INVITATION

The Greeks have no word for “relational.”  There is no need for one. For over three thousand years the foundational ideas of the Greeks have been relational in nature. Whether mythos or logos dominated their cosmologies the central core value was the individual in relation to others. The dialectical tension between the Apollonian principle of order and form-giving and the Dionysian principle of chaos, dream, and intoxication mirrors the processes of discipline and creativity so central to the clinical relational experience. No less a thinker and teacher than Socrates asserted, “And if the soul is to know itself, it must look into a soul.” 

The internationalism of the relational sea change in contemporary psychoanalysis is now a reality. This conference will highlight metamorphosis and the importance of clinical dialogue across cultures bound by language, class, gender, history and ethnicity. It will identify points in which the sensibility of the individual clinician intersects with and goes beyond cultural and theoretical borders. The clinical cases,
theoretical papers, and workshops presented will stress clinical process and relations among processes from the physical and psychological, through the mythological and the practical realities of life.

The eternal city of Athens, with its unique culture and history, will act as chorus to bring to light the
dialectical tension between praxis and ideals. Athens is not just about broken statues and the
Parthenon. It is a modern city of great cultural excitement, energy, and inspiration. We invite psychoanalysts and psychotherapists of all persuasions and from all parts of the world to attend our conference. In the spirit of the Greeks, we are interested in dialogue.

Alexis Mordoh & Spyros D. Orfanos
Conference Co-Chairs