THE MEETINGS TILL 1996
The meetings started in the early 80s as meetings of the Boards of German speaking associations, became more international and changed into meetings of the Associations as such (with delegates, not necessarily being Board Members), regularly attended by Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Holland. After Cologne (Germany, 1993), Gmunden (Austria, 1994) and Aachen (Germany, 1995) in 1996 it took place in Zurich (Uetliberg), Switzerland, with people from Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Zurich it was decided to once more try to invite associations from other countries.
THE 1997 MEETING IN KASTERLEE, BELGIUM
In this regard the 1997 meeting was a great success, for the first time being this broad and representative. Unfortunately nobody from England, Scotland, Ireland, Hungary, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy etc. was present, although the organizers tried to invite as broad as possible.
The 1997 meeting took place in Kasterlee, Belgium, from October 24-26, 1997, hosted by Stan van Asbroeck and the VCCgP in Belgium.
Participants were:
Stan van Asbroeck (organizer), Greet Timmermans, Jean Marc Priels (Belgium),
Hiltrud Gruber, Elisabeth Zinschitz (ÖGwG), Peter F. Schmid (APG/IPS) (Austria)
Hubert de Castelbajac (France)
Paulus Wacker (Germany)
Ioulios Iossifides (Greece)
Paul Prussen, Alfred Groff (Luxembourg)
João Hipólito (Portugal)
Vladimir Hlavenka (Slovak Republic)
Anne Wunderle (Switzerland)
Paul de Jager (The Netherlands)
(14 persons, 10 countries, 12 associations)
THE RESULTS OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT A EUROPEAN NETWORK
at the meeting of the European associations in Belgium, 1997
As was already proposed at a "lunch meeting" in Portugal on the occasion of the IVth ICCCEP, some countries, especially Germany, brought forward the idea of a European Association. Among the reasons were:
Support for those associations which are not recognised in their countries (or where the PCA is not yet legally accepted, e. g. Germany)
Participation in the process of the detailed regulations of the European Certificate for Psychotherapy (which was decided by the EAP, the European Association for Psychotherapy)
EAP: Contact and membership
Cooperation and similiar issues (see the proposal for the foundations of the statutes)
Presence of the approach on a European level (conferences, e. g. WCP 1999)
During the discussion it became clear:
it should be a NETWORK of associations and organisations (thus making clear the local autonomy in national and inner affairs) who fulfil certain standards (see proposal for statutes) with the focus on psychotherapy and counseling; no membership for individuals; no interfering with the agenda of the World Organization (WAPCCP),
to try to get into contact with the EAP and to consider a later membership in order to have supranational recognition of PCT/CCT,
to send Paulus Wacker from Germany, who was already invited by the EAP, as a formal delegate of the European associations present in Belgium, to the next meeting (in London) where the European Certificate will be negotiated
that the best mutual support will be to try to gradually develop standards for psychotherapy training (similiar to those the EAP already has declared),
that it is best to have a close cooperation with the European person-centered counsellors,
to cooperate intensively with the WAPCCP and to adopt its principles,
to pay special attentions to socio-political processes to ensure the continued contribution of the paradigm in health, social insurance, education, academic contexts etc.,
the delegates of the associations and institutions should meet annually.
In the months after the meeting the proposal for the statutes, formulated by Peter F. Schmid, should be discussed Europe-wide in the organisations and associations with feedback to Stan van Asbroeck until spring 1998.
On the basis of this feedback a proposal for the statutes will be worked out and submitted to the 1998 meeting in Luxembourg for decision, where the Network was planned to be founded.