Announcements

Mehmet Sungur was elected as a member of the European Federation of Sexology Executive Board in January 2014.

She was awarded the "gold medal award" by the European Federation of Sexology for her contributions to the fields of couples therapy and sex therapy.

UPCOMING CONGRESSES/CONGRESS PRESIDENCIES/TRAININGS

 

III. National Congress on Cognitive Behavioral Therapies with International Participation – November 14-17, 2013 – Istanbul – www.kdtdkongreleri.org

First of all, on behalf of our association, I would like to thank you for your interest in the 3rd National Congress of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Association (KDTD), which I previously announced. The scientific program for our congress, which will be held in Istanbul between November 14-17, 2013, has been finalized, and with the contributions of our valuable participants, scientific events have been organized in 5 separate halls running parallel to each other. The announcement regarding the congress is attached for your information. You can find detailed information about the congress at www.kdtdkongreleri.org and www.kdtd.org.

The scientific activities to be held at our congress include "pre-congress working groups, in-congress working groups, expert meetings, conferences, and panels." To facilitate participation in the pre-congress working groups, it has been made possible to attend these groups without attending the congress. Simultaneous translation will be provided for the pre-congress working groups.

The experiences we gained from the International Congress on Cognitive Therapies that we organized in 2011 revealed that there are diverse needs in the field of CBT throughout the country, and that we need to address these needs in order of priority. To partially meet these needs, in addition to our own efforts, we invited professionals who are experts in various fields, striving to give our national congress an international character. For this purpose, we chose the theme of our congress as "Difficult Cases – New Approaches." Today, I will try to inform you about the activities of our guest speakers, the details of which you can find in the attachment.

With the hope of providing some answers to the questions of whether therapy can be conducted in outpatient settings (not in its current form, but in humane conditions) and, if so, what types of therapies and how to apply them, we invited Prof. Jesse H. Wright, author of books on the subject, some of the most widely read by the APA. He will shed light on the topic of "CBT applications in outpatient settings" and will lead a pre-congress workshop titled "Achieving High Efficiency with Short Sessions in CBT Applications." Dr. Wright is the former president and founding member of the Academy for Cognitive Therapy (Beck Academy or ACT), and in 2001, at the European Association for Cognitive Therapies (EABCT) Congress in Istanbul, he presented a workshop on "Internet-Based CBT Applications," a field considered quite innovative at the time. He will give a conference on the same topic this year. He will also lead a half-day workshop titled "CBT Approaches to Increasing Treatment Participation.".
We invited Professor Robert Taylor Segraves to lead a working group that examines cognitive behavioral approaches used in the treatment of sexual dysfunction within a bio-psycho-social context. The pre-congress working group is titled “Bio-psycho-social approaches in the treatment of sexual dysfunction.” The half-day in-congress working group will focus on “Sex therapies in the treatment of difficult and complex cases.” The conference topic will be “Changes to the DSM 5 Diagnostic Criteria for Sexual Dysfunction and the rationale behind these changes.” Dr. Segraves has served as the head of the APA Psychosexual Disorders Unit to date and is a clinician and researcher who has played significant roles in the definition of psychosexual disorders in DSM III-R, DSM IV, DSM IV TR, and DSM 5. He is also a former president of the Association for Sexual Therapy and Research and currently serves as the editor of the journal Sex and Marital Therapy.
Aware of the increasing importance and role of CBT in Child Psychiatry practice, we have invited Dr. Maria Ceu Salvador to this congress, as in all our congresses, to share updated practices specific to this field. She has successfully served as the general secretary of the European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT) and has previously given presentations in Istanbul at our invitation, which were very well received. This year, she will lead a pre-congress working group titled "The Use of CBT Techniques in Children with Anxiety Disorders." She will also conduct an in-congress working group titled "Specialized Group Therapy Applications in the Treatment of Social Phobia in Adolescence." Her conference topic will be "Understanding and Controlling Exam Anxiety in Young People.".
Given the importance of residual symptoms in treatment-resistant depression, the role and significance of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) are increasingly growing in both preventing relapses and recurrences. Furthermore, the question of which interventions, particularly during euthymic periods, can reduce exacerbation in bipolar disorder has long been a focus of CBT. We invited Professor Edward Craighead from Emory University to lead a pre-congress working group on CBT in bipolar disorder. He is the editor of "Clinical Psychology Science and Practice," a publication of APA Division 12, and gave valuable presentations at our 31st EABCT congress in 2001. He will also lead a half-day working group entitled "School-Based CBT Applications in Depression Prevention." The conference topic will be "Mechanisms for Change and Predictors of Treatment in CBT Applications Used in the Treatment of Major Depression.".
Dr. Leslie Sokol, Founding Member, Vice President, and Education Director of the Academy for Cognitive Therapies (ACT), is also among our invited guests. She will be leading a pre-congress workshop on the Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale (CTRS), used to assess therapists' cognitive therapy skills during the ACT certification process, and on "CBT in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: An Experiential Process." She will also conduct a half-day workshop on "CBT in Difficult and Complex Cases: Overcoming Treatment Barriers." The conference topic will be "Building Self-Esteem in Youth.".

I believe this congress, where many valuable colleagues from our country as well as our international guests will be giving presentations, will be beneficial in increasing knowledge and skills related to our field.

We look forward to seeing and getting to know all our colleagues interested in this subject at this congress, and we expect your participation and contributions, as we are aware that the scientific level of the congress will be enhanced by you, the participants.

Kind regards

Mehmet Sungur

43rd EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR BEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE THERAPIES (EABCT) CONGRESS – 25-28 SEPTEMBER 2013 – MARRAKECH – www.eabct2103.org

The European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT) Congress, organized annually in different countries and by different member associations, will be held in Marrakech this year from September 25-28. At the scientific committee meeting, which I also attended, and at the EABCT semi-annual meeting in March, the issue of determining the participation fees for participants from our country was discussed. Although Turkey is no longer considered a developing country in terms of finances (!), the message stating that discounted fees will be applied to participants from our country can be found below.

This year's EABCT congress, unfortunately, coincides with our National Psychiatry Congress. Knowing and hoping that it will not be an alternative to the National Congress, I would like to point out that this year's EABCT congress is being held in a very interesting location and has been prepared with a very high-quality program. I know that a great deal of effort has been put into creating the program. You can find the content and other details of this congress, in which I will also participate with a conference, a working group, and various presentations, at www.eabct2013.org.

As stated in the message below, we hope to see at least some of our friends from our country who are interested in this topic at this congress.
With love

Mehmet Sungur

WORLD SEXUAL HEALTH DAY – SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 – www.facebook.com/4sept

For the past four years, September 4th has been designated as 'World Sexual Health Day' by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). This special day, which we have celebrated for the first three years in our country through various events and which continues to be celebrated in many countries around the world, aims to inform all people, without discrimination, about sexual health, one of the most fundamental health rights, and to ensure that sexual issues are discussed openly and respectfully. Considering that the sexual sphere is filled with a great deal of inappropriate and inaccurate information, an effort to replace such information with more realistic and healthy information is a fundamental condition for building healthy relationships on a foundation of a healthy sexual life.

The task of representing Turkey in organizing various events and making September 4th a tradition has been assigned by WAS to Prof. Dr. Mehmet Z. Sungur, a faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine and President of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Association. This year's theme for Sexual Health Day, as determined by WAS, is "Sexual health for all in a world of diversity." This theme seems quite meaningful in terms of emphasizing the importance and respect that should be given to differences and different preferences within the concept of globalization, and in terms of enabling discussions about sexual rights. WAS has stated that the same event will be held in many countries across 5 continents. When selecting themes for Sexual Health Day, either topics related to global themes (such as the International Year of Youth) are chosen, or fundamental needs that can be developed and improved are considered. Differences are one of the most fundamental and unavoidable aspects of sexuality. Difference is not only a characteristic to be tolerated or accepted, but also a concept that should be embraced as a symbol and provider of the richness of human experiences. However, equality is often equated with similarity. Yet, differences are not a concept contrary to equality; learning to live with differences is an important need in human societies.

Discrimination and the violence that accompanies it against children, women, people of different sexual orientations, and people from different religions and cultures are far more prevalent than anticipated both worldwide and in our country. However, it is not yet possible to say that fundamental steps aimed at reducing such violence—which can be summarized as prevention, protection, and service provision—have been taken in our country or in many other countries. On the other hand, homosexuals and transgender people also emerge as at-risk groups facing significant discrimination in society and in the workplace.

Last year's activities were carried out in collaboration with Beşiktaş Municipality. Professor Dr. Mehmet Sungur, on behalf of WAS, invited everyone who wished to listen or contribute to a round table discussion on sexual rights and sexual health, free from all prejudice and discrimination, and to answer various questions on the subject, on September 4, 2012 at 6:30 PM. Besides Professor Dr. Mehmet Sungur, participants included Mesude Ersan, a writer for Hürriyet newspaper; Ziyneti Kocabıyık, President of the Education and Health Reporters Association; Volkan Yılmaz, representing the LGBT community; and Professor Dr. Volkan Korten, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Marmara University. After presenting on topics such as various factors and societal responsibilities in improving the sexual health of women, children, and marginalized groups, media and violence, media and sexual health, violence against women and children, violence and abuse against marginalized groups, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and misinformation about sexuality and sexual health, the speakers continued their discussions interactively with the audience. A key objective of the meeting was to maximize audience participation.

A similar event will be held this year. An announcement regarding this will be made soon.
We are honored and pleased to have the participants present and to receive their contributions.
Mehmet Sungur

VIII. TURKISH-GERMAN PSYCHIATRY CONGRESS – September 18-21, 2013 – IZMIR – http://turk-almanpsikiyatrikongresi2013.org
We are honored to invite you to the 8th Turkish-German Psychiatry Congress, themed "Living Together with Differences," to be held at the Dokuz Eylül University Continuing Education Center (DESEM) in İzmir from September 18-21, 2013 (http://turk-almanpsikiyatrikongresi2013.org).

We hope that the theme of our congress will be in line with the events of our time, and that it will address and discuss living together with differences from psychological, cultural, and social perspectives.

The deadline for abstract submissions for the VIII Turkish-German Psychiatry Congress has been extended to July 5, 2013. Further details can be found in the congress announcement in the attached file.

The Turkish-German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Health has been regularly organizing congresses in Türkiye and Germany since 1994. These congresses are expected to create important and valuable scientific and social exchange environments for professionals working in the field of mental health. This year, in Izmir, a city offering many options in terms of both history and social context, we are preparing a program that emphasizes both transcultural characteristics and clinical applications. The first day of the congress is dedicated to working groups led by leading figures in their fields. The following days will feature half-day working groups, panels, and conferences.

The theme of "Living Together in Diversity" has been carefully chosen as one of the most fundamental universal needs of our time. We invite all colleagues interested in this topic and all professionals working in the field of mental health to contribute to our congress.

We would also like to share another innovation that we are organizing for the first time this year and plan to organize in future congresses. The Pfeiffer-Özek Scientific Research Award, established in memory of our association's founders, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Pfeiffer (deceased) and Prof. Dr. Metin Özek (deceased), who pioneered cooperation and information exchange in the field of transcultural mental health between Turkey and Germany, will be given to the best poster selected from among those submitted to our congress.

We are aware that the scientific level of our congress, which will also heavily feature clinical applications, will be enhanced by your participation, and we look forward to your attendance and contributions.

With love and respect

On behalf of the Congress Organizing Committee,

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Z. Sungur,
Congress President (Istanbul)

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Maier,
Congress President (Bonn)
EFS-ESSM INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON SEXUAL HEALTH AND SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION 29 January-2 February 2014 AND THERAPIST TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION EXAM 25-28 JANUARY 2014 – ISTANBUL – http://www.europeansexology.com/efscongress2014-letter.htm

Dear List Members,
An international congress on Sexual Health and Sexual Dysfunction will be held in Istanbul from January 29th to February 2nd, 2014, in collaboration with the EFS (European Federation of Sexology) and ESSM (European Society for Sexual Medicine). This congress will be the first joint congress organized by these two major European associations that annually organize scientific activities in the field of sexuality. As can be seen from the attached announcement, this congress is the 14th international congress of the EFS, of which both KDTD and CETAD are members, and the 16th international congress of the ESSM. Initially, the organization of the EFS congress was assigned to KDTD, with the presidency given to me. When the ESSM congress was also to be held in Istanbul that same year, it was decided, through a joint effort, to combine these two major congresses and organize them as a single event. During the congress, some activities will be joint activities of both associations, while others will be activities specific to each association. While ESSM congresses focus more on andrology-related topics, EFS congresses place more emphasis on psychosocial approaches. As co-chair of the congress, I invite colleagues interested in this major event and look forward to their active participation. Information regarding participation is provided in the attached announcement. Although the congress dates are announced as January 29-February 2, entirely Turkish-language scientific activities will be held on January 28.

More importantly, and in another first, those who successfully complete a training course given by EFS and ESSM instructors between January 25-27, 2014, and pass the exam on January 28th, will receive a certificate approved by both EFS and ESSM. Attending the pre-exam course is not mandatory to take this exam. I will share the exam eligibility requirements with you once they are finalized. For now, only the information attached is available. It is hoped that such a certification process will make a small but significant contribution to reducing the misuse of the field. After I was elected co-chair of the exam committee, I raised the issue of whether it would be possible to translate the exam questions into Turkish for professionals participating from Turkey. A definitive answer to this question has not yet been given. I will inform you again when it is clarified. This training and exam, aimed at increasing the competence of those working in the field of Clinical Sexology and sexual medicine, represents a first. Previously, the exam, conducted only by ESSM, was primarily aimed at urologists and andrologists. This year, we are making an effort to organize a different and more holistic examination for psychiatrists and psychologists working in the field. I hope that some of our colleagues will volunteer to take such an internationally recognized exam.
I am sharing this information with those who may be interested.