Dear Friends

Welcome to the 38th EABCT congress in Helsinki! However, why to come to Helsinki? In Helsinki you meet a distinctly northern European atmosphere with a unique Finnish soul. Helsinki is comfortable and welcoming, and also luxuriously cool. Its residents are disciplined and punctual with northern craziness. Even if there has been some doubts, you can get good food in Finland, come and taste it. And there has never been any doubts about our capacity to organize and celebrate, you can try it. However, the most important reason to come to Helsinki is that without coming you can’t participate in the Helsinki congress.

Why is it worth participating in the Congress? The Scientific Programme has been prepared in consultation with the international panel of experts and the main theme of the Congress will be based on Development. The presenters, who are leaders in their field, will take a good and many-sided look at what is going on in their field. Their addresses can be found on the following pages and can concern for example the following issues: How we mirror others? What are the new approaches in Metacognitive Therapy? New advances in Schema Therapy? New directions to Parenting Interventions in public health? What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy? How you can facilitate Post-Traumatic Growth in clients with Complex Trauma? Come and update your knowledge! Don’t forget symposia, posters, open papers, panel debates and free discussions. The timetable will be programmed in such a way as to allow you to meet experts and colleagues. Last but not least, our aim is to give life also to the closing ceremonies and as part of this aim we have formed a Helsinki Chorus - as polyphonic Cognitive and Behavioural therapies.

Soili Kajaste, Congress President

Raimo Lappalainen, Congress Vice-President

Irma Karila, Chair of the Programme Committee