THE 50TH NATIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS

The 50th National Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists, 2024 was an educational and inspiring conference for the trainees of PDCP (2023-24). The event was hosted at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore and highlighted the theme of ‘Clinical Psychology in India: Retrospect and Prospect.’ On the first day of the conference trainees attended a symposium on ‘Mindfulness and School Children: Concept, Utility and Challenges’ led by Dr. Laxmi Narayan Rathore and Dr. Zorami Khiangte from Mizoram University. Chaired by Dr. M N L Mathur and Dr.Ranjeet Kuma. Insights into the significance of the East’s cultural influences on the development of mindfulness was a noteworthy point elaborated through the presentation. In the second half of the day trainees attended paper presentations by participants of the conference. Also, Isha Munshi trainee of PDCP (2023-24) presented her paper in the scientific session on that day. On the second day of the conference they attended paper presentations and symposiums on different enlightening topics. Wherein one paper was presented by the department faculty Ms. Anuja Chaturvedi in the scientific session. Following this they attended an interactive session conducted by Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology, Dr Monica Sharma. The session was on the ‘Other side of Therapy - Challenges Faced by Therapists, and was chaired by Prof Mata Prasad Gupta, CIP Ranchi. The session truly embodied ‘learning is fun’, Dr Monica Sharma managed to captivate the audience with her presentation, interactive activities and words of advice based on her years of experience as a practitioner and trainer in the field of psychology. Through the session everyone learned the importance of maintaining our own mental health as therapists, the value of taking time out for oneself and engaging in activities that bring us joy, fulfilment and peace. We learned the difference between empathy and sympathy, and how to maintain the balance between caring and becoming emotionally invested with patients. I also learned that one cannot pour from an empty cup, which is why self-care and self-love only helps to make us better therapists. Apart from this Dr. Monica Sharma chaired one of the session in the conference and was part of the panel discussion held on the topic of future of clinical psychology. On the third day of the conference trainees attended an interactive session titled "Decoding the Mind’s Canvas: Exploring the Rorschach Inkblot Test via Exener’s Comprehensive System," led by distinguished professionals including Dr. Ranjit Kumar, Dr. Deapti Mishra, Shweta Sharma, and Dr. Anwesha Mondal. The interactive session brought not only a revision of the administration, scoring and interpretation of the test, but also an elaboration on the history of the scoring system’s use and development in India. The speakers highlighted how to conduct the Rorschach, including manner of seating, manner of addressing patients and clients through a live demonstration, and the overall do’s and dont’s of conduction. The speaker elaborated on the scoring process and how to avoid errors in judgement. Following this, in the second half of the day other PDCP trainees Arshia Mathur, Isha Sherawat, Kavya Tyagi, Khushi Malhotra, Mishanka Odoyoth and Tanya Kaushik presented their papers in the scientific sessions organized by the conference. To conclude the day trainees attended the closing ceremony, where Mishanka Odoyoth one of the PDCP trainee (2023-24) was awarded for Best Paper in the scientific session. It was a privilege to be a part of the closing ceremony as everybody had the opportunity to hear a speech from one of the founders of the NACIACP. In conclusion, the conference was a remarkable experience for all of the trainees.