Published: October 2026
Keywords:
Maria Pantelaki, artistic expression, drawing the self, drawing the family body, family life cycle, children's roles within the famil…y, anxiety, enuresis, Violeta Kaftantzi, Giorgos Kaftanzis, Mental Health Centre of W. Thessaloniki.
Maria Pantelaki
Psychiatric Nurse, Systemic Psychotherapist, Dramatherapist, Trainer and Supervisor.
One of the original members of the therapeutic team at the Mental Health Centre of Western Thessaloniki; founding member of the Systemic Association of Northern Greece; founding member of the Dramatherapy Society of Northern Greece. Member of the Editorial Team of the journal Metalogos.
Violeta G. Kaftantzi - Chasta
Psychiatrist, psychotherapist, PhD AUTH, former Director of MHC of Western Thessaloniki.
Abstract
What better way to begin this two-day conference than with the Editorial Team bidding farewell to Maria Pantelaki, fondly reminiscing about her, and continuing to draw inspiration from what inspired her and from the inspiration she offered to others?
Memories and moments from two of her earlier sessions at the Mental Health Centre of Western Thessaloniki, where she shows us how, through her questions and comments, people's expression through drawing and painting becomes connected to “symptoms,” beliefs, values, lived experiences, and narratives-personal, familial, and social.
And how beautifully they resonate with many, if not all, of the contributions in this issue!
Gathering abstract
On 9 March 2026, past and present members of the Mental Health Centre of the Western District of Thessaloniki gathered, with Alexandra Tsoukatou as moderator, to honour Maria Pantelaki. In an atmosphere of deep emotion and love, they shared personal memories, as well as what they had felt and learned through their relationship and work with her.
The gathering was recorded on a mobile phone and, unfortunately, the quality of the recording did not allow this moving conversation-ceremony to be shared in its entirety. Despite the technical imperfections, Metalogos presents an excerpt here, wishing to honour Maria Pantelaki and that Centre, a birthplace of ideas and initiatives, where the systemic approach began to develop in the public sector in 1985.
It also wishes to honour Violeta Kaftantzi for her contribution to the development of systemic psychotherapy and for her significant publishing work. In the excerpt, Violeta speaks about Maria’s life and work and bids her farewell by reading poems by the great poet and thinker Giorgos Kaftantzis.
