A peek into facets of human nature

The psychology students of Christ University recently attended a three-day international conference where they got a unique opportunity to not only learn the subject in depth but also interact and network with well-known psychologists, researchers, professors and practitioners from all over the world.

Called the ‘International Conference on Counseling, Psychotherapy and Wellness’, the seminar was organised by Christ University in association with the University of Toronto and saw close to a 100 scientific papers being presented. 

In addition to this, there were also many interactive workshops, which were
designed to enable experimental learning. Roy Moodley, an associate professor and director at the University of Toronto, said, “With so much going on in the society these days, it has become crucial to know what it is like to be human. Hopefully through this conference, we can not only focus on some issues but also come up with solutions.”

The highlight of the first day was the presence of keynote speaker-cum-
veteran psychologist, Stanley Krippner.

Having visited the City thrice before, Stanley said he found a great blend of tradition and modernity in Bangalore.  In this visit, he got to meet and interact with some students from the college.

“They are a bright bunch and can go a long way in this field. The conference is a great way for them to become aware of what 21st century psychology is all about and how it acknowledges the spirituality of humans,” he added.

The first day also saw the dignitaries release a book called ‘Book of Abstracts’
followed by a number of presentations. Making their way into the conference were a group of foreign undergraduate students from St Angolaf College from the United States.

This being their first visit to the City, the excited lot was looking forward to many things at the conference. “Learning psychology back home, this conference will give us a good opportunity to network and build our understanding of the subject even more,” said Elizabeth Terpstra.

Her friend Kelly Smith said that the group also planned on visiting Tamil Nadu and Kerala and interact with people out there. “We came with many expectations but I am sure when we return, we will head back with a rich experience,” she added.

The conference ended with the launch of the Indian Chapter of the ‘International Cognitive Analytic Therapy Association’.