Children Unhappiness and Long-Term Traumas by Professor Maurizio Andolfi

This session is open to the public. 

Sypnosis of Workshop:

The presence of fathers, mutual trust and stability of marital relationships, parents' differentiation of Self from the family of origin, loyalties among generations, social and community belonging, and spiritual beliefs are relevant factors for healthy family functioning. Harmony in the family provides a sense of safety and happiness in the child. The dynamic balance between belonging and autonomy is a key factor in child and adolescent growth. With this presentation Professor Andolfi describes an experiential model of therapy that looks at children's unhappiness from a multigenerational perspective; young children and adolescents who have been emotionally, physically, or sexually abused present serious psychological symptoms or psychiatric disorders. They grow up in a family context where intergenerational dis-functions and traumas have never been worked out, often buried and not spoken for years. The younger generation is overloaded with anger, betrayal, hidden secrets, losses, family cut-offs, and violence of "before",  which is still "cooking in the house" or rather continues to simmer and affect the family members. Hence including "wounded children" in family therapy is a special opportunity to elicit their resources amplifying their voice and activating extended family resilience. Searching for authenticity and forgiveness is an important therapeutic goal to heal long-term traumas and restore health and happiness in the present life of individuals.

Our Speaker: Honorary Consultant Professor Maurizio Andolfi 

Maurizio Andolfi, is a family therapist who initially trained as a child psychiatrist. He lived in New York City in the early 70’s where he worked extensively in the South Bronx, and later in South Philadelphia with disadvantaged families. During his time in the USA, Andolfi studied with Salvador Minuchin, Jay Haley, as well as Carl Whitaker in the following years. Dr. Andolfi is Professor of Psychology at La Sapienza (University of Rome), Director of the Accademia di Psicoterapia Familiare in Rome Italy, and Editor-in-Chief of the Italian family therapy journal: Terapia Familiare. In 1999 he was the winner of an American Association of Marital & Family Therapy award for Special Contribution to Marital and Family Therapy. He's the Co-Founder of the European Family Therapy Association and the past-President of the Italian Family Therapy Society. He contributes to the Andolfi Family Therapy Centre by providing training and supervision.

Closing date for registration: 23 September 2024