Words from the EFTA President

Hello to everybody, I am Umberta Telfener, the new President of EFTA.

I am very honored to have received this assignment which I personally care very much about.

I am in EFTA since 1991, first as an individual and from 2010 representing the Milan Institute of Family Therapy (Luigi Boscolo and Gianfranco Cecchin). I become a member of the TIC Board in 2016 and from November 2020 I was its Chair. Now I will act as your President and intend to do my very best.

Six are my goals:

1. Consolidate the great change we have reached in the last year – among others the trustful collaboration among Chambers and the Statutes change – in order for EFTA to continue the trusting relationship we have formed;
2. Use resources to help the Chambers build research networks aimed at increasing publications and grants and, most important, extend research methodologies to capture what we do. I think we could do it joining the practitioner’s research;
3. Provide collaboration with Chambers to keep an interested contact with the systemic world for continuing training: as trainers we cannot stay still.
4. Create a space for the young generations, looking for options for their growth and occasions to test themselves;
5. Connect EFTA with the international community, with other worldwide systemic Institutions, building also strong links with EAP.
6. Monitor the overwhelming threats to human wellbeing, ecosystem survival and mental health posed by climate change and biodiversity loss, that seems denied by mental health professionals as a form of collective denial.

I intend to finish this greeting note telling you something about me: I live in Roma, Italy, work in private practice and supervise private and public Institutions. I worked for 10 years in a Mental Health public structure, was an adjunct at the Health Post Graduate School of the University of Roma La Sapienza.  l feel l am bossy but a listener, generous, strategic, I enter into conflict if needed in order to resolve issues and to enhance advancement, I am energetic and have leadership spirit and time.

Starting my mandate I thank the former President Monica White for holding EFTA in difficult times and take the lead hoping to follow her path and hoping in your feedback and active help.