Impact. Humbled by the opportunity to make a tiny impact sharing my message of
compassion through leveraging technology. It took a village (literally!) to support me in
presenting my work at my first international conference - for that, I am eternally grateful. The
feedback I received for my presentation was positive, especially from Dr Kao and Dr Miller
who shared the same seminar room with me. A particularly memorable exchange was with
Chun, a child psychology major from Canada who later wrote to me: I attended your
conference about AI and human, it inspired me a lot! Also excited to learn about the
research done on AI and adolescents mental health by Dr Lin. It appears to be an interesting
area of research and Prof. Andolfi said he would like to see my paper on this. Pressure!
Relationships. The spaces in-between are an opportunity to network. Re-connecting with
those from last year’s conference and connecting with new ones. I enjoyed those moments
bonding with David and the Malaysian delegates over meals: Nicole, Selina & husband,
Stephanie, Jaslin and Jun Wei. Thank you all for your stories and love for exploring
Shanghai food together.
Core message. The message repeated throughout this conference doesn’t grow old:
Through the child, the family is brought to the therapy room. Through the family and the
therapist working together, family relationships and symptoms change, further promoting
changes in the family and its members. The challenges faced by children and adolescents
around the world are similar. Watching the masters enter the family seemingly effortlessly as
the therapy session unfolds is still jaw-dropping, awe-inducing. Unconscious competence.
My biggest takeaway from the conference came from Dr Wai-Ying Lee on Day 1 when she
said: It’s ok to be blur. When you are blur, you keep exploring, and you try not to miss
people. It encapsulates what drives me every day: my curiosity and seeking the light in
others. These days, I am less afraid with not knowing.
Summary. One of my new acquaintances, Dr. He Ping (Peace), an ultrasound diagnostic
physician, summarized her experience beautifully: This is an international exchange in the field of psychology. Famous psychology experts from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, the United States, Italy, Australia and Poland gave academic presentations. During the three-day conference, a total of 10 conference reports, 22 forums, 22 workshops and 20 thematic seminars were carried out. Five foreign and five Chinese experts gave the keynote reports of the conference, and more than 20 foreign and 148 Chinese experts participated in academic activities in the various sessions. The contents of the academic conference covered new theoretical frameworks for juvenile dyslexia, family therapy, school-led home-school medical society cooperation model, application of artificial intelligence technology in home treatment, home treatment of anorexia based on biofeedback assessment, family and child and adolescent mental health in the digital age, home treatment in nursing homes in China, and so on. Experts shared how advanced home therapy theories and techniques can be used to boost the motivation of young people to learn. Quality of life, reduction of self-destructive behaviour, and strengthening of the parent-child relationship, with a particular focus on the importance of listening skills and how effective communication can be used to understand the needs of
adolescents, reduce loneliness, and rebuild family relationships.
The three days of the conference ended perfectly. I met many new friends at home and
abroad, obtained the signatures of Professor Maurizio Andolfi and Professor Chen Jun's new book, and added some international expert teachers' WeChat. It was a lot of achievement. I would also like to thank the outstanding teachers in the venue for quickly integrating the lecture materials from various forums in the various venues after each expert's speech and sharing them in the group to facilitate mutual learning and communication. After returning, we would review the content of dozens of textbooks, assimilate them, and finally implement them into practice. Next year's international event will be held in Japan. We'll see you next year.
This reflection was written by Cheryl Ann Tan. Cheryl Tan is an aspiring family therapist with 13 years in the energy industry. Her current work involves cultivating a positive and engaging work environment whilst fostering a strong organizational culture. She lives with her husband, four children and domestic helper in Kuala Lumpur. Cheryl Tan also recently completed the Graduate Certification of Family Therapy programme. Click here for more details.
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