Acknowledgements

This book is the fruit of a great deal of labour by many people, starting with my nine co-authors, who have responded magnificently to the challenge of an international writing project, in most cases in a second language. I am very grateful to them for a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Meetings we have had over the years have been the most incredible source of stimulation. As labourers we have also received a great deal of support without which the entire enterprise would have failed long ago and which I now want to acknowledge.

I would like to begin by thanking all the participants in the workshops and especially those who volunteered to present their work and report on the group discussions. About 500 people have taken part in at least one of the six workshop series by now and about 200 have attended three or more; 70 of them have presented their work. I am especially grateful to those recent participants and presenters who filled in the questionnaire we sent them in 2006 asking them to tell us about their experience. I contacted about 120 people once in May 2006 but received over 70 detailed and thoughtful replies. Without all this help we would have little or nothing to report.

A number of colleagues played a significant role in the intellectual development of the project. Haydée Faimberg initiated it and selected the initial moderators - also kindly encouraging them to carry on with the project subsequently, when she went her own way to develop a parallel interest. Haydée also attended and made contributions to several of the main Paris meetings in 2003 and 2004, as did Roger Perron, Evelyne Sechaud and Iréne Matthis. Julia Fabricius and Manuel Fernández Criado were part of the moderator’s team before having to leave to keep other commitments and Jorge Canestri,

Werner Bohleber, Paul Denis and Peter Fonagy - as members of the EPF Working Party on Theoretical Issues - frequently provided incisive assistance; on two occasions we formally held joint meetings.