Emotion Revolution is an international psychotherapy congress, initiated by the Institutt for Psykologisk Rådgivning in Bergen, Norway.
The congress is based on the following foundation: Human beings relate to themselves and to the world in individual and diverse ways. This diversity is reflected in the field of psychotherapy. Therapeutic approaches range from focusing on rational thinking to non-conceptual experiencing; from contemplating practices to exposure through behavioral experiments; from primal expression of impulses to a focus on down regulating emotions. Different approaches to change will serve different needs for different people at different times. We see the diversity in our field as both necessary and fruitful.
At the same time, there are models and approaches within our field that claim superiority. One example, which also represents our current zeitgeist, is the metaphor of the human mind as a computer or an information processing unit. Even though this metaphor can serve us well in explaining important aspects of human functioning, we believe it can also provide us with a skewed view on what it means to be human. Firstly, this metaphor does not put human experience at center. Secondly, emotions and emotional pain can be perceived as irrational mistakes in programming. Even though emotions are being put more to the fore in the field of psychotherapy, they are often treated as secondary to other mental processes. Thirdly, this metaphor does not sufficiently highlight fundamental human motivational aspects, such as seeking connection, experiencing love and confirming our identity. We believe the Emotion Revolution is needed for several reasons. It is needed to unite voices that are talking about emotions and the experiencing of emotions as the key point of interest to the field of psychotherapy. It is needed to improve our understanding of emotions and how they change. It is needed in order to influence the current zeitgeist by communicating knowledge to the world about the importance of experiencing and processing emotions. And it is needed in order to make the world a more emotion friendly place. Our belief is that this will lead to better communication, more tolerance for diversity, and ultimately aid the human race in helping our entire planet prosper.
We wish to highlight that participants who devote themselves to the entirety of the conference get a course certificate, stating that they have attended a 24 hour course. Norwegian psychologists will be eligible to earn 24 maintenance hours required by the Norwegian Psychology Association to keep their specialist status.
In the podcast series Emotion Revolution we will focus on the psychotherapy conference Emotion Revolution and have conversations with the key note speakers that will speak at the conference.
"Emotions where named a lot in my family, and I felt mastery when I had a name for how I was feeling … I ended up having a range of feelings, enjoying even feelings that are difficult, like sadistic wishes – sometimes they can be fun to feel! And mourning is a process that can be kind of sweet, not just miserable."
"I was quite professionally depressed … I am going to retire, because I am never gonna win this battle to get recognition … But things began to change. I became less bitter, less angry and less defeated. But still quite angry. I think my anger drove me. It drove me to have a voice that could be heard."
A new episode in our Emotion Revolution podcast series is out! This time, Axel S has a great conversation with Ann Weiser Cornell. In fact, here's what Ann herself said after previewing the episode: "I really enjoyed listening to this interview! I was freshly struck by what a great interviewer Axel is. I felt so understood, it was practically a therapy session itself! The conversation was a wonderful example of emotions and life carrying forward."
What is the unconscious? In the fourth episode of our engaging podcast series, neuropsychoanalyst Dr. Mark Solms, Professor at the University of Cape Town and one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Emotion Revolution conference, sheds light on this question. In the episode, we also get to hear how his brother's life influenced his career choice to unravel the mysteries of the brain and soul.
For many years you have talked about me. Behind my back. Over my head. Shouting at me. At times you haven't even acknowledged my existence, and never have you truly listened to me. I want this to change. I need you to be with me. Sit down with me, and take me seriously. Stay with me long enough for me to tell you about my deepest longings and my heartfelt needs. If you do, I will fuel your voice in the world with magic power and create human connections for you. If you won’t, I will likely cause hell. It's up to you!
I am emotion.
The conference will take place in Bergen’s largest conference venue, Grieghallen. The venue is located in the middle of the town center, at Edvard Griegs plass 1. To have a look at the venue, please visit Grieghallen. The conference will have a hospitality desk at the venue during the entire duration of the conference week, and our hosts will be happy to assist you with any questions you might have.
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