SchemaNews Exclusive Interview with Dr. Mohammad Faghanpour Ganji
Exclusive Interview with Dr. Mohammad Faghanpour Ganji
On the Occasion of World Schema Therapy Day Conference – Tehran, November 2025
As we approach World Schema Therapy Day, a SchemaNews correspondent sat down with Dr. Mohammad Faghanpour Ganji, official ISST Ambassador in Iran and Chair of the Conference, to discuss the goals, structure, and message of this national and international event.
Here is the full text of the interview.
Interviewer: Dr. Faghanpour, first of all, congratulations on organizing this major event. How did the idea for this conference originate, and what message does it aim to convey?
Dr. Mohammad Faghanpour Ganji: Thank you.
The idea grew out of a deep concern — the realization that Schema Therapy is no longer merely a clinical method for the therapy room; today, it helps us understand collective, organizational, and even national crises.
This year, we decided to hold World Schema Therapy Day in Iran under the theme:
“From Crisis Management to Nurturing the Happy Child Within.”
I believe our society needs both resilience in the face of crisis and revitalization of the joyful and healthy parts of the self.
Interviewer: What makes this conference different from other psychology events?
Dr. Faghanpour: We wanted this to be more than a purely academic gathering.
The program integrates three dimensions:
Scientific dimension – featuring distinguished scholars such as Dr. Hatami, Dr. Khalatbari, Dr. Gol, and Dr. Mohammadi-Khani.
Experiential dimension – with hands-on mini-workshops, including my own on Schema Therapy in Crisis, and Mr. Ahad Abdi’s workshop on The Happy Child Mode.
Social dimension – through the national media campaign #ForTheChildrenOfIran, aimed at broadening public dialogue on mental health.
Interviewer: As ISST Ambassador in Iran, how does this event connect to the international level?
Dr. Faghanpour: This conference is part of the global ISST movement, held annually across different countries.
We’re proud that Iran stands among the most active Schema Therapy communities in Asia.
Our program will be officially reported to ISST, and we are coordinating to feature selected segments — such as the mini-workshop or Dr. Hatami’s message video — on the ISST international platform.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to let the world hear the voice of Iranian Schema Therapy.
Interviewer: One of this year’s main themes is The Happy Child Mode. Why did you choose to highlight this in the context of crisis?
Dr. Faghanpour: Because I believe no psychological reconstruction is possible without reconnecting to the happy inner child.
During war, insecurity, or social pressure, the wounded modes — the abandoned, mistrustful, or angry child — often dominate.
But if we can revive the joyful child within even amidst darkness, people move from being victims to becoming creators.
This is also the core message of my new book, “The Happy Child Mode,” which will be unveiled during the conference.
Interviewer: Could you tell us more about the conference structure?
Dr. Faghanpour: The program lasts about four hours and is designed to be focused and dynamic.
It begins with an opening ceremony and welcoming remarks, followed by my keynote lecture on Schema Therapy in Crisis.
Then Dr. Mohammad Hatami, President of the Iranian Psychological Association, will speak about psychological renewal during collective crises.
Next comes a specialist panel with Drs. Khalatbari, Gol, and Mohammadi-Khani.
The event will continue with two book launches, a networking segment, the introduction of the national campaign, and finally two mini-workshops — one by myself and one by Mr. Ahad Abdi, an international-level trainer in child and adolescent Schema Therapy.
Interviewer: It seems that crisis management and organizational applications also play a major role this year.
Dr. Faghanpour: Absolutely.
One of the books to be launched is “CISM–Schema Therapy for Organizations.”
It’s the result of several years of research integrating Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) with Schema Therapy.
My aim is to show that Schema Therapy can serve not only individual healing but also organizational leadership in times of crisis.
Interviewer: And finally, if you were to summarize this conference in one sentence for the public and professionals alike, what would it be?
Dr. Faghanpour: I would say:
“This conference is a bridge between pain and growth — between wounds and hope.”
Schema Therapy seeks not only to heal individual minds but also to guide an entire culture toward self-understanding and emotional restoration.
Interviewer: Thank you for your time, Dr. Faghanpour.
Dr. Faghanpour: Thank you, and my appreciation to the SchemaNews team for always being the voice of Schema Therapy in Iran.
This interview will soon be published on SchemaNews.org and across the official social media channels of SchemaMind Group.
