symptomatic reduction and improved quality of life, certain clinical scenarios merit different approaches. For example, psychodynamic psychotherapy is effective for complex comorbidities and personality disorders; group psychotherapy is highly effective for the medically ill by improving treatment adherence in addition to reducing psychological distress, medical morbidity, and mortality; hypnotherapy is highly effective for pain management, anxiety reduction and treatment of addictions; motivational interviewing is becoming a standard treatment of drug dependence and nonadherence to care; cognitive behavioral therapy is highly effective for anxiety, depression, psychosis, and insomnia; trauma-focused psychotherapies such as prolonged exposure and EMDR are effective for persons with PTSD; and interpersonal therapy has accumulated international evidence as effective for depression and other clinical disorders. These examples correspond to dedicated lectures and interactive educational activities incorporated in the scientific program of this WFP Regional Congress that will take place in Manila from 21-23 January 2025.

The accumulation of scientific evidence over the past half-century and the proliferation of manualized psychotherapy treatments and didactic courses may be overwhelming to clinicians and disorienting for persons seeking care, as there are over 1000 recognized psychotherapies, of which approximately 500 have accumulated evidence proving their efficacy and effectiveness. Furthermore, contemporary seasoned clinicians are opting to integrate care, combining elements from

different psychotherapy modalities when formulating treatment plans tailored to individual patients. Important recent movements in the clinical provision of psychotherapy include the cultural adaptation of treatments and identifying the curative factors responsible for therapeutic progress. This congress will be attentive to these imperatives. Furthermore, understanding neurobiological correlates now helps explain the intergenerational transmission of trauma and suicide risk, and processes of memory reconsolidation and learning as essential for therapeutic change, which will be addressed in plenary sessions of the congress.

I look forward to welcoming you to the vibrant city of Manila in what promises to be a historical gathering of experts and a transcultural and collegial exchange of ideas and experiences.

Sincerely yours,