Flexibility and diversity in therapeutic work with families and children
We are very happy to invite you to a conference in beautiful Kaunas in Lithuania.
In these days it is even more important to meet each other cross borders than ever.
To exchange knowledge and get to know people interested in working with children,
families and other peoples in need of help are essential. We need each other, and we are
happy to continue the cooperation between our countries.
Welcome to the conference!
(EVENT WILL BE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE!)
Conference program
Friday 14th of April
09.30 Registration/coffee
10.00 – 10.45 Opening of conference
11.00 – 13.00 Rolf Sundet — What do we do when evidence-based methods don’t work...
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 14.30 Aušra Pundzevičienė — To be brave and humble in therapy
14.30 – 15.30 Vita Vaitkienė — The curing relationship: Existential and narrative perspectives...
15..30 – 1600 Coffee break
16.00 – 18.00 Jardar Nes and Gjertrud Myrhaug — Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. What, who...
1930 – Dinner and party evening
Saturday 15th of April
09.30 – 13.00 Lynn Stadler — Gestalt therapy: Finding Islands of solid ground working with children...
10.45 Coffee break
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 15.30 Lars R. Lund — Narrative practice: “Take a sad song and make it better”
15.30 – 15.45 Coffee break
16.00 – 17.30 Lars R. Lund — Client resources: “The heart of gold”
1730 – 1800 Closing event
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Conference lectures and lecturers
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – what is it, who is it for and why does it work?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy for people who experiences emotions quite
intensely, struggles with emotional dysregulation and who self-harms and/or has reoccurring suicidal
thoughts or actions. DBT is a manualized treatment model based cognitive behavioral psychology in
combination with learning theory and dialectical zen philosophy. It’s main components are individual
therapy, skills training group and phone consultation with their therapist. As Marscha Linehan (the
developer of DBT) states: “My main goal for people who come into therapy is that they get out of hell. That’s
my first goal and my second goal is that they stay out of hell. Therefore we teach skills because skills are
aimed at helping individuals build a life that is worth living.”
Jardar Nes – family therapist and master`s in special needs education, child and adolescent psychiatry
outpatient clinic Elverum, Sykehuset Innlandet HF, Norway
Gjertrud Myhrhaug – clinical psychologist, child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic Hamar,
Sykehuset Innlandet HF, Norway. Both members of DBT Team BUP Hamar
The Clients and Us?
“Take a sad song and make it better!” Examples from Narrative practice, like; Externalisation, writing
new stories, making “thin” stories “wider” etc. I will show and give examples from my own practice.
“Heart of gold”. We are all interested to improve our work, and one of the ways of doing this is to include
the clients into the process with us. How can we use the clients’ own resources, and use their knowledge of
their own life in our practice? Is this possible?
Lars R. Lund (N) is the current leader of NBO, he is trained and educated in Narrative Practice and Family
therapy (MA). He will also share examples from practice and some “poems” he has written the last 20 years.
The curing relationship: “Existential and narrative perspectives in children psychotherapy"
I focus on the relationship (the first and essential condition in psychotherapy, the point where the story,
experience and change start) and understanding of the client. The subjective meaning of experience. The
idea of not-knowing. The way I see and hear my client and follow them in their stories, this becomes a point
where narrative and existential thinvking meets. The presentation is my modest attempt to look at some
concepts from both perspectives and present these ideas using examples.
Vita Vaitkienė, Lithuania, Clinical psychologist, existential psychotherapist.
What to do when evidence-based methods don’t work? A researcher and practitioner perspective
Two special interests are in perspectives on returning to the real as a necessary focus in therapeutic practices and
conceptualisations, and psychotherapy as a process of making.
Rolf Sundet is specialist in clinical psychology and professor emeritus at the University College of Southeast
Norway, Drammen. He is also a freelance supervisor and consultant. He has published in both English and
Scandinavian books and journals.
“Humbra” - the balance between being humble and brave
I will share some ideas about being flexible, meeting clients where they are (being humble) and together
with that standing firmly on our feet and having courage to be present, authentic, transparent in
relationships with clients.
Aušra Pundzevičienė, Lithuania — psychologist psychotherapist, supervisor, grounding on existential and
gestalt therapy approaches.
Finding Islands of Solid Ground working with Children, Adolescents and Parents
When I consider taking a new client, I have some ideas about how the work will begin, but there are many
open questions. First, WHO is the client? Individuals, parents, family? - I'm flexible in this! There is no strict
protocol in terms of unit of treatment. I have no rules. If there are multiple issues, where do we begin? What
if a client is mandated to therapy? I enjoy meeting the entire system where it's at. It's essential to be flexible
and open in order to be in the now, to share a creative process with clients that allows change, pivoting, and
normalizing the organic process of Gestalt therapy, of healing. I'm open and curious, and hopefully I role
model those qualities for clients so they can find their own patience, hope, and trust in our process.
Lynn Stadler — MA, MFT is a Gestalt psychotherapist and licensed Marriage Family Therapist in private
practice. She works with children, adolescents, and adults. Clinical Psychologist and Gestalt therapist from
Santa Barbara Training Centre. In this session she shares cases and how she navigated and found solid
ground in the change and healing process.
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Information
This time you are responsible of your travel and to sign in at hotel, we have an agreement with Kaunas
Hotel. As soon as you are signed in you will receive a formula you need to make a hotel reservation (rooms are about 66 - 103 eur per person).
Participants fee
If you are registered and paid before 1st of March, the fee is: €140
Later registrations: €170
Fee includes 2 days conference, coffee breaks, lunches, and Friday party with dinner.
NB! For hotel and travel, participants make reservations and pay themselves.
Links for registration to the conference: REGISTRATION
You can also register by mail to Ausra or Lars, please give the mail address and mob. nr.
Contact information and responsible for the conference:
Aušra Pundzevičienė, zpstudija@gmail.com, mobile nr. +370 610 45805
Lars R. Lund, lars.robert.lund@outlook.com, mobile nr. +47 91397726
If you have any questions about the program or registration you can call or mail us.
Hotel reservation form and info about rooms:
| reservation_form_nbo_conference_april_of_2023.pdf |
Participants fee should be paid to the account:
Receiver: UAB "Zmogaus psichologijos studija"
Company code: 300561755
Account numer: LT43 7044 0600 0542 9384
Bank: SEB bank
Swift: CBVILT2X
Payment for: NBO conference 2023
