Ep 17: On the Handbook of Online Systemic Therapy, Supervision, and Training

Purchase the online handbook of online systemic therapy, supervision and training here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-92225-1

Today’s conversation focuses on the Handbook of Online Systemic Therapy, Supervision, and Training: Practice and Research, and on the evolving possibilities and challenges of systemic work in digital spaces. I’m delighted to be in conversation with the editors, Valeria Pomini and Maria Borcsa, whose volume brings together contemporary thinking on online systemic therapy, supervision, and training across a range of clinical and educational contexts.

Maria Borcsa, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Applied Sciences in Nordhausen (UASN), Germany, licensed psychological psychotherapist (CBT), family therapist, trainer and supervisor. She is founding member of the Institute of Social Medicine, Health Care Research and Rehabilitation Sciences at UASN, co-editor of the scientific journals “Systeme” (2001-2014), “Psychotherapie im Dialog” (2007-2019), member of the Editorial Board of  the journals "Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology", “Contemporary Family Therapy”, advisory editor of “Family Process”, associate editor of “Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy”, and founding editor of the EFTA Family Therapy Book Series. She has been board member of the Systemic Society (Systemische Gesellschaft), German Association for Systemic Research, Therapy, Supervision and Counseling (2005-2011); board member of the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA) (2007-2016), Chair of the Chamber of National Family Therapy Organizations of EFTA (2010-2013), and President of EFTA (2013-2016). Her research interests focus on qualitative methods in mental health and on globalized families. In 2019, she received an award from the European Family Therapy Association for her excellence in the research field of family therapy and systemic practice.

Email Maria here: Maria.Borcsa@hs-nordhausen.de

Valeria Pomini, PhD

Valeria Pomini, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist, trained in systemic family and couple psychotherapy at the Milan School of Family Therapy in the 80s. She lives and works in Greece, where she co-founded the Family Therapy Unit (1988) and of which was Scientific Coordinator  (2009-2023) at the First Department of Psychiatry, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is also the co-founder and co-director of the 4-year Training Course in Systemic Family and Couple Therapy (member of EFTA-TIC), established in 1992 at the University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Medical Precision Research Institute “Costas Stefanis” (UMHRI) in Athens. She has a wide experience as supervisor in public mental health institutions, since the last thirty years. Her research and clinical interests focus on the intersectionality of mental health problems and family relationships, with a special interest in early psychosis, substance abuse and other severe youth psychological disorders, couple therapy, and digital practices in mental health. She is member of the editorial committee of the Journal of Systemic Thinking & Psychotherapy and the Journal of Psychosocial Systems. She is founder member, board member and past-president (2004-2010) of the Hellenic Systemic Thinking and Family Therapy Association – HESTAFTA and co-chair of the Psychotherapy Committee of the Hellenic Psychological Association ELPSE.

Email Valeria here: vpomini@med.uoa.gr

Questions we discussed in this episode:

Your work on this book started before COVID. What were the biggest shifts you observed in systemic practice from the pre-COVID period to the post-COVID period, and what did the research outcomes suggest about those shifts? Overview of the book chapters/ contents/etc

The book is positioned for family therapists across Europe and beyond. What patterns did you notice in how MFTs use systemic therapy across different European contexts, and what do you