Reflections from the 26th Congress on Personal Construct Psychology: Insights, Encounters, and Ideas
From June 27 - 29, 2025, the city of Belgrade welcomed one of the largest personal construct psychology (PCP) conferences in recent memory. Organized by the PCP Center from Belgrade, the congress brought together a vibrant and diverse community of scholars, practitioners, and students, united by a shared interest in the evolving relevance of George Kelly’s work in today’s world.
A total of 270 participants took part in the conference—189 attended in person at the welcoming and sunny venue in central Belgrade, while another 81 joined via the streaming platform, allowing for wider international participation. Attendees came from 16 countries across five continents, including Australia, Austria, Bosnia, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The conference theme, Closeness and Alienation in a World in Crisis, created space for timely and necessary dialogue. Politics, often seen as a difficult and rarely traveled terrain in the PCP community, was taken up head-on, with presentations exploring the constructivist dimensions of democracy, freedom, human rights, war, genocide, collective trauma, and the responsibilities of the self in politically charged contexts. These themes resonated deeply with participants, prompting rich discussions and cross-cultural reflections throughout the sessions. The current student protests in Belgrade created a relevant backdrop for these discussions.
Three keynote speakers offered particularly thought-provoking contributions.
A notable figure in the PCP community, prof. Larry Leitner talked about Constructive Alternativism and the Assault on Truth. Jonathan Raskin’s presentation discussed some recently declassified CIA files detailing George Kelly’s involvement with the agency, adding new and important insights for our understanding of PCP’s history. The conference was also happy to invite the group analyst Farhad Dalal, who discussed the current supremacy of CBT in the psychotherapy world, its origins and ethical issues, especially as they pertain to the deliberate misuse of science to produce an evidence base.
Beyond the formal program, the conference fostered a sense of community, connection, and open exchange. Whether in panel discussions, informal conversations, or shared meals, participants engaged with one another, sharing ideas, experiences, and commitments to PCP and constructivism more generally.
As the echoes of the final plenary faded and attendees returned to their home countries, what remained was a strong sense of renewed purpose for the organizers and a reminder that our community needs more opportunities to bond and exchange ideas, a renewed sense of activity that ACMP hopes to bring. The conference not only highlighted the enduring relevance of PCP but also demonstrated how constructivist thought can offer powerful tools for addressing some of the most urgent questions of our time.
