Developmental Ruptures and Nurturing Resilience Conference
On May 4, the Department of Psychology and Professional Counseling at Webster University Geneva organized a one-day international conference on the topic of Early Developmental Ruptures and Nurturing Resilience.
This event focused on the significance of ruptures in feelings of trust and safety for human development, the ways in which this development is marked by ruptures and relational missatunements and how our neuroplasticity and the bonds of deep emotional connection and co-regulation facilitate healing and nurture resilience.
The conference featured two keynotes, by Susan Hart and Cherine Fahim, six workshops (on topics ranging from neuroscience and attachment to play therapy and the value of resilience), and a panel discussion.
The two keynote speeches from the event:
- Dr. Susan Hart - Attachment and resilience in early development
- Cherine Fahim - The brain-behaviour relationship in early life trauma
The event was well attended by 60 participants from Geneva, from Switzerland and abroad, and included the participation of current students of the department’s MA in Counseling and alumni, as well as practitioners and researchers in the fields of early development, trauma, attachment and resilience.
It represented a unique opportunity to exchange ideas about these important themes, to get to know the state of the art, and discuss best practices.
This is part of a series of annual conferences organized by the department that will continue in 2020.