship with their child and to help him/her build a social
body/mind.
Bio: Psychologist and psychotherapist, she has been working for more than 25 years as a clinician and as an
individual and group trainer with children, adolescents and families, supervising and collaborating with
public and private institutions. In particular, she works in the field of adoption and family fostering,
collaborating with authorised bodies, associations and adoption services. In recent years, she has led
groups aimed at adolescents and adult adoptees and groups on book sharing with adoptive parents. In
2007-2008 she carried out an Internship Program at the Children’s Hospital in Washington DC. Since 2010
she has been collaborating with the University of Parma, teaching courses in „Pedagogy of adoption and
foster care“, and „Educational psychology“. She has several publications and has participated in national
and international conferences. She has co-authored „Being in a gesture. I sensi dell’adozione“, Massimo
Maini e Daria Vettori, Franco Angeli ed. (2014), „Essere adolescenti adottati. Teorie e tecniche di
conduzione di gruppo, Franco Angeli ed (2020) and „Narrare l’adozione“ (provisional title with Massimo
Maini. Franco Angeli Ed. ). Also to be published in 2021: „Il cerchio della storia: raccontarsi per raccontare.
Adopted adults, now parents, narrate themselves to their children“ (with Greta Bellando in ETS Editore)
Mark Steege, 4 PM – 6 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Functional Behavioral Assessment. Analysis of Private Events: executive skills, thoughts and emotions
Abstract: Functional Behavioral Assessment is a process for assessing the variables that contribute to
behaviors that interfere with students’ academic, social, emotional and adaptive functioning. The vast
literature on FBAs has focused on the analysis of behavior using a three-term contingency model; namely
Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (Cooper, Heron & Heward, 2020). This presentation will extend the
analysis of behavior by describing and illustrating a conceptual analysis of behavior that uses an eight-term
contingency and includes an examination of the role of private events such as executive skills, thoughts,
and emotions. The presentation will include a description of the Behavior Analytic Problem Solving model
as described by Steege, Pratt, Wickerd, Guare & Wason, 2019.
Bio: Mark W. Steege, Ph.D. is Professor of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern
Maine. Dr. Steege is a Licensed Psychologist, Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and Board Certified
Behavior Analyst-Doctoral. He has published numerous journal articles, book chapters and books focusing
on applied behavior analysis methodologies. This presentation will feature content from the 3rd edition of
„Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments: A Practitioner’s Guide (2019).
John Lochman, 6 PM– 8 PM Bulgarian time
Title: The Coping Power Program for Youth with Disruptive Behavior Problems
Abstract: The Coping Power Program is based on an empirical model of risk factors for potential antisocial
behavior, and addresses high-risk children’s deficits in social cognition, self-regulation, peer relations and
positive parental involvement. The Coping Power Program, which has both a child and parent intervention
component, is designed to be presented in an integrated manner. The Coping Power Child Program consists
of 34 group sessions. The Coping Power Parent Program consists of 16 sessions offered during the same
timeframe. The child component focuses on goal setting, anger management, social problem-solving, and
practicing social skills to resist peer pressure. The parent component of the program focuses on supporting
involvement and consistency in parenting, as well as parent stress management and family cohesion, which
all also contribute to better social and behavioral children’s adjustment. Improvement in all these areas,
particularly around times of change (such as going to middle school), can reduce the number of problem
behaviors that can arise during these transitional times. The Coping Power program is available in English,
and Spanish and translated adaptations have been made in Italian, Dutch, Swedish and Urdu as part of
intervention research projects. The Coping Power program is usually delivered in small groups, but has
been adapted for individual student delivery, and classroom wide delivery. It is typically delivered in
schools, but can also be delivered in mental health settings with children who have Disruptive Behavior
Disorder diagnoses. An abbreviated version (consisting of 24 children group sessions and 10 parent group
sessions) is delivered over one school year, and a versions adapted for use in the full classroom and in the
adolescent years have been evaluated.
Bio: John E. Lochman, PhD, ABPP is a clinical psychologist and Saxon Professor Emeritus of Psychology, and
was the founding Director of the Center for Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems (now Center for Youth
Development and Intervention) at The University of Alabama. He served on the faculty of Duke University
Medical Center from 1980-1998 before moving to the faculty of The University of Alabama. He received an
honorary doctorate from Utrecht University in 2004 for his prevention research, the International
Collaborative Prevention Award from the Society for Prevention Research in 2009, the 2011 Distinguished
Career Award from APA Division 53 (Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology), 2013 Southeastern
Conference Faculty Achievement Award, and the 2014 Award for Distinguished Service and Contributions
to the Profession of Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. His federal research
funding over the past 35 years, and his over 440 publications, have primarily addressed contextual socialcognitive risk factors and intervention research for children with behavior problems. The school-based and
community-based prevention programs he has co-developed and evaluated (Coping Power Program, as
well as the Anger Coping Program and Fast Track Program) use cognitive-behavioral, emotion-regulation,
and social problem-solving approaches with children, and behavioral parent training with parents, and have
become recognized as evidence-based programs. Dr. Lochman has been involved in research examining
how Coping Power can be adapted for different populations, and integrated with different treatment
components to potentially enhance the intervention effects.
Judith Solomon, 8 PM – 10 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Finding coherence in attachment disorganization: recent advances and clinical implications
Abstract: This presentation will define and provide background regarding the meaning and origins of
disorganized attachment and bring participants up-to-date on research and theory, both her own and that
of others, regarding these high-risk attachment relationships. Clinical examples and implications will be
presented throughout to illustrate the underlying meaning of dyadic interactions and the underlying
behavioral and representational organization in these parent-child attachments which have often been
described as chaotic.
Bio: Judith Solomon is internationally recognized for her pioneering research and theory-building on
attachment and caregiving, including her discovery, with Mary Main, of the infant disorganized/disoriented
attachment category. She conducted the first longitudinal study of infants in separated and divorced
families and developed key representational and questionnaire measures of caregiving and child
attachment. Dr. Solomon is the first editor of Attachment Disorganization (1999) and Disorganized
Attachment and Caregiving (2011). She was recently a Fulbright Visiting Professor at the University of
Vienna, a Visiting Researcher in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Cambridge University,
UK, and a 2018 recipient of the John Bowlby Award for Contributions to the Field Of Attachment from the
Bowlby Centre, London, UK. Dr. Solomon also maintains a private clinical practice in the USA, specializing in
early parent-child relationships.
Peter Mundy, 10 PM – 12 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Infant Joint Attention and the Development of Social Cognition
Abstract: Joint attention is the ability to coordinate attention with a social partner. It begins to develop in
the first six of months of life. Theory and research indicate that it plays a prominent role in early language,
social communication development and social cognitive development. Nevertheless, the nature of joint
attention is not well defined. It is an important behavioral milestone of infant development. However, it is
also a fundamental neurocognitive mental process of the human mind. This talk will also describe recent
developmental, clinical, cognitive-neuroscience research that recently has served to improve our
understanding of joint attention. This research begins clarifies how and why joint attention is fundamental
to childhood learning and the development of social cognition. It also supports the ideas that joint
attention is a central feature of human social competence that is distinct from constructs like attachment,
but is pivotal to our sense of social relatedness and social agency. Moreover, joint attention is part of the
larger dimension of social attention. Social attention involve processes involved in the motivation to attend
to and process information about other people, and the motivation and information processing effects of
being the object of the social attention of other people. This talk will emphasize how new research on the
latter dimension has begun to add new insights about the nature of both joint attention and the typical
and atypical development of the social mind in childhood.
Bio: Dr. Mundy is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at UC Davis and the Lisa Capps
Professor of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Education in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and
MIND Institute. Dr. Mundy is also currently serving as President of the International Society for Autism
Research (2019-2021). He received his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at the University of Miami in 1981.
He then went on to four years of post-doctoral training in child clinical psychology and
neurodevelopmental disorders at UCLA. For the last 4 decades, Dr. Mundy has engaged in research on
developmental psychopathology. His research employs theory and research on typical development to
understand neurodevelopmental disorders. His research also employs theory and research on
neurodevelopmental disorder to inform the study of typical development. Specifically, he has studied the
early development of joint attention and its relations to social-cognitive neurodevelopment. His research
was among the first to identify the behavioral and neurodevelopmental role of impairments in joint
attention in the social-communication and social-cognitive phenotype of preschool children with autism.
His longitudinal studies provided insights into the complex contribution of early social attention
development to learning, social competence and self-regulation in preschool children. Along with many
collaborators, he also provided some of the first studies of brain systems involved in joint attention and
their relations to the cortical networks involved in social cognition. His work has contributed to the
development of diagnostic assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as effective early
intervention for the social attention symptoms of associated with this syndrome. Most recently, Dr. Mundy
has begun to focus on understanding the connections between social-attention, learning and socialcognition in children and adolescents. In particular, he has begun to explore how being the object of
attention of others relates to social cognitive development and how it has an impact on a sense of
relatedness, intersubjectivity, and learning in child development. A recent book, Autism and Joint
Attention: Development, Neuroscience and Clinical Fundamentals. New York, NY: Guilford Publications,
provides a summary of his research.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15
Pietro Muratori, 10 – 12 AM Bulgarian time
Title: Coping Power, treating and preventing behavioural difficulties
Abstract: The Coping Power Program is a specific intervention for the management and control of
aggression. The theoretical framework of the programme is cognitive-behavioural and is based on the
„Contextual social-cognitive model“ by Lochman and Wells (2002), an ecological model for childhood
aggression. In the Italian context the Coping Power Program is applied to children from 7 to 14 years old
and is used as a therapeutic programme for the treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and
Conduct Disorder. The overall aim of this programme is to help and support children with problems related
to impulsivity, poor compliance, and aggressive behaviour. The Coping Power Programme has a child
component and a parent component. The model was later adapted for use in kindergarten, primary and
secondary school classes. Both applications of Coping Power involve the use of cognitive-behavioural
techniques and activities aimed at enhancing various skills, such as tackling short- and long-term goals,
recognising and regulating anger signals, recognising other people’s point of view, resolving conflict and
resisting peer pressure.
Bio: Psychologist and psychotherapist. He is the official Italian trainer for the Coping Power method. He
received this title from Prof. John Lochman (University of Alabama) with whom he has been collaborating
for many years. He is a clinical psychologist and researcher at IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris. His clinical and
research activities focus on the treatment and prevention of aggressive behaviour in children and
adolescents. He is a lecturer of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Pisa. He also
teaches at the Bolognese School of Cognitive Psychotherapy.
Mario Di Petro, 12 AM – 2 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Intervention for the disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
Abstract: Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DDUD) is a new diagnostic category included in the DSM5 among depressive disorders, despite its strong component of anger and aggression. The clinical picture is
often complicated by frequent co-morbidity with other serious disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, and
depression. It is therefore necessary to devise a highly articulated treatment plan involving the use of
various strategies. Although there is currently no validated and recognized treatment protocol for DDUD, a
promising procedure is the combination of cognitive and behavioural methods derived from Rational
Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT).
Bio: Psychologist and psychotherapist, he deals with emotional and behavioural problems in childhood, and
carries out training courses in the clinical and educational fields. He studied at the Institute for RationalEmotional Therapy in New York, obtaining the title of Supervisor. After having worked for a long time in the
national health system and collaborating with the University of Padua, he currently carries out clinical
activities in the private sector and teaches at various psychotherapy schools. He is the author and co-author
of several books, including L’ABC delle mie emozioni (New Edition) (2014), L’intervento cognitivocomportamentale per l’età evolutiva (2013), Giochi e attività sulle emozioni (2007), L’allievo iperattivo in
classe (2001), L’ educazione razionale-emotiva-Nuova edizione (2016).
Fabio Benatti, 2 – 4 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Dysfunctional family relationships
Abstract: The family system is the elective context of analysis for the assessment of the child’s functioning.
In 2020, the adaptation of the Family System Test (FAST) was introduced in Italy: it is a structured test, of a
protective nature and with a systemic-relational interpretation. This psycho-diagnostic instrument allows
the quantitative and qualitative assessment of family dynamics and alliances, avoiding the possible sources
of error inherent in self-report methods. FAST is a very promising tool available to the psychologist for the
assessment of the individual or of the whole family nucleus, both in the clinical and legal context. If the
parental couple cannot reach reasonable agreements on both the patrimonial aspects and the
management of the children during separation, the minors may find themselves involved in family diatribes
that may heavily interfere on their psycho-physical well-being and which may constitute risk factors for
their development. We often talk about parental alienation, which has inappropriately become an umbrella
term for everything that is highly dysfunctional and involves the exclusion of one of the two parents. During
this webinar, an attempt will be made to clarify what is defined in literature as parental alienation and what
are the criteria for a correct detection of this relational pathology. In the final part of the presentation, we
will focus on two methods of intervention which are currently the subject of much discussion and debate:
parental facilitation and parental coordination. These can be implemented in the clinical-legal context, and
an attempt will be made to shed light on the potential and limitations of these possible interventions.
Bio: Fabio Benatti was born in Ostiglia (MN) on 24.12.1981. After completing his high school diploma in
2000 he decided to undertake the path to become a forensic psychologist. He graduated in Psychology in
Parma in 2005 with a thesis on neuropsychology and completed a master’s degree in Psychopathology and
Forensic Neuropsychology in Padua in 2007 with a thesis on child witnessing. He then went on to complete
his PhD in Human Psychobiology in Modena in 2010 with a thesis on the interrogative suggestibility of
minors in forensics and attended a master’s degree in Clinical Sexology in Pisa in 2014 with a final thesis on
premature and delayed ejaculation. During his professional career, he worked for three years (2010-2013)
in a psychiatric clinic in Switzerland while also working as a technical consultant in the forensic field (civil,
criminal and juvenile). At the end of 2013 he moved to Venice where he started collaborating with IUSVE.
He is now director of the university’s educational psychology and criminology courses.
Diane Philipp, 4 – 6 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Video feedback for families: Using the Lausanne Family Play tools in clinical contexts
Abstract: The Lausanne Family Play tools are well-established brief assessments that can be done with
families both in clinic, in home, as well as remotely via videoconference. The Lausanne Trilogue Play
paradigm (LTP) was the first of these semi-structured play tasks, and along with later adaptations for older
children, siblings, and single parents, these tools allow us to observe family interactions in a standardized
way. Based on these family play assessments, parents can then benefit from video feedback about their
child, their parenting, as well as their family dynamics. Video feedback has been shown to improve the
alliance with the clinician, increase compliance with recommendations, and shorten treatment times. As
waitlists mount for children’s mental healthcare, this rapid modality will allow for some families to get
much-needed input and care. Clinical vignettes and case descriptions will play a central role in this
workshop.
Bio: Dr. Philipp received her MD from McMaster University and did her adult residency training in
psychiatry in the Harvard-Longwood Program as well as her child and adolescent psychiatry training at the
Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School. She completed a fellowship in Infant and Perinatal Psychiatry
at the University of Toronto Medical School. She is an Assistant Professor, on faculty at the University of
Toronto and heads an infant and preschool assessment and treatment team at the SickKids CCMH. In
addition to several peer-reviewed articles on young families and the transition to parenthood, Dr. Philipp
has co-authored the book, “The baby and the couple: Understanding and Treating Young families” (FivazDepeursinge & Philipp, 2014), which has also been translated into Italian and French. Dr. Philipp also
developed a manualized model of brief family therapy for the infant and preschool population known as
Reflective Family Play (RFP; Philipp, 2012; Philipp & Hayos, 2015). She has been an invited speaker on this
model as well as on the LTP in Canada, Europe, Israel, and Australia.
Eli Lebowitz, 6 – 8 PM Bulgarian time
Title: SPACE: Parent-Based Treatment for Childhood Anxiety and OCD
Abstract: Anxiety disorders are exceedingly prevalent in children and adolescents. Anxious children rely
heavily on their parents for help in coping with anxiety and parents frequently become entangled in their
children’s symptoms through the process of family accommodation. This webinar will introduce SPACE, a
novel and efficacious parent-based treatment for childhood anxiety disorders focused on reducing
accommodation and increasing supportive responses to childhood anxiety symptoms.
Bio: Professor Lebowitz studies and treats childhood and adolescent anxiety at the Yale School of Medicine,
Child Study Center, where he directs the Program for Anxiety Disorders. His research focuses on the
development, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety and related disorders, with special emphasis on
family dynamics and the role of parents in these disorders. Dr. Lebowitz is the lead investigator on multiple
funded research projects, and is the author of research papers, books and chapters on childhood and
adolescent anxiety. Dr. Lebowitz’ work has been recognized by private and public organizations including
the Brain and Behavior Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health and The National Center for
Advancing Translational Science. He is also the father of three great boys.
Dan Hughes, 8 – 10 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Following childhood relational trauma: creating restorative meaning within the therapeutic
relationship
Abstract: The meanings inherent in traumatic memories of relational trauma are best transformed within
the affective-reflective conversations that develop between the therapist and child within the therapeutic
relationship. These conversations are guided by our knowledge of attachment and intersubjectivity theory
and research.
Bio: Psychologist in Maine, USA. Specializing in treatment of childhood relational trauma and founder of
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. Author of many books and articles. International speaker and trainer
of therapists and other professionals in DDP.
Eric A Youngstrom, 10 – 12 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Solving the Riddle of Mood Problems in Youth – When Is Pediatric Bipolar Disorder?
Abstract: Mood disorders and suicide are increasing, especially in teens and young adults. There has been
an explosion of research in the last 10 years, and new versions of DSM and ICD…. Should we change how
we work with our patients? This workshop uses a set of clinical cases to illustrate points of controversy and
then make practical recommendations. We focus on clinical implications, practical evidence-based tools,
techniques to clarify differential diagnosis, and selecting effective treatment options. We show how to
improve assessment and treatment using free yet high quality resources, including more than 200 web
pages with PDFs of measures and free automated scoring for more than 70.
Bio: Eric Youngstrom, Ph.D., is a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is also the Acting Director of the Center for Excellence in
Research and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. He is the first recipient of the Early Career Award from the
Society of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology, and an elected full member of the American College of
Neuropsychopharmacology. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 5, 12, and
53), as well as the Association for Psychological Science and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive
Therapies. He consulted on the 5th Revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) and the
International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). He chairs the Work Group on Child Diagnosis for the
International Society for Bipolar Disorders, along with the Advocacy Task Force.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16
Valentina Gaeta, 10 – 12 AM Bulgarian time
Title: Differential diagnosis between autism and childhood psychosis
Abstract: The term autism was coined to indicate one of the characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia, so
initially the two concepts were intimately linked. Over the years, however, the two disorders have been
progressively differentiated, giving rise to two separate diagnostic entities that could be distinguished
based on history and psychopathological phenotype. Over time, the diagnostic boundaries of schizophrenia
and autism have widened, leading to the concept of autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenic spectrum
disorders. At the boundaries of these spectrums there are areas that overlap at various levels
(pathogenetic, neuroanatomical, neuropsychological, and clinical) to which the constant flow of scientific
research on the subject refers. In clinical practice, all this translates into the difficulty of distinguishing the
two disorders, especially in adult subjects with high-functioning forms of autism, who can often also
develop psychotic-like symptoms.
Bio: Psychologist-Psychodiagnostic and Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapist. In 2015 I graduated in
Cognitive Neuroscience at Suor Orsola Benicasa University of Naples. After my graduation I started my
internship at Luigi Vanvitelli University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Between
2016 and 2018 I attended a master’s in clinical and legal expert psychodiagnosis at the Cifric Institute of
Naples. Between December and June 2018, I was a Volunteer at OSPEDALE IRCCS FONDAZIONE G. PASCALE
at the Centre for Oncological Psychology and Psychotherapy. In 2020 I specialised in Cognitive-Behavioural
Psychotherapy at the Skinner Institute in Naples. I participated in training courses such as: Graphology and
Graphological Expertise; Eating Disorders in Childhood; Master’s in childhood Behaviour Disorders and
refresher courses. In 2017 I did a course as an ABA behavioural technician, and I started to deal with autism
and developmental disabilities. I wrote a book about this (I disturbi psicopatologici nell’infanzia e
nell’adolescenza, inquadramento, setting e strategie di derivazione cognitivo-comportamentale. Un
manuale con il sorriso).
Marco Macciò, 12 AM – 2 PM Bulgarian time
Title: The sentimental child in the Participatory Consultation by Dina Vallino
Bio: Philosopher, scholar of epistemology and of psychoanalysis history. Trained in Infant Observation, he
conducts family observation seminars. He has published the book “Essere Neonati. Osservazioni in
psicoanalisi” with Dina Vallino as well as essays on Freud, Melanie Klein, Bion, Ferenczi, Balint, Bick, Infant
observation, and Infant research. He is president of the Cultural Association Dina Vallino.
Abstract: In the context of Participatory Consultation (presence of parents in the psychotherapy session
with the child), the therapist can initially grasp the child’s „non-verbal communication“, always present but
often indecipherable. A clinical fragment illustrates the situation in which the unexpected emergence of the
loving feeling produces an enlightening effect in all the bystanders. When the child feels understood in the
session, he/she opens up to communication in the form of metaphorical, symbolic expression. Other
clinical fragments illustrate this part of the Participatory Consultation in which the child suddenly reveals
himself: in his metaphorical speech, be it elementary or complex, he reveals one of the fundamental
problems that distress him. In this occasion, the sentimental child emerges in his spontaneity. And the
nature of his anguish is revealed. We are in the realm of reverie, the new form of child psychoanalysis: the
therapist does not expect the child to express him/herself at the adult language level of transference
interpretation. Instead, the therapist lowers himself to the level of the child’s thought, which is mainly
metaphorical in nature. This gives rise to the therapeutic method known as „tell me a story“ or „exploration
of the imaginary place“. In the second part of the seminar, the method will be illustrated in relation to the
presence of the major difficulties in child psychotherapy, inherent in child psychosis. A clinical case will
illustrate how the combination of the two methods (attention to the atmosphere of non-verbal
communication and parental participation in the sessions) sheds light on the situation of the child, who has
lost contact with his emotional world.
Barbara Volpi, 2 – 4 PM Bulgarian time
Title: The prevention of online discomfort in childhood: theoretical aspects and interventions
Abstract: The digital revolution has forced the scientific community to update its knowledge so that the
growth of new generations considers the role of technology in their development process. The protection
and promotion of mental health during childhood must be supported by a secure digital basis that, in line
with the cardinal principles of Developmental Psychology, allows preventive action to be taken on online
discomfort. This presentation will focus on the illustration of the theoretical, clinical and research aspects
that substantiate the guidelines and intervention model for the prevention of web mediated pathologies.
Bio: Psychologist, psychotherapist, PhD in Dynamic and Clinical Psychology (Sapienza, Rome). She
collaborates with the Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology at La Sapienza and is a lecturer in the
2nd level Master on Family Home Visiting and the Academy of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (SAPP) in
Rome. She is a member of the Italian Scientific Community on Addiction of the Presidency of the Council of
Ministers – Department of Anti-Drug Policies. She is also a founding member of the Italian Society for
Clinical, Research and Intervention on Perinatality (SIRCIP). She is the author of numerous publications,
research articles and talks on Digital Education throughout Italy. Some of here recent publications: Gli
Adolescenti e la rete, Carocci 2014, Che cos’è la cooking Therapy Carocci 2020, Family Home Visiting, (with
Renata Tambelli), Il Mulino 2015, Genitori Digitali, Il Mulino 2017, Docenti Digitali 2021, Il Mulino.
Deny Menghini, 4 – 6 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Diagnosis and therapy in children with ADHD. Guidelines and new perspectives for intervention
Abstract: This talk will explore the essential aspects of clinical reasoning necessary for making an ADHD
diagnosis. It will also examine the evidence that has led to the formulation of guidelines for intervention in
ADHD. She will suggest experimental training proposals (such as mindfulness) for children with ADHD who
do not respond to evidence-based treatments or who may benefit more in the long term.
Bio: Deny Menghini, psychologist and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist at the Complex Operative Unit
of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry of the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. For years she has been
dealing with neurodevelopmental disorders, studying the involved cognitive processes and evidence-based
treatments. She carries out clinical and training activities at the ReTe Institute, Research and Therapy in
Developmental Age. She has published more than 70 articles in international journals on topics such as
dyslexia, ADHD and parent training.
Sara Micotti, 6 – 8 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Games, drawings, stories, reveries, dreams. The richness of psychoanalytic psychotherapy with
children, between face-to-face work and online sessions
Abstract: The new-born child is very competent: this is my starting point. It is up to the caregivers to
recognise its competences and its invitations to the relationship. The baby goes from a material womb to
an environmental womb and the parents try to make this transition as smooth as possible. But sometimes
there is some accident, some tear, some suffering in this transition and in the first years of life. Children
express their emotional discomfort through bodily discomfort, sleep disorders, phobias, nightmares,
anxiety, crises of sadness or anger. In some cases, these symptoms appear even before children start
talking. Often children cannot say what is bothering them, because they are too young, or because they are
too distressed and confused. But children are always trying to communicate with us. The developmental
psychoanalytic psychotherapist:
• observes and listens
• dives deep into the relationship
• stimulates the emergence of games, drawings, stories
• searches for words to express the emotions in the field.
The work in sessions with patients – both in face-to-face and online sessions – is like a dance between two
thinkers. The child brings (or lets us picture) fragments of his interiority: the fear of monsters, the anger for
an injustice suffered, the shame of being fragile, the need for real closeness, the fear of being crazy. In the
clinical sessions we provide words to express unknown emotions, and also to the potential desire to feel
good, to explore life. We expand the toolbox, so that a child can energetically face the flow of life, with all
its trials. To bring order to the confusion, to transform the waves and typhoons of emotions into emotional
stories related to feelings of fear, loneliness, anger, sadness and hope.
Bio: Sara Micotti, PhD, Psychologist, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist of children, adolescents, and adults.
Couple and Family Psychoanalyst (PCF). Ordinary member NPSA, EFPP, APPIA (Association of Psychoanalytic
Psychotherapy of Childhood and Adolescence, Turin). Scientific Director of the Psychotherapy Department
of the Benedetta D’Intino Onlus Centre, Milan. Editor of the magazines ‘Comunicare’ and ‘Interazioni’.
Lecturer in the postgraduate course in Perinatal Clinical Psychology at the University of Brescia and the
School of Specialisation in Psychodramatic Psychotherapy in Brescia. She is a member of the group on
perinatal psychology of the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy.
Beatrice Beebe, 8 – 10 PM Bulgarian time
Title: Three Models of Mother-Infant Trauma: Contributions of Video Microanalysis
Abstract: Current approaches to mother-infant treatment deal broadly with relational disturbance, but not
specific interactive patterns of relational disturbance. Increased specificity in describing patterns of
disturbance associated with different forms of mother-infant trauma can facilitate more focused clinical
intervention, across a range of clinical settings. Three models of mother-infant trauma are presented, each
informed by video microanalysis, with illustrative video material. The first model is a treatment case; the
second and third are based on research studies in community samples. (1) Case of Linda and Dan: Mother
suicidal at birth; (2) Origins of disorganized attachment at 4 months; (3) Pregnant and widowed on 9/11.
Whereas some treatment approaches privilege the mother’s representations of herself and her infant, in
this approach the interaction patterns themselves and their careful description are seen as essential to
treatment, along with the mother’s representations. However, learning to see interaction patterns is
difficult and is the first step before symbolized description can occur. Description, one form of
mentalization, is necessary before interpretation can occur. After attending this session, participants should
be able to:
(1) Describe how frame-by-frame analysis of video provides a microscope into the details of mother-infant
interaction
(2) Describe ways in which mother-infant research can inform mother-infant treatment
(3) Describe different pictures of mother-infant trauma
Bio: Beatrice Beebe Ph.D. is Clinical Professor of Psychology (in Psychiatry), College of Physicians &
Surgeons, Columbia University; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric
Institute. She directs a basic research lab on mother-infant communication. She is faculty at several
psychoanalytic institutes, and she has a private practice for adults and mother-infant pairs. She is author or
co-author of 6 books and 77 peer-reviewed articles. The most recent book is The mother-infant interaction
picture book: Origins of attachment (Beebe, Cohen & Lachman, Norton, 2016). For a decade she directed a
pro bono primary prevention project for mothers who were pregnant and widowed on 9-11 (Beebe, Cohen,
Sossin, & Markese, Eds., Mothers, infants and young children of September 11, 2001: A primary prevention
project, 2012). A documentary film about her research is available (website of the Psychoanalytic Electronic
Publishing [PEPweb], Mother-Infant Communication: The Research of Dr. Beatrice Beebe, by Karen
Dougherty, 2016).
Joan Friedman, 10 – 12 PM Bulgarian time
Title: How to Nuture Individuality and Cherish the Twin Bond
Abstract: My presentation will address the following issues: being noticed is not the same as being
„known“; life is not fair and twins are not equal; deconstructing the „twin mystique”.
Bio: „A gifted psychotherapist, identical twin, and parent of fraternal twin sons, Dr. Joan A Friedman is
uniquely qualified, professionally and personally, to educate twins and their families through the
experiences and emotional needs they encounter. Twin development is very much her personal journey
and professional specialty. Dr. Friedman’s confidence and down-to-earth delivery earns her fans from peers
to patients worldwide. She is uniquely qualified to get to the essence of twin issues and problems quickly,
yet deeply and conclusively, with an intimacy and simplicity that audiences respect and understand. Her gift
is her personal investment and outside-of-the-box embrace of not one, but numerous psychological
theories and practices. Dr Joan A Friedman is the author of Emotionally Healthy Twins: A New Philosophy
for Parenting Two Unique Children, and The Same but Different: How Twins Can Live, Love, and Learn to Be
Individuals. Her latest book, Twins in Session: Case Histories in Treating Twinship Issues, published in 2018,
is a book written for psychotherapists and educators who require specialized knowledge and insight about
twin psychology. Dr Friedman consults with culturally diverse groups of twins around the world with a focus
on adult twins and the issues they confront as they adjust to life as singletons after years of being raised
together.
