Annual Conference
Each year we host an annual conference to be held in different regions. So far, nine conferences have taken place. The following is a record of our previous conferences.
2023: 8th Annual Conference in Hong Kong
Our 8th Annual Conference that was held in Hong Kong from October 27 to 29, 2023, attracted an impressive 306 participants from diverse locations, including 100 from Hong Kong, 76 from China, and attendees from countries such as Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. We were delighted to welcome representatives from esteemed organizations like the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the European Family Therapy Association, as well as editors from influential journals in the field, creating a vibrant environment for discourse. Keynote addresses by Wai-Yung Lee and Maurizio Andolfi set a collaborative tone, while experts shared insights on relationships, therapist training, and the healing of intergenerational wounds.
The introduction of three language-specific institutes allowed participants to exchange ideas in their native languages, highlighting the conference's commitment to cultural diversity. A standout moment was the post-conference workshop by Maurizio Andolfi on adolescent suicide prevention, which resonated deeply with attendees. The conference commenced with a Ch'an Drum performance from the Dharma Drum Mountain Hong Kong Centre and concluded with a peaceful tea ceremony, reinforcing our theme of "Connecting and Reconnecting Families and Family Therapy Communities." Overall, the event fostered a strong sense of unity and a shared vision for future collaborations among family therapy associations worldwide.
Participants expressed a profound sense of connection and dialogue throughout the conference, a feeling that was especially welcomed after the isolating experiences of the pandemic. This vibrant atmosphere of collaboration and understanding was not only refreshing but also essential for rebuilding the sense of community. We believe this conference marks the beginning of many meaningful exchanges to come, laying the groundwork for ongoing discussions, shared learning, and strengthened bonds among family therapy professionals across the region and beyond.
2021: 7th Annual Virtual Conference in Seoul, Korea
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The 7th Annual Conference was held in Seoul, Korea from October 22-24, 2021. The conference was organized by the Korean Association of Family Therapy and a total of 302 participants joined the virtual conference. The conference theme was "Family Therapy in Dynamic Asia" and was kickstarted with keynote speeches from Drs Wai Yung Lee, Dong-hyun Ahn, John Miller, and Ping-chuan Hsiung. This conference marked the first time we were able to "gather" in two years.
2019: 6th Annual Conference in Batam Island, Indonesia
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The AAFT 6th Conference, “Shades of Spirituality and Beyond – Family Therapy Practice in 21st Century Asia” was successfully concluded in Batam Island, Indonesia on 9th July 2019. A total of 150 professionals attended the conference, including participants from Korea, Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, and Australia. The conference began with a keynote address by our President, Dr Wai Yung Lee, titled, “Spirituality in 21st Century Asia –The Spirituality of Capturing Children’s Voices in Family Adversity”, which set the tone of the conference as well as a stage for inspirational exchange and sharing amongst participants from all regions.
2018: 5th Annual Conference in Taipei, Taiwan
The AAFT 5th Annual Conference, "In Search of Diversified Families: The Development, Ecology, and Future of Family Therapy in Asia" successfully concluded in Taipei on Sunday 28th October 2018. Over 200 participants from all over Asia and abroad attended the event. The opening keynote, “Dancing with Asian families: Dialogue on Differences and Similarities” by our President, Wai-Yung Lee, set the tone for dialogue for the 3-day conference, which included inspiring exchange and sharing amongst participants from all regions. The conference concluded with Maurizio Andolfi’s post-conference workshop, "Sadness, Self Harm and Suicide Attempts In Adolescents - How To Elicit Resources From Extended Families And Community", which once again reminded us of the importance of including children in family therapy.
2017: 4th Annual Conference in Tsukuba, Japan
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More than 140 participants from over 17 countries participated in the AAFT 4th Annual Conference, which was held in Tsukuba, Japan from Nov-1 to Nov-4 2017. Wai Yung Lee delivered an opening keynote on “Working with Trans-generational Families”, and our affiliates, Irene Kam, Dickson Chow, and Alex Cheung delivered a brief presentation entitled, “Two Cases of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – from an Individual Treatment to a Systemic Treatment Approach”. Our Assistant Clinical Director, Elaine Fong, and Research Associate, Viviana Cheng, also delivered a presentation on our Family Biofeedback Assessment protocol. The presentations received very positive feedback, and professionals from various countries have expressed interest in research and clinical collaborations.
2016: 3rd Annual Conference in Shanghai
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Our 3rd Annual Conference was successfully concluded in Shanghai on 16th October 2016. Almost 650 people registered for the conference, marking the first time so many professionals gathered together under the auspice of family therapy. On top of the keynote delivered by Wai Yung Lee, Clinical Director, Joyce Ma, Clinical Co-Director, presented her work on children with ADHD, the three psychiatrists from our team, Irene Kam, Dickson Chow, and Alex Cheung also presented their work on how to bring family therapy back to psychiatry, and our Research Associate, Viviana Cheng have joined Meng Fu to present our protocol in assessing children.
The International Committee has also set up four sub-committees, each of which will focus on important issues in our field.
2013 and 2015: 1st and 2nd Annual Conference in Hong Kong
The conferences featured presentations from prominent therapists in Asia and were attended by more than 50 professionals from all over Asia.