36th IAPCT Conference – York, UK | October 7-10, 2026
+ MOL practitioners meeting, October 12+13, near Manchester
Welcome to the 36th IAPCT Conference and Annual Meeting, held near the historic city of York, UK, from October 7–10, 2026.
Programme
The schedule will be announced in late August. In the meantime, here’s a taste of what’s coming.
Tuesday 6 October — optional arrival evening at the Parsonage Hotel
Wednesday 7 October — conference opens (hybrid: in-person & online)
Thursday 8 October — full conference day (hybrid)
Friday 9 October — full conference day (hybrid)
Saturday 10 October — social outing and dinner in York city
A preview of the programme
We have a rich and varied set of presentations this year. Here’s a glimpse across the themes, and more is coming (full schedule will be anounce at the end of August)!
Mental health and therapeutic practice
PCT is making inroads across clinical and applied settings. This year’s programme includes sessions on EMDR therapy through a PCT lens, ADHD hyperfocus, cognitive dissonance, recovery and risk in forensic mental health, training tools for dealing with distress, and we interactively explore how reorganisation is facilitated in MOL conversations .
Theory and foundational questions
Several presentations take PCT seriously as a theoretical framework: exploring emotional recalcitrance and the hierarchical mind, the extinction burst through a control-theoretic lens, fringe consciousness and the edges of perceptual experience, and what it means to be right or wrong about PCT.
AI as a lens and accelerator
Something new is emerging in this year’s programme: the use of AI tools is opening up fresh ways of exploring PCT — helping researchers think through the theory, model it, and bring it into new fields. Several contributions will reflect this, and we’re looking forward to seeing where these conversations go. More details in the full schedule, coming late August.
Education and design
A team from New Zealand brings two contributions: a website for educators unpacking PCT, and visual analogies illustrating PCT’s hierarchical architecture — both bridging theory and practice.
Accommodation at the Parsonage Hotel
Thanks to a generous contribution by one of our members, we are able to offer a subsidised residential package for IAPCT members— staying, eating, and conferencing together in one place, the Parsonage Hotel in York. Come for the sessions, stay for the conversations that continue over dinner.
Residential package (4 nights, Tuesday–Saturday or Wednesday–Sunday): £300 for IAPCT members
This subsidised rate covers 4 nights’ accommodation, all meals during the conference days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), and full use of the conference facilities and hotel spa. Please complete payment by end of June (see registration form below) to secure your spot. The subsidy is available for up to 30 participants on a first-come, first-served basis, with preference for presenters. Make sure that you are a current member of the IAPCT (just $60 a year!) and sign up to reserve a spot now for the conference package.
A 5th night (Tuesday or Sunday) can be added at approximately £160, at personal cost. Partners are welcome to stay in-room for an additional £40 per night, including breakfast and spa access; other meals are at personal cost.
Saturday dinner is not included — we’ll head into York together that evening.
Day guests: £50 per day (lunch and conference access) or £70 including dinner, payment will be expected before October 1st.
Online attendance: free, as in previous years.
Hybrid format
The conference includes in-person sessions and interactive online programming for global participation, with live streaming of in-person sessions and recordings shared with online participants afterward. Online participation is free. Please note that our technical equipment will be less advanced than last year in Zwolle, the Netherlands.
Getting there
The Parsonage Hotel is about 20 minutes from York city centre, with a bus connection available. York is well connected by train from London and other UK cities. Nearest airports: Leeds Bradford, Manchester, and London airports.
Key dates
- Submission deadline: 31 May 2026 (closed)
- Notification of acceptance: June 2026
- Residential package payment deadline: end of June 2026
- Registration & Payment: Before October 1st.
- Conference: 7–10 October 2026
- MOL Practitioners Meeting: 12–13 October 2026, near Manchester (tbc)
MOL Practitioners Meeting
Following the conference, a small MOL practitioners meeting will be held near Manchester on October 12–13 (emphasis on Monday 12th of October). For more information, contact Matías Salgado, Laura Hudepohl or Eva de Hullu. This meeting is not included in the conference package; accommodation in the area needs to be arranged separately.
Questions or want to get involved? Reach us at board@iapct.org
IAPCT Board of directors
- Eva de Hullu, President (NL)
- Tom Merrill, Vice President (UK)
- Joanne Forsyth, Secretary (UK)
- Bruce Nevin, Treasurer (US)
- Susan McCormack, At-Large Director (UK)
Image credit:
- Conference logo by Livia Sacchi – drawn from associations with the symbol of York (the rose) and famous PCT examples of eggs being cooked or fried until ‘just right’.
- Photo by Ricky Rew on Unsplash
- Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash
