ISTFP
June 4, 5, and 6, 2026
9th ISTFP Biennial Conference in Vienna
English – In person (Vienna)
Otto Kernberg, Stephan Doering, Frank Yeomans, Nicole Cain, Irene Sarno, Richard Hersh, New York, Chiara De Panfilis, Mark Solms (online) and many others
We are pleased to invite ISTFP members to submit their work for the Research Symposia. The deadline for submission is February 28, 2026. Follow the Information link to find all the information to submit abstracts. You will also find information about the ISTFP Research Award.
Description
The ISTFP Biennial Conference brings together many of the field’s leading clinicians and researchers for an in-depth exploration of key developments in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy. Core themes include how TFP enhances love and work, its application across varied clinical contexts, the dynamics of love and aggression, the treatment of childhood trauma, and contemporary revisions of drive and affect theory. The program features major faculty members such as Frank Yeomans, Eve Caligor, John Clarkin, Stephan Doering, Chiara De Panfilis, Richard Hersh, Nicole Cain, Irene Sarno, Karin Ensink, Lina Normandin, Alexander Sheppe, and Otto Kernberg. A special guest, Mark Solms, will join by videoconference to present on contemporary revisions of the Freudian theory of drives and affects. Additional sessions cover group and couple TFP, supervision, adolescent interventions, sexuality, hysteria, and the new ISTFP teacher-supervisor curriculum, offering a comprehensive immersion in current TFP thinking and practice.
Dear Colleagues and Friends, We are pleased to invite you to submit your work for the Research Symposia of the upcoming 9th Biennial ISTFP Conference. We will meet in Vienna (Austria) on June 4-6, 2026. The deadline for submission is February 28, 2026. Below, you will find all the information to submit abstracts. You will also find information about the ISTFP Research Award. Research Symposia have always been a lively part of ISTFP conference programs, and we are looking forward to receiving your contributions! This time, we will also have a poster session, so please check out this opportunity for submission too! Best regards Emanuele Preti Chair of the ISTFP Research Committee.
Abstract Submission
Please note that submitting abstracts for the scientific symposia and poster presentations is now possible. Abstracts must be in the English language. You may submit an individual presentation (oral presentation or poster) or propose a panel presentation. Please submit your abstracts with no more than 250 words before February 28, 2026, following the instructions below. You will receive notification of acceptance by March 31, 2026. Follow this link for complete instructions on how to proceed.
Modalities
Follow this link to download the complete program in PDF format.
THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH – Medical University of Vienna
09:00 – 12:00 Pre-Conference Workshops 1-3 (
Dental Clinic) – Separate registration required
Workshop 1
Group TFP (Maria Jesus Rufat, Jonathan Radcliffe, Philipp Martius)
Workshop 2
Workshop 3
Supervision (Luis Valenciano, Irene Sarno, Eve Caligor)
Couple TFP (Barry Stern, Nestor Kapusta)
12:15 – 13:45 Committee Meetings I (
Dept. of Psychoanalysis)
Training and Education
Applied TFP
Public Relations
13:45 – 15:15 Committee Meetings II (Dept. of Psychoanalysis)
Research and Publications
Adolescent
Ethics
15:30 – 17:30 Executive Board Meeting (Dept. of Psychoanalysis)
18:00 – 20:00 Welcome Reception – ALL ARE WELCOME (Courtyard of the University of Vienna)
FRIDAY, JUNE 5TH – 
Austrian National Library
08:00 – 08:30 Registration
08:30 – 09:00 Opening
Frank Yeomans, New York, USA
Stephan Doering, Vienna, Austria
09:00 – 10:15 Plenary “How TFP improves Love and Work”
Nicole Cain, New York, USA
Irene Sarno, Milan, Italy
10:15 – 10:45 Coffee Break
10:45 – 12:00 Plenary “Applied TFP”
Richard Hersh, New York, USA
Chiara De Panfilis, Parma, Italy
12:00 – 13:00 ISTFP Membership Assembly
ISTFP members
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
On your own – Poster session
14:30 – 15:45 Plenary “The Eternal Struggle of Love and Aggression”
Alvise Orlandini, Milan, Italy
Bernhard Brömmel, Vienna, Austria
15:45 – 16:15 Coffee Break
16:30 – 18:30 5 Scientific Symposia
Full list will be available after decisions on acceptance are made
19:30 Dinner Party
Separate registration required, after 21:30 all are welcome for dancing!
SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH – Austrian National Library
08:30 – 08:45 Opening Comments
Frank Yeomans
08:45 – 10:00 Plenary “How TFP Addresses Childhood Trauma”
Karin Ensink, Lina Normandin, Montreal, Canada
Alexander Sheppe, New York, USA
10:00 – 10:45 Award Ceremony
Emanuele Preti
Award Winner’s talk
10:45 – 11:15 Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:30 5 Simultaneous Symposia
Symposium A
Applied TFP (Michael Rentrop, Tennyson Lee, Valeria Fernandez)
Symposium B
TFP-A in Different Settings (Maya Krischer, Brenda Tarragona, Lina Normandin)
Symposium C
Hysteria and TFP (Stephan Doering, Nel Draijer)
Symposium D
Experiences from the New Curriculum for ISTFP Teachers and Supervisors (Luis Valenciano, Irene Sarno)
Symposium E
Sexuality and Sexual Functioning (Miguel Angel Torres, Agnieszka Izdebska, Muza Konina)
13:30 – 15:00 Lunch On your own
15:00 – 16:45 Plenary “Revision of the Freudian Theory of Drives and Affects”
Mark Solms (online), Cape Town, South Africa
Otto Kernberg, New York, USA
16:45 Conference Conclusion
Frank Yeomans, New York, USA
Stephan Doering, Vienna, Austria
Participation Fees
Virtual Participation, June 5/6, main Lecture Hall (no Early Bird Fee) € 250
Workshops, June 4 (no Early Bird Fee) € 150
Early Bird Registration until April 15, 2026
ISTFP members € 300
Non-members € 350
Students € 175
Registration after April 15, 2026
ISTFP members € 350
Non-members € 400
Students € 225
Dinner Party, June 5 € 100
Welcome Reception, June 4 no registration necessary
Refund Policy
Requests for refund, due to cancellation by the participant, made in writing to ISTFP before May 15, 2026 are granted (EUR 100 administrative costs). No refund is granted after May 15, 2026.
Force Majeure
If the event that circumstances beyond the organizers´ control make it impossible to hold the conference as planned (e.g., travel restrictions, natural disasters), the organizers reserve the right to modify, postpone or cancel the event. We kindly ask for your understanding that, in such cases, refund can only be issued based on the actual costs incurred.
Faculty
Stephan Doering, Vienna, Austria
Frank Yeomans, New York, USA
Nicole Cain, New York, USA
Irene Sarno, Milan, Italy
Richard Hersh, New York, USA
Chiara De Panfilis, Parma, Italy
Alvise Orlandini, Milan, Italy
Bernhard Brömmel, Vienna, Austria
Karin Ensink, Lina Normandin, Montreal, Canada
Alexander Sheppe, New York, USA
Emanuele Preti
Michael Rentrop
Tennyson Lee
Valeria Fernandez
Maya Krischer
Nel Draijer
Brenda Tarragona
Lina Normandin
Luis Valenciano
Miguel Angel Torres
Agnieszka Izdebska
Muza Konina
Mark Solms (online), Cape Town, South Africa
Otto Kernberg, New York, USA
Contact
Email at: [email protected]
Registration
You can register by scanning the QR code or following the registration link.
