The 9th ISTFP Conference in Vienna – Much More Than We Expected

Dear Members,

As most of you know, the International Society of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (ISTFP) successfully convened its 9th Biennial Conference from June 4 to 6, 2026. Held in the historic settings of the Medical University of Vienna and the Austrian National Library, this landmark event brought together leading clinicians, researchers, teachers, and trainees around the central theme of integrating science, training, and global development in the continuing evolution of TFP.

Over three intensive days, the international TFP community participated in a remarkably rich exchange of empirical findings, clinical advances, and organizational innovations in the treatment of severe personality disorders.

The conference was an exceptional organizational and academic success. With 530 delegates from 48 countries, it demonstrated the truly international reach of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy. Its extensive scientific program included three clinical workshops, five keynote plenaries, ten thematic symposia, and 29 empirical poster presentations.

A few days before the event, Stephan Doering and his team sent an email to conference participants on behalf of the organizers, sharing some exciting news:

We have an incredible number of registrations – to be precise: 500, which is exactly twice as many as we had expected.

I did not realize it at the time, but those words would come to summarize my entire experience of the conference: it offered far more than I had anticipated. It was not simply larger than expected; it was more intense, better organized, more intellectually rigorous, more emotionally engaging, more respectful, more demanding, and ultimately far more inspiring than I had imagined.