1. History
AAP has been created in March 2002 initiated from a group of mental health professionals from the domains of psychiatry, psychology and social work. This development was due to some activities that this group has undertaken from autumn 2000 when there have been the first contacts with representatives from EAP (European Association for Psychotherapy). In the first steps this initiative was strongly supported from the World Health Organisation and the Albanian Development Center for Mental Health (ADCMH). Those activities consisted in periodic meetings discussing professional literature and planning the continuity. Mainly the training consisted in the application of interested professionals to participate in a complete formal psychotherapeutic training, and also in the selection procedures from the applicants list. This phase was successfully conducted by the Mental Health Program of the WHO office in Tirana and the ADCMH and also has been coordinated with the academic level in the Clinic of Psychiatry of the University Hospital Center in Tirana. The activity of this group of professionals grew up intensively needing also an organisational structure that would make possible the continuation of the work started.
The foundation meeting of the Albanian Association for Psychotherapy was held on 8-th of March 2002.
During its existence, the AAP has undertaken some initiatives to fulfil the objectives it was created for that also are the core of its status.
In collaboration with EAP and Sheffield University in the UK , AAP members could participate in the distance (online) training “SEPTIMUS” honoured with the respective certificates. The credits awarded from this training are also eligible for the European Certificate for Psychotherapy (ECP).
During these years, there have been organised periodic seminars leaded from EAP trainers ( Prof. Alfred Pritz and Elisabeth Vykoukal). It has been a crucial and moment when AAP applied and implemented a one year project financed from Soros Foundation. This project covered the organisation and the implementation of training activities from December 2004 to December 2005. It have also been possible to collect and purchase some books that are part of a modest library aiming to support not only the AAP members but also students and other interested individuals to get familiar with the theory and practise of psychotherapy and its founders.
2. The Status
under construction...
3. Activities
SEPTIMUS (Strengthening European Psychotherapy through Innovative Methods & Unification of Standards) is a one year online training, organized and financed by Sheffield University, Great Britain, Consultancy Dilemma in Human Relations and by Leonardo da Vinci program, EU, which has been offered for several years to students and professionals of the psychotherapy field in different countries of Europe. It goes beyond combining theory and practice, to learning from others and with others, under the supervision of qualified teachers, using the technological developments. This program hasn’t been open for Albania, but it was offered for the members of the Albanian Association for Psychotherapy, during 2003-2004, under the special care of the two main trainers of AAP, Prof. Alfred Pritz, general secretary of the European Association of Psychotherapy, and another member of EAP, Dr. Elisabeth Vykoukal. 17 members of AAP were certified through this training. Its credits are counted as part of the fulfillment of the criteria for achieving the European Certificate of Psychotherapy.
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On July 31, 2005 , a group of psychoanalysts from the Institute for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in New Jersey met with the members of the AAP in Tirana , Albania . 
The discussions were focused on the following themes: Defense Mechanisms – used as therapeutic material, Dream Analysis and Transference & Countertransference.
The psychoanalysts - guests have graduated from psychoanalytic institutions in the United States . They all have a Certificate in Psychoanalysis.
Gardinier, Julie P., Ph.D
Kraus, Cecele MSW, LCSW and
Kraus, Gerald MA.
http://www.ippnj.org/
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On August 12, 2005, Shelley Orren-King, CSW, the executive director of Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training, New York held an introductory training on Gestalt Theory and Therapy with the members of AAP in Tirana, Albania.
The agenda of the training included: “Theory of Organismic Self Regulation for Survival and Growth”, “Layers Theory” and “Tools and Interventions for Integration”
www.gestaltnyc.org
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