Program Schedule

April 14, 2026
Arrival in Erice
  • 21:30-23:00 - After-dinner reception

April 15, 2026
Workshop Opening and Welcome
  • 08:30-09:15 - Opening remarks : (Stefano Parmigiani, Paola Palanza)
  • 09:15-09:30 - Introduction by the workshop organizer : (Marco Del Giudice)
Morning session
  • 09:30-10:20 - Reimagining psychotherapy: evolution, genetics, and the next generation of cognitive behavioral therapy : (Mike Abrams, New York University, Albert Ellis Institute,USA)
  • 10:20-11:10 - Quick to anger, slow to recover: an evolutionary model of anger treatment : (Ray DiGiuseppe, St.John's University,USA)
  • 11:10-11:40 - Coffe Break
  • 11:40-12:30 - The meaning of menopause: implications for treatment : (Lidia D. Abrams, Albert Ellis Institute,USA)
  • 12:30-14:00 - Lunch
Afternoon session
  • 14:00-14:50 - Framing an ecological turn in psychotherapy: towards a radically interpersonal model of life history and clinical staging : (Simone Cheli, St. John's University, USA)
  • 14:50-15:40 - The future of evolutionary approaches to psychotherapy: convergence, diversification, and outstanding questions : (Marco Del Giudice, University of Trieste, Italy)
  • 15:40-16:20 - Coffee break
  • 16:20-17:45 - Roundtable and discussion with the speakers
Evening
  • 21:30-23:00 - Social get-together

April 16, 2026
Morning session
  • 09:00-09:50 - Is sustained negative emotional processing adaptive? : (Leif Kennair, Norwegian University of Science and Technology)
  • 09:50-10:20 - Can evolutionary insights improve psychotherapy? A randomised controlled trial on test anxiety : (Ronja Lavinia Schmoll, University of Zürich, Switzerland):
  • 10:20-11:10 - Cognitive Evolutionary Therapy for Depression – protocol, effectiveness, challenges : (Cezar Giosan, University of Bucharest, Romania)
  • 11:10-11:40 - Coffe Break
  • 11:40-12:10 - Clinician’s attitudes to evolutionary versus genetic explanations for anxiety: a cluster-randomised study of stigmatization : (Adam Hunt, University of Cambridge, UK)
  • 12:10-14:00 - Lunch
Afternoon session
  • 14:00-14:50 - Integrating evolutionary theory with contemporary evidence-based psychotherapy : (Daniel Glass, Sasco River Center)
  • 14:50-15:10 - Schizophrenia as mental entropy: an evolutionary model and therapeutic protocol for treating alien paleognosia and restoring Homo sapiens neognosia : (Tullio Scrimali, University of Catania, ALETEIA, Italy)
  • 15:10-15:40 - Genomic architecture of psychopathology: evolutionary trade-offs and general fitness : (Sophie Breunig, University of Colorado - Boulder, USA)
  • 15:40-16:20 - Coffee break
  • 16:20-17:45 - Roundtable and discussion with the speakers
Evening
  • 21:30-23:00 - Social get-together

April 17, 2026
Morning session
  • 09:00-09:50 - The basic adaptive nature of human mental functioning : (Francesco Gazzillo, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)
  • 09:50-10:20 - Control-Mastery Theory and severe autonomic dysregulation: a possible integration : (Pierre Gilbert Rossini, University of Turin, USA and Chiara Fasolino, Centro Clinico Lume)
  • 10:20-11:10 - Interpersonal motivational systems in attachment-informed therapy : (Lucia Tombolini, ARPAS, SITCC, AIPA, Italy)
  • 11:10-11:40 - Coffe Break
  • 11:40-12:10 - Interpersonal Motivational Systems and Control Mastery Theory: a dialogue between two evolutionary theories : (Emanuele Bruno, Centro Clinico Lume)
  • 12:10-14:00 - Lunch
Afternoon session
  • 14:00-14:50 - The Relational/Multi-Motivational Therapeutic Approach (RE.MO.T.A.): an integrative and comparative approach combining relational clinical knowing and motivational system theories : (Antonella Ivaldi, SITCC, IARPP, SEPI, Italy)
  • 14:50-15:20 - Trait interpersonal motivational systems and psychopathological dimensions : (Rosario Esposito, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, SPC, Italy)
  • 15:20-15:50 - Belonging, intersubjectivity, and relational security: a control-mastery perspective on human motivation : (Alessandro Carbocci, Centro Clinico Lume)
  • 15:50-16:30 - Coffee break
  • 16:30-18:00 - Roundtable and discussion with the speakers
  • 18:00-18:30 - Wrap-up and final communications
Evening
  • 21:30-23:00 - Social get-together

April 18, 2026
Departures