This year, the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia’s Henri Parens Symposium will focus on resilience in the face of violence. The speakers will be Ann Masten, PhD, LP, a distinguished researcher on resilience, and Merav Roth, PhD, Training Analyst and world-renowned trauma expert, as well as one of the organizers of the psychoanalytic on-the-ground response in Israel.   

A case presentation will be given by Salem Eid S. Al Arjani, PhD, a Palestinian psychoanalytic psychotherapist, trauma researcher, and Director of the Mental Health Program at Gaza Children’s Village, which provides daily education, nutritious meals, healthcare, and trauma-informed support to orphaned and vulnerable children through their Academies of Hope. 

Dr. Masten calls resilience “ordinary magic”, a combination of a person’s own adaptive system and their supportive connections with others. In Dr. Masten’s research, she has found that resilience is more common than we may think, even in response to violence. 

Dr. Roth bears witness to the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit through her work with those who have endured profound trauma. 

Please note that the title of this event has changed. It was previously titled “The Henri Parens Symposium: Resilience in Response to Violence & War: Children, Adolescents, & Adults.”

The topics and views expressed at events hosted via affiliated institutes, centers, and societies are solely that of the event speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Psychoanalytic Association.