Editorial

We welcome you to the very first issue of The International Journal of Forensic Psychotherapy. This edition includes articles from around the globe reflecting current psychoanalytic thinking on a broad range of topics relevant to those involved and interested in forensic psychotherapy. Twenty-eight years ago, the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy (IAFP) was created by Estela Welldon and esteemed colleagues from several countries. During those years, professionals and trainees from different disciplines brought their clinical experiences, theoretical developments, and research findings to the annual conferences. This evolved further with the germination of national forensic psychotherapy societies, fertile acorns to the IAFP oak tree. An international platform emerged to share knowledge and understanding of the troubles faced by people affected directly and indirectly by the acting out of intolerable affects with a worldwide focus on mutual learning and challenging, from the microscopic to macroscopic levels; from individual perpetrators with all their victim aspects to the societal level and all its responses.

The birth of this journal, which will appear bi-annually, will inspire this evolving forensic psychotherapy platform, as well as provide an anchor for scholarly articles and reflections. In time, the journal will cover topics including approaches to social violence, extreme violence, sexual violence against children, women and men, terrorist violence, and genocide. Awareness of cultural aspects and the importance of competencies in this area will be highlighted. Research findings and evidence-based outcomes of different interventions will be reported. We are aware that there are many people working all over our planet, some quietly and humbly, who are making a difference to those less fortunate, both perpetrators and victims. It is one of our aims to connect with those workers and help give them a voice. We hope that others in different but r