X Open Seminar on Philosophy and Psychiatry: „The Rituals of Recovery and the Process of Change in Mental Health”

The OSFP Foundation invites you to the anniversary conference: X Open Seminar on Philosophy and Psychiatry titled „The Ritual of Recovery and the Process of Change in Mental Health,” which will take place on November 30 – December 1, 2024, in the Maria Ossowska Hall at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Warsaw, at 3 Krakowskie Przedmieście Avenue.

The title of the conference refers to reflections on the dominant cultural tendency to emphasize rituals associated with illness, diagnosis, and treatment. It indicates the need to create equivalent social rituals of recovery that support the return to fuller functioning and promote education leading to positive change. By highlighting the importance of the processes of change and education accompanying recovery and the celebration of recovery rituals, it is possible to achieve a more adequate and comprehensive understanding of mental difficulties and life crises. We hope that this change in perspective will influence the collective consciousness and individual experiences of those struggling with mental health issues and contribute to building a therapeutic community based on principles of cooperation, diversity, and respect for the values associated with mental health decisions.

The inspiration for organizing this event is the establishment of the Mazowiecka School of Recovery by the OSFP Foundation. This is the first full-scale social support facility in Poland for people with experience of mental health crises, operating within the recognized Recovery College model.

The entire event revolves around the question: „How complex and multidimensional is the subject of mental health and the functioning of therapeutic cultures?” which will be explored in the context of, among others, the following specific issues:

  • Different perspectives and dimensions of mental health
  • Psychological and somatic dimensions of health and the recovery process
  • The language of mental health: experience, crisis, disorder, or mental illness?
  • The multiplicity and pluralism of therapeutic cultures and conceptual models
  • Ambiguity and complexity of psychiatric diagnoses
  • Diagnostic difficulties: rare and common mental disorders
  • Psychiatric diagnosis vs. the meaning of mental experiences
  • Medicalization vs. romanticization of mental experiences
  • Stereotypes and trends in mental health
  • Unspoken assumptions of therapeutic methods
  • Self-diagnosis of mental disorders
  • The experience of the self in a mental health crisis
  • The significance of personal narratives in the recovery process
  • Personal and social transformation in the context of mental health
  • The role of education and cooperation in the „Recovery College”
  • Literary and artistic approaches to mental health

Confirmed participants include:

  • Prof. Paweł Łuków – Faculty of Philosophy, University of Warsaw
  • Dr. hab. Andrzej Kapusta – Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
  • Dr. hab. Marcin Moskalewicz – Philosophy of Health Laboratory, Poznan University of Medical Sciences
  • Dr. Konrad Banicki – Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University
  • Dr. Mira Marcinów – Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences
  • Dr. Jakub Tercz – OSFP Foundation
  • Dr. Marcin Rządeczka – Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
  • Dr. Maciej Wodziński – Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
  • Mgr Anna Sterna – Philosophy of Health Laboratory, Poznan University of Medical Sciences

Participation in the conference is free and does not require registration.

The possibility of submitting 20-minute presentations will be announced in September.

Main Organizer

  • Open Seminar on Philosophy and Psychiatry Foundation

Co-organizers and Partners

  • Institute of Philosophy, University of Warsaw
  • Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
  • International Network for Philosophy and Psychiatry
  • ImROC (Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change)
  • Psychiatry and Computational Phenomenology Team, IDEAS NCBR
  • Laboratory of Mental Health Philosophy at the Department of Social and Human Sciences, Poznan University of Medical Sciences

Media Patron

  • „Psychiatrist. Journal for Practitioners”

Public task co-financed from the budget of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship.



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