Introduction: When Therapists Cross Theoretical Borders

This introductory chapter traces the origins of this work to a groundbreaking conference held at Bar-Ilan University in 2022, sponsored by the Israel Science Foundation. The workshop, titled “A Psychodynamic therapist and a CBT therapist meet on a plane… – Psychotherapy Integration as Hospitality,” brought together committed practitioners from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and integrative approaches. Inspired by Jacques Derrida’s concept of hospitality, the workshop created a space where different therapeutic methodologies could meet, interact, and learn from each other while preserving their essential character. The concepts of hospitality and integration that emerged from these discussions offer a novel perspective on how therapeutic approaches might interact while maintaining their unique identities. While the workshop served as a living laboratory for therapeutic hospitality, this volume expands and deepens those initial explorations, providing a comprehensive philosophical framework for understanding and facilitating integration between different therapeutic approaches, particularly psychoanalysis and cognitive-behavioral therapy. This work provides philosophical, epistemological, and ontological foundations for encountering the “other” in psychotherapy integration.