Opening ceremony

Thursday 21 September 16:00 – 16:30

The Symposium will begin with an opening ceremony in the plenary room in the Ionic Centre. The hosts of PCE Symposium 2023 and the Hellenic Focusing Center will warmly welcome you. We intend that the opening ceremony will set the tone for a successful and memorable Symposium. The organisers will also use this opportunity to introduce the keynote speakers and the presenters and thank special guests, sponsors, and partners who have made the event possible.

Welcome drinks

Thursday 21 September 19:30 – 20:30

Everyone is invited to enjoy a welcome drink in the Central Hall, while meeting each other, reflecting on the first keynote address and celebrating the beginning of the Symposium.

The ‘Start of the day’ meeting

Friday 22 September – Sunday 24 September 09:30 – 09:45

The beginning of the day is the time where we will welcome you and make important announcements about the programme for the rest of the day. The conference organisers will also provide practical information that relates to the administration of the conference. We encourage all participants to attend this meeting as the beginning of our time together for this particular day.

Keynotes

Thursday 21 September 16:30 – 18:00
Friday 22 September – Saturday 23 September – Sunday 24 September 10:30 – 11:45

Every day of the Symposium, keynote speakers have been invited to present on the conference’s theme: Welcoming Polyphony in a Changing World. Maria Malikiosi-Loizos, Siebrecht Vanhooren, Jo Hilton and Manu Bazzano form a strong group of speakers who will share with us their unique perspectives on the main theme or related subthemes.

Short Presentations

Friday 22 September – Saturday 23 September 12:15 – 13:15

Individual presenters will offer theoretical or practice-focused papers, related to the Symposium theme and subthemes in a 30-minute time slot. Each presentation will be grouped as far as possible with another short presentation on a similar theme. There will be a moderator in charge of introducing the speakers, controlling the time, and facilitating possible audience questions following the presentations.

Workshop / On-line workshop

Friday 22 September – Saturday 23 September 14:30 – 16:00

Each workshop will create an interactive environment on a topic associated with the symposium theme that gives the participants time and space for exploration, encouraging engagement with the subject through experiential exercises or other methods like discussions or practical tasks.

Home groups

Thursday 21 September 18:30 – 19:30
Friday 22 September – Sunday 24 September 09:45 – 10:30

Home groups are small groups of people that will be formed at the beginning of the Symposium and remain the same until the end. Each group can find a quiet and pleasant place within the venue where they can meet each other every day. These daily gatherings will be a “safe place” that “feels like home”, where you can share your thoughts and feelings, exchange ideas or thoughts about the themes of the Symposium, or even reflect on your own experience at the Symposium. The purpose of a home group is for participants to get to know each other personally and as openly as they can, feeling free to exchange current experiences and emotions.

Roundtable and community meeting

Friday 22 September – Saturday 23 September 16:30 – 18:00

All the attendees will come together in the plenary room on Friday and Saturday. The participants will have the opportunity to unfold their reflections and emotions regarding the Symposium theme: Welcoming Polyphony in a Changing World.

Closing ceremony

Sunday 24 September 12:15 – 13:15

The closing ceremony of the conference is the final gathering of those who came together to share, learn, and build relationships during the days of the Symposium. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on our experience, to celebrate new friendships, inspiring conversations and any progress made in better understanding of the conference theme. We will also share our hopes and aspirations for the future of Person-Centred psychotherapy.