Neither the DSM nor the Pharmaceutical Industry Will Solve Human Suffering

With over 50 presentations by experts from the Americas and Europe, the ALAMOC 50-Year Symposium reaffirmed that cognitive-behavioral therapies remain at the forefront.
By Flor Morales

Bringing together some of the most prominent psychologists from across the Americas, the ALAMOC 50-Year Symposium sent a powerful message: conventional psychiatric diagnoses and pharmaceuticals are not enough to understand or alleviate human suffering. Held in Bogotá from April 7 to 9, the event showcased the best of behavioral analysis.

A Landmark Symposium for Psychology in The Americas

More than 50 conferences, panels, and academic presentations positioned the ALAMOC 50-Year Symposium as one of the most relevant events in the recent history of Latin American psychology. Taking place between April 7 and 9, 2025, and hosted jointly by Universidad de La Sabana and Universidad EAN in Bogotá, the symposium commemorated five decades of the Latin American Society for Experimental Behavior Analysis and Contemporary Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (ALAMOC). It did so with an international presence unlike any seen before.

Experts from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, the United States, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia, and Portugal gathered in a space where academic exchange transcended borders—and where the urgency to rethink models of mental health, psychotherapy, and behavior analysis took center stage.

A Direct Critique of Conventional Psychiatry

“Neither the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) will give us a useful model for understanding human suffering, nor will Big Pharma offer a real solution. Nor will a single theory or psychotherapeutic approach.”

These were the closing words of Dr. Steven Hayes, creator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), during his keynote speech on the first day. His address set the critical, provocative, and rigorous tone that defined the entire event.

Blending epistemological critique, clinical insight, and an evolutionary perspective, Hayes challenged the uncritical use of statistics in psychology, warned of the limitations of randomized samples, and called for a profound shift in how psychological treatments are conceived globally.

Opening With an Evolutionary and Experimental Perspective

The symposium opened with a keynote by Dr. Germán Gutiérrez, president of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), who presented research on learning from a comparative and evolutionary standpoint, emphasizing continuities between human and non-human behavior.

Experimental research continued with a presentation by Dr. Erick Roth from the Catholic University of Bolivia, who shared findings on prosocial behavior in animals. In his study, birds and food-deprived mice opted to release a companion from a punishment cage rather than eat. The ethical question arose immediately: would humans do the same?

From War Zones to Classrooms: New Frontiers for CBT

Dr. Leonidas Castro from Colombia and Dr. Judith Beck from the U.S. presented advances in contemporary Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Castro demonstrated its effectiveness in treating victims of the Colombian armed conflict. Beck presented clinical cases showing how CBT has adapted to new contexts, including patients with medical conditions, violent behaviors, and firearm use.

Dr. Lata McGinn, president of the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, addressed anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She advocated for integrating CBT into school programs as a preventive response to the global mental health crisis.

Latin American Innovation with a Distinctive Voice

The symposium also showcased original proposals emerging from Latin America. Dr. Julio Obst Camerini of Argentina presented his cognitive-behavioral psychodrama model, integrating traditional and modern techniques in a clinically acclaimed intervention.

Dr. Georgina Cárdenas, professor at UNAM and a pioneer in cyberpsychology, discussed how digital technologies open new doors for behavioral treatment, especially where in-person intervention is not feasible.

From Panama, ALAMOC founder Dr. Alejandro Cantón Dutari shared his career in applying CBT to sexology, highlighting both clinical and cultural challenges in Latin America.

Dr. Oswaldo Rodríguez (Brazil), Dr. Adriana Monetti (Argentina), and Dr. Juan José Moles (Venezuela) added to the symposium with presentations on behavioral therapy and sex therapy, showing how these fields continue to evolve through empirical evidence and cultural sensitivity.

From Mexico, Raúl Durón Figueroa presented his PTSD intervention model using virtual reality. From Portugal, Nora Cavaco proposed new tools for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

In Colombia, Pedro Pablo Ochoa offered a scientific framework to distinguish so-called third- and fourth-wave therapies. Andrés Gutiérrez introduced a behavioral model aimed at reducing university dropout rates, while aeronautical psychologist Anderson Gañán examined the human factor in air accidents.

Honoring two Giants of Latin American Psychology

The symposium was also a tribute to two of the most influential figures in behavioral psychology in Latin America: Rubén Ardila and Emilio Ribes Iñesta.

Dr. Ardila, recently deceased, was honored by scholars such as Andrés Pérez—a Colombian psychologist and historian deeply familiar with his work—José Anicama from Peru, and Gerardo Hernández, representing the Colombian College of Psychologists. Dr. Elberto Plazas presented a paper in his memory titled “The Semiotic Nature of Mental States.”

Dr. Telmo Peña (Colombia) and Dr. Roberto Bueno (Peru) paid tribute to the extensive contributions of Dr. Emilio Ribes, whose career has been central to the development of behavior analysis across the continent.

Ribes himself delivered a provocative lecture titled “Why Psychology Is Still Not a Science—And Why It Can’t Be a Profession.” His talk, grounded in a radical epistemological critique, argued that psychology must redefine its foundations before claiming scientific legitimacy.

At the conclusion of the tribute, Dr. Bernardo Useche, president of the symposium’s organizing committee, said Ribes’s ideas “demand deep scientific, academic, and political reflection, as they challenge the role and responsibility of psychologists in society.”

Science, Debate, and Disruption: The True Legacy of ALAMOC 50 Years

More than a celebration, the ALAMOC Symposium was a call for critical thinking, scientific rigor, and ethical responsibility in the face of human suffering. The speeches were not indulgent. The questions weren’t easy. The answers, even less so.

Lectures like that of Dr. René Bautista—who rejected the very notion of “mental health” as pseudoscientific—made clear that psychology’s future lies in academic debate, not in slogans or clinical quick fixes.

The event was organized by the ALAMOC Board of Directors, led by Dr. Luis Pérez, and by the Colombian Organizing Committee, headed by Bernardo Useche. Speaking on behalf of the team, Useche stated: “This event proves that Latin America plays a leading role in advancing psychological science and evidence-based psychotherapy.”

A Closing of Art and Remembrance

The symposium concluded with an emotional recital of Latin American chamber music, conducted by Maestro Juan David Gómez, oboist of the Colombian Symphony Orchestra. It served as a symbolic bridge between science, culture, and humanity.