DGAP Symposium 2025: Tribute to Earth – In search of future prospects

From March 21 to March 22, 2025, the German Society for Analytical Psychology (DGAP) will host its annual symposium at Sankt Georgen University of Applied Sciences in Frankfurt am Main. Under the theme Tribute to Earth – In Search of Future Prospects, the event will provide a space for reflection and dialogue on the pressing challenges facing both the field of analytical psychology and society at large. Designed with commitment and creativity, the symposium aims to foster exchange, inspire new ideas, and explore how depth psychology can contribute to a sustainable and meaningful future.

The symposium opens on Friday with internal DGAP meetings, including the training analyst committee and the training candidate gathering. Those not participating in these sessions will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition Country Bin Pull’em: A Common Look Back at the Weltkulturen Museum Frankfurt. In the late afternoon, attendees will come together for a large group session led by Gerhard Wilke, followed by the general assembly of the DGAP.

The main public program begins on Saturday with a keynote lecture by renowned risk researcher Ortwin Renn, titled Post-Factual Uncertainty: The Gap Between Perception and Reality in Risk Assessment. This thought-provoking presentation will examine the ways in which subjective perception distorts our understanding of risk, an issue of increasing relevance in an era marked by misinformation and social polarization.

The morning session continues with a series of keynote presentations that explore the psychological and philosophical dimensions of contemporary crises. Stefan Wolf will discuss the struggle to maintain reason in an age of uncertainty, while Carsten Caesar will reflect on the impact of external crises on inner psychic space. Barbara Gollwitzer will explore the challenges of navigating the overlap between personal and collective identities in therapy, and Elisabeth Schörry-Volk will examine the role of myth and narrative in restoring a sense of coherence when the world seems to be unraveling. Finally, Bernd Gramich will offer a cosmological perspective on the meaning of our shared crises.

The afternoon features a selection of workshop seminars, providing attendees with an opportunity for deeper engagement. One discussion group will reflect on the morning’s keynote lectures, while other sessions will explore topics such as the role of political outsiders in psychotherapy, the relationship between radical discourses and analytical psychology, and the psychological dimensions of apocalyptic thinking. A film seminar on Naomi Kawase’s Vision (2018) will offer a contemplative cinematic perspective on themes of nature, time, and human longing.

In the second block of workshops, participants will have the opportunity to explore self-care and burnout prevention, the wisdom we can learn from the Earth, and the psychological impact of German-Russian identity in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war. A dedicated resonance room will also be available for open discussion and reflection on the symposium’s themes. The evening will conclude with a final large group session, followed by a celebratory dinner at Rinaldo Rinaldini, accompanied by live music.

On Sunday, for those who wish to extend their experience, a historical tour will guide participants through key sites of psychoanalytic history in Frankfurt. Led by Hans-Joachim Rothe, the tour will visit locations significant to figures such as Karl Landauer, Erich Fromm, S. H. Foulkes, and Berta Pappenheim, offering a fitting conclusion to a weekend dedicated to reflection, renewal, and the search for future prospects.