I am beginning to write this first presidential letter with very intense emotions. Similarly strong emotions are accompanying the start of my service as an ISH President. I listen to words of our motto ‘Building Bridges of understanding’ and search for answers to important questions about the mission of our organisation.
Having in mind Claude Virot’s words – our ISH President in the years 2015-2018 ‘Everything we do today is oriented towards future’ I ask myself where are we now?
Without a doubt – a long line of previous ISH Presidents and previous BODs have built many solid bridges. Kindness, cooperation and professionalism are the terms that, in my opinion, characterise the ISH. I hope that this will also be the case in the future.
ISH congresses, like the regular board meetings, have been accompanied by a good, cordial atmosphere. This has resulted in the formation of numerous great initiatives. Mark Jensen writes about this in detail in his recent letter. Mark – I join you in thanking everyone who has put their heart and competence into building the ISH over the past years. I sincerely thank you for your commitment and especially for your friendly style of leadership of the organisation, your effort to promote hypnosis in Asia and your idea of monthly meetings. I hope you will allow me to continue them.
What challenges do we face? The time of pandemic, the global instability, the war in Europe and the consequences of the climate disaster show us the illusion of the European sense of security and the conviction of the inevitable stability of development.
For the first time in years, the three-year cycle of the ISH world congresses has shifted significantly and we had to wait six years for the next ISH XXII Congress. The possibility of coming to Krakow was in doubt for many participants until last weeks and finally became unavailable for many of our members. These factors required both the BOD and the organisers of the congress in Krakow to work under enormous pressure. We are pleased that the continuity and stability of the organisation was successfully maintained and that specialists from more than 40 countries and six continents participated in the congress. I hope that ‘Cooperation in Hypnosis’, the leading slogan of the Krakow meeting, will remain relevant for a long time.
Changes in recent years highlight the importance of effective work of organisations that take care of mental health. Undoubtedly, this is a challenge for the ISH, which means that we need to strongly promote the knowledge of modern hypnosis and its clinical effectiveness. In recent years, we have developed an on-line training activity, and we should continue to expand it. We cooperate with the European Society of Hypnosis (ESH) and with the American Society of Hypnosis (ASCH). Is it time to think about supporting and creating an African Hypnosis Society and a South American Hypnosis Society, or is it still too early? Are we giving enough support to Constituent Societies and other national hypnosis societies? Are we giving sufficient attention and support to Youth Committee and younger colleagues? There are probably many more questions about the future, and I am sure that together we will meet the challenges. I received a presidential gravel in Krakow. I hope to pass the ISH in good condition in three years’ time with it to Kata Varga the current President Elect. Krzys Klajs