President of EATA 2001 until 2004

In my sailing boat I have a sign that says “I’m the captain of the ship and I have my wife’s permission to say so.” Although this is humorously meant, I think it fit well with my new situation in EATA. ”I was the new president of EATA and I had the Council’s and the members’ permission to say so”.

I’m a TSTA in psychotherapy and a member of ITAA and EATA since the start of EATA in 1975. Actually my primary sponsor for the TSTA, Michael Reddy, was the first president of EATA. The work for a joint handbook (together with ITAA through TACC) was an important task, because it stresses main directions for EATA: co-operation, connection and internationalism. When sailing you learn to navigate well, keep the course, and then work yourself through all hinders like wind, weather, waves and rocks and with a cooperative crew you will reach the destination sooner or later. Working for a joint manual is that kind of a practical task.

image045We (my wife Annika and I) invited and welcomed trainers in Europe to come to our hometown Malmö in Sweden on EATA’s first arranged two days European TA Trainers Meeting in 2003. We were more than 100 participants.

Integration has been a key word in many areas. The growing and integration of new affiliated countries from Eastern Europe and the work with the Core Competencies (CC) in the different fields of application were important themes during my presidency.

Text taken from the EATA newsletter 2001