Nordic Exis Conference 2026

Program

Tuesday, 19 May 2026

10.00 Opening

10.15 Keynote lecture 1: "Existential perspectives on public health – governmental commission and current activities at the Public Health Agency of Sweden", Anna Månsdotter and Emma Lindholm

11.15 Break

11.30 Panel: "Status of existential health in the other Nordic countries", Maria Björkmark, Heidi Frølund Pedersen, Lars Lien

12.30 Lunch

14.00 Parallell sessions

• Panel 1: "Existential concerns in diverse contexts: research from multiple perspectives", Oddgeir Synnes
• Panel 2: "Evaluating existential health factors in targeted programmes for young people: The Case of Meningen med mig – From research to practice and evaluation", Valerie DeMarinis
• Paper session 1: Existential issues/challenges among young people in educational contexts

15.30 Break og poster presentations

16.00 Parallell sessions

• Panel 3: "Efficacy pilot project and implementation of the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview in different clinical contexts", Sigrid Helene Kjørven Haug
• Panel 4: "Existential conversations, Diaconia, psychotherapy, pastoral care", Lisbeth Louise Høgild Pedersen
• Paper session 2: Integrating spirituality and existential groups in mental healthcare contexts

17.00 Break

17.15 Parallell sessions

• Paper session 3: Spiritual care competency, existential prepardeness, and existential themes in mental health care contexts
• Paper session 4: Rethinking existential matters: Conceptual critique and clarifications
• Paper session 5: Existential care at the margins: Extraordinary healing, religious abuse, and LGBTQ+ patients

19.00 Dinner

20.30 Social

Wednesday, 20 May 2026

09.00 Parallell sessions

• Panel 5: "Meaning in life, purpose, stress, faith, youth, meaningfulness", Tatjana Schnell
• Paper session 6: Meaning in life and existential care in dementia

10.00 Break

10.15 Keynote lecture 2: "One step further: Drawing an outline of existential health", Peter la Cour

11.15 Break

11.30 Panel, Suvi Säärelainen, Valerie DeMarinis, Heidi Frølund Pedersen / sum up / discussion

12.30 Lunch

Conference commitee

Sigrid Helene Kjørven Haug, Torgeir Sørensen, Pehr Granqvist, Christina Lloyd, Suvi Säärelainen, Heidi Frølund Pedersen, Tatjana Schnell. The conference is planned in collaboration with a network group of researchers in the Nordic countries.

Presentations

Papers

Paper session 1: Existential issues/challenges among young people in educational contexts

• "Meaning and mental health at Norwegian folk high schools", Lars Mandelkow

• "Community, Encounters and Hope: Supporting Existential Well-Being in Finnish University Context", Amu Morikawa

• "Existential discussions at school; a source to growing conflicts or to a better understanding between students?", Åsa Schumann

Paper session 2: Integrating spirituality and existential groups in mental healthcare contexts

• "A qualitative study exploring spirituality, mental illness, and medication", Stine Madsen Kvaløy
• "The use of Existential Groups in Mental Health Care: A Scoping Review", Hilde Frøkedal
• "Connectedness through Conversation: Addressing existential loneliness with conversation groups at Stockholms Stadsmission", Yusuf Muslim Eneborg

Paper session 3: Spiritual care competency, existential prepardeness, and existential themes in mental health care contexts

• "EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool - Report on how it was developed and experiences from using it", Tove Giske
• "On Existential Preparedness", Tiia Liuski
• "Existential Themes in Encounters Between Patients and Healthcare Professionals within a Psychiatric Treatment Context: A Scoping Review", Ane Inger Søberg

Paper session 4: Rethinking existential matters: Conceptual critique and clarifications

• "Artifacts of a Spiritual Disconnect: A Critique of Irvin Yalom's Four Existential Givens", Gunnar Gjermundsen
• "On the capacity for meaning-making in life amid deficiency needs", Nader Abazari
• "Is there such a thing as existential ethics? Integrating existential perspectives in clinical ethics for psychologists", Ole Magnus Vik

Paper session 5: Existential care at the margins: Extraordinary healing, religious abuse, and LGBTQ+ patients

• "Theoretical frameworks on extraordinary healing experiences", Anne Austad og Marianne R. Nygaard
• "Caring for the existential needs of clients who are victims of religious abuse", Maria Björkmark
• "Caring for Rainbow Lives in Severe Illness: An Existential Perspective", Maija Haaparanta

Paper session 6: Meaning in life and existential care in dementia

• "Possibilities and Challenges in Exploring Meaning in Life in Advanced Dementia", Tor-Arne Isene
• "An existential and spiritual care curriculum in nursing homes: Development and evaluation", Hilde Frøkedal
• "What Makes Life Meaningful in Dementia? Perspectives from Residents, Families, and Clinicians", Tor-Erlend Distad

Practical information

Conference fee

The conference fee of 690 NOK is to be paid online at registration.

Accomodation

• Room: single room 945 NOK / double room 1,395 NOK
• Dinner Tuesday: 495 NOK
• Day package Tuesday and Wednesday: 695 NOK (lunch, coffee / tea, fruit)
• Total hotel costs: 2,830 NOK (single room) / 3,280 NOK (double room) 

It is possible to arrive Monday evening for 1,344 NOK extra (single room) or 1,794 NOK extra (double room), which includes dinner Monday evening and breakfast Tuesday morning. 

All hotel expenses are to be paid to the hotel by checkout. 

Approvals

The conference is approved by:

• Psykologforeningen: Approved as a continuing education course for specialists with 9 hours of credit. The approval is valid for two years (May 11, 2026 – May 11, 2028), provided that the course content and scope remain unchanged.
• Sykepleierforbundet: Approved as a merit-accruing course with a total of 11 hours.

Contact