Plenary IV: Family Therapist – Love as a Vocation

ABSTRACT

Dialogue and love – these keep people in relationships and people and their relationships alive. Without love and dialogue there would be no human life, families, communities, or societies. Welfare and mental health of a person is bound to the people important to him/her and his/her relationships with them. According to dialogic concept of man, self and therefore mental health are intersubjective, i.e. welfare and mental health lie in human interrelation.

The profession of a family therapist is to help people and support their welfare. The task is to contribute to person’s subjective knowledge and ability to overcome difficulties in life. Therefore, the work of a family therapist also aims to help people in their love affairs and love related issues.

During plenary I challenge participants to think about their own personal experiences of love. The aim is also to help participants explore what kind of experiences of love they have in their work as family therapists and how to discuss about love with people.

I will also share my own experiences of love and read letters written in therapy context, including stories and descriptions of love’s significance to human welfare.