International Family Therapy Association

Introduction

The International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) began as an outgrowth of the East-West Bridging Congress conducted in Prague in 1987. A psychiatrist in Prague, Pietr Bosc, had heard about the developments of this new profession called family therapy in the USA and contacted Donald Bloch at the Ackerman Institute in New York City. As a result of their collaboration, the East-West Bridging Congress was held in Prague, which brought together leading family therapists from North America and Europe. The congress was such a success that many people at the congress expressed a desire for another international meeting. Virginia Satir said that she was too old to organize an international group, and she urged Florence Kaslow to do so. After consulting with others there, a steering committee was formed to establish an international family therapy association, and Florence Kaslow was elected the first president. For the first 3 years, the organization was housed in her office in...