The It’s Complicated Annual Conference
Date: May 31st to June 1st, 2025
Here’s a round-up of our first-ever It’s Complicated Conference. Over the two days we explored the subversive role of psychotherapy in today’s world and celebrated the importance of staying connected to what makes us truly human.
Why this theme?
In the early 1990s, Jungian analyst James Hillman provocatively asked in his book, We’ve Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy and the World’s Getting Worse: “What is the true impact of our therapeutic work in a world grappling with escalating challenges?” Decades later, his words still resonate, prompting us to consider the role of psychotherapy in a time marked by ecological crises, rapid technological advances, and societal pressures that strain our collective psyche.
Psychotherapy has always been subversive in its essence. Not by overtly challenging political structures, but by guiding individuals to confront the inner regimes and rigid beliefs that often give rise to suffering. To be “subversive” is to challenge what seems fixed, to quietly overturn the forces that alienate us from ourselves and others. In this way, therapy offers a unique kind of revolution: one that begins from within and ripples outward, shaping families, communities, and beyond.
In an increasingly noisy world, the therapy room can provide a rare, uncolonized space. At its best, it offers no slogans or manifestos, but rather a sanctuary for reflection, feeling, and reconnection. Here, individuals can find meaning, resilience, and the courage to navigate life’s complexities. This act of bearing witness, creating space, and honouring each person’s journey is profoundly subversive: it reclaims the dignity and intelligence of the human mind in an era enthralled by artificial alternatives.
Conference Programme: The Subversive Practice of Psychotherapy
We had two full days of talks, workshops, and connection with therapists from across disciplines and continents. Here’s what happened:
Saturday 31 May 2025 [Conference Day 1]
Morning:
- 09:00
- Coffee, Snacks, Workshop Registration
- 10:00
- Introduction: The Subversive Practice of Psychotherapy – A Therapist Manifesto
Jakob Lusensky & Johanne Schwensen - The Use of Tarot Cards in Counselling
Elizabeth Ritchie
- Introduction: The Subversive Practice of Psychotherapy – A Therapist Manifesto
- 11:00
- To Be a Tree
Jaz Henry - The Impact of the Menstrual Cycle on Mood and Energy
Julie Haasova
- To Be a Tree
Midday:
- 12:00
- Lunch & Networking
Afternoon:
- 13:30
- Creativity & Addiction: Therapeutic Pathways for Substance Abuse Among Artists
Jen Black - Concentrated Exposure Therapy for OCD
Amir Yassari - Couple Close-Ups: Deepening Relational Attachment Awareness with Film Therapy Through an EFT Lens
Sára Anna Ritter & Zsófia Nyul
- Creativity & Addiction: Therapeutic Pathways for Substance Abuse Among Artists
- 15:00
- Treating Invisible Injuries: Traumatic Brain Injury’s Impact on PTSD, Anxiety & Depression
Dr. med. Sven Markus Richter
- Treating Invisible Injuries: Traumatic Brain Injury’s Impact on PTSD, Anxiety & Depression
- 16:00
- The Art of Bouncing Back: Fostering Resilience in Therapy
Anna Hűvös & Róza Sára Somlai - Sex Positive Therapy in a Sex Negative World
Willow Star Frederick
- The Art of Bouncing Back: Fostering Resilience in Therapy
- 17:00 Closing remarks by the therapists who started It’s Complicated, Jakob & Johanne
Sunday 1 June 2025 [Conference Day 2]
Morning:
- 09:00
- Coffee, Snacks, Welcome Words
- 10:00
- The Politics and Use of Collaborative Narrative Therapy Notes & Documentation
Carolina Pomilio - Recharging the Therapist: Creative Tools for Renewal
Iris Cosar
- The Politics and Use of Collaborative Narrative Therapy Notes & Documentation
- 11:00
- Reclaiming the Body, Rewriting the Narrative: Compassionate Inquiry & Somatic Healing in Therapy (Panel Discussion)
Ariane Füchtner, Claudia Götzelmann, Stefania Herrera Guzman, Yulia Polykina (Moderator: Johanne Schwensen) - TRANCEforming Inner Voices: From Inner Critic to Self-Compassion
Michael Hühn
- Reclaiming the Body, Rewriting the Narrative: Compassionate Inquiry & Somatic Healing in Therapy (Panel Discussion)
Midday:
- 12:00
- Lunch & Networking
Afternoon:
- 13:30
- Questioning Societal Norms Through Logotherapy
Ralf Müller - How Kink Can Strengthen Mental Health
Aranja Berkmüller - Collective Healing and Art
Thuli Wolf
- Questioning Societal Norms Through Logotherapy
- 15:00
- Integrating the Psychedelic Treatment Paradigm in the Mental Healthcare System
Dr. med. Andrea Jungaberle
- Integrating the Psychedelic Treatment Paradigm in the Mental Healthcare System
- 16:00
- Closing remarks by the therapists who started It’s Complicated, Jakob & Johanne
Highlights of the Talks & Workshops
Some sessions we were especially excited about:
Psychedelics in Therapy: Dr. Andrea Jungaberle shares pioneering work integrating psychedelic treatments.
Tarot and Therapy: Elizabeth Ritchie brings tarot into a therapeutic context, challenging taboos.
The Menstrual Cycle and Mental Health: Julie Haasova explains how hormones affect mood and energy.
Trauma and the Brain: Dr. Sven Markus Richter shares his personal journey with TBI and PTSD.
Sex-Positive Therapy: Willow Star Frederick invites us to create radically affirming spaces.
Narrative Documentation: Carolina Pomilio redefines therapy notes as sites of resistance.
Kink and Mental Health: Aranja Berkmüller shows how kink practices can build resilience and connection.
