Author: Jane S. Hall

A History of The Future of Psychoanalytic Education Conference
By Categories: In Progress, NYPSI Centenary 1911-2011

Lynn Moritz said in her address at the Future of Psychoanalytic Education Conference the following:

“I would even go so far as to muse that this conference was born partly from a covert agenda to punish the American–not to bring us together really, but rather to stabilize and strengthen the fact of our separateness. Some may even hope to do harm to the American, to weaken its influence.”

This ecumenical conference was my idea, and I would like to assure all of you that punishment and exclusion were not part of my agenda. Quite the opposite. So I would like to set the record straight with a brief history.

Our field has been fractious from the beginning. Those in Freud’s inner circle who dared to disagree were cast out; they formed their own factions and the battles began. While some feel energized by adversity and debate, I prefer to seek the security of unity. My wish is for all of the groups to join together, to derive strength in their combined numbers. We need not agree on everything, but we must respect one another’s positions.

For years I have experienced the competition of institutes and umbrella groups, oft times ignoring each other’s existence. For instance, there has been little, if any, cooperation between the 5 IPA institutes in New York (3 primarily medical and 2 primarily non medical). Each hold their own meetings and when there have been attempts to do something together (like the Freud 150th anniversary celebration at the Neue Galerie), we had difficulty acting in concert. Lynne is correct that the APsaA is a group that can and often does unite the IPA societies, but the burden should not rest on APsaA alone. Continue reading A History of The Future of Psychoanalytic Education Conference

Post Conference Thoughts
By Categories: In Progress

What lingers most in my mind about the Future of Psychoanalytic Education conference on Dec. 1 & 2 is the vibe, the feeling that was palpable – in the cafeteria, the ladies room, the book selling space, and during the coffee breaks. I kept hearing people say “thank you” to me – and I was tremendously moved. It seemed to me that the very opportunity to meet together as a group of dedicated analysts, no matter what our affiliation, made everyone a bit high. Overcoming our differences enough to speak with civility, respect, and even warmth gave me real hope for our future. Listening to each other speak from the heart is our calling and we did ourselves proud, in my opinion. Yes, there are hurdles to jump, but the very fact that so many people from so many states found a way to participate in the meeting must be emblematic of our energy and dedication – our love for our work. It is just that energy, dedication, and love that will not only keep us afloat, it will allow us to soar.

The seeds of ecumenicalism have been planted – and if we tend to them, they will blossom. I thank all of you who participated and look forward to seeing you next year.

Compassion Fatigue
By Categories: Controversial

All of us doing psychoanalytic work, whether  psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, are familiar with the problems and values that our countertransference engenders. A new slant on this phenomenon is a paradigm called “compasion fatigue”. Joel Kanter critiques this new construct lucidly in an article that can be found on the Clare Winnicott: Life and Work web site. To read “Compassion Fatigue and Secondary Traumatization: A Second Look” click here and then select Clinical Applications. I recommend this article and others that can be found on this site.

Harnessing Thanatos
By Categories: Editorials

We are pleased to publish Alice Maher’s op ed piece – especially on the eve of our Future of Psychoanalytic Education conference on Dec. 1 & 2 – an ecumenical conference that is bound to influence us all.

Alice says: “The ability to tolerate time, tension, paradox, and ambiguity, to develop greater capacity for empathic imagination, and to be able to learn and change in relationship to an Other, are essential elements of a good analytic process. They need to become goals for our society as well.”

This is exactly what this first ecumenical conference aims to accomplish.

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Harnessing Thanatos : Is it possible to analyze the forces of war in a way that leads to real change? by Alice Lombardo Maher, M.D .

I find that I’m unable to address the topic of conflict among analysts without focusing on the larger phenomena of prejudice and war. If it’s true that there’s more dissention within the analytic community than outside it, it’s because we’ve yet to find ways to address group conflicts on a scale larger than our individual consulting rooms, so the same dynamics that lead to war are emerging in bold relief from within our own community. If we can discover ways to use analytic tools to address the problem of large-scale inter-group conflict, we have an opportunity to unify our paradigms and give society an invaluable gift. If not, the problem will continue to play itself out in our own society, and our “Tower of Babel” will eventually collapse.

Freud taught us that the need to disavow aspects of our selves can lead to symptoms, problematic relationships, and self-destructive acting out, but the opportunity to give voice to those forbidden thoughts, over a long period of time and struggle, can be healing. But his model of thanatos gave us no useful tools, and a feeling of impotence, in relation to social forces. Individual analyses tend not to deal with prejudice except as it arises as part of a dynamic construct in the treatment. But can a democratic analyst analyze a patient to become a better republican? Can a Kleinian analyst give birth to a Freudian or a Relationist? Continue reading Harnessing Thanatos

How Religion—Yes, Religion—Can Save Psychoanalysis
By Categories: Editorials

It is a privilege to introduce this op ed piece by Robert Langs whose major volumes on the technique of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, with their clear explication of the function of the ‘frame’ in treatment, have guided many clinicians on the journeys they take. In this piece, Lang takes on a different kind of travel using the Bible as a guide.

Jane S. Hall, op editor

[Note: Langs’ latest book, Beyond Yahweh and Jesus: Bringing Death’s Wisdom to Faith, Spirituality, and Psychoanalysis, may be ordered through our Book Mart – click here.]

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How Religion—Yes, Religion—Can Save Psychoanalysis
Robert Langs, M.D.

The separation between psychoanalysis and religion has been as wide and as inviolate as that between church and state. As we know, Freud saw the belief in a transcendental God as a reflection of a wish for an omnipotent father and given his inner-need centered theory of the mind, after seeing religion as the quest for an illusion, his study of Moses not withstanding, he was more or less finished with the subject. As a result, despite the prevalence of religious beliefs, he failed to respond to Thomas Hobbes’ long standing 17th century call for the study of ‘man’s religious nature’ and thus did not engage in a thorough psychoanalytic investigation of religious beliefs and the Bible. In contrast, Jung offered psychoanalytic investigations of various aspects of religion, especially the stories of Job and Christ, and he argued that we must turn to the Bible for fresh insights into psychology and contrariwise, that only psychology can freshly illuminate the Bible. Continue reading How Religion—Yes, Religion—Can Save Psychoanalysis

Why Do I Want to Include Our Colleagues in Licensing as Psychoanalysts?
By Categories: Editorials

In New York, perhaps more so than in the rest of the country, turf wars are increasing as the turf itself seems to be shrinking. Waging war is expensive in terms of time and money. Such war waging is costing the art, craft, and science of psychoanalysis precious energy and it is for this reason that I post this editorial written by Arlene Kramer Richards. This short and eloquent piece will be delivered at the December 1 and 2 Conference: The Future of Psychoanalytic Education, an ecumenical meeting with Jurgen Reeder as keynote speaker. (Click here for conference details)
Jane S. Hall, Op-Ed Editor

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Why Do I Want to Include Our Colleagues in Licensing as Psychoanalysts? by Arlene Kramer Richards

Different points of view about psychoanalytic education and theory can be grouped, I think, into two categories. One camp argues that psychoanalysis must be safeguarded from those who would debase it by using the name to include therapies that are scheduled for less than three times per week. The other camp argues that psychoanalysis is, as Freud himself defined it, the use of the concepts of transference and resistance to understand the unconscious and especially unconscious affects, wishes, prohibitions and fears. Who is right?

The question has theoretical and practical aspects. Continue reading Why Do I Want to Include Our Colleagues in Licensing as Psychoanalysts?

The Brain That Changes Itself
By Categories: Books

The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D.
Reviewed by Jane S. Hall

Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, writer, and researcher Norman Doidge delivers a revolutionary message in “The Brain That Changes Itself,” a very important and informative book that should be read by all. Dr. Doidge takes the reader by the hand and carefully explains that the brain can and does change throughout life. Contrary to the original belief that after childhood the brain begins a long process of decline, he shows us that our brains have the remarkable power to grow, change, overcome disabilities, learn, recover, and alter the very culture that has the potential to deeply affect human nature.

Clear, fascinating, and gripping is how I would describe this invitation to understand how the brain can work. I say “can work” because Dr. Doidge gives new hope to everyone from the youngest to the oldest among us; from the stroke victim to the person born with brain abnormality; from those who can not seem to learn to those whose neurotic suffering has stunted growth through denial and other defenses; and from those who cannot feel to those who feel too much. Continue reading The Brain That Changes Itself

Training Standards and the NAAP
By Categories: Editorials

Edwin Fancher has responded to No one owns psychoanalysis (the first editorial posted on August 7th). He addresses the issue of times per week by giving us his history of Freudian psychoanalytic training starting with the Eitington model in Berlin. Mr. Fancher’s contribution is presented as an opinion piece rather than a comment because of its substance, as was Jennifer Harper’s piece, NAAP and Licensing: Fact and Fiction, (August 28th) because of its depth and breadth.

There are many schools of psychoanalysis. This Editorials section of the blog is open to all who are interested in writing Op-Ed articles and comments on them.

The Op-Ed format gives us a forum for exchanging ideas with each other and expressing opinions. The blog form is not impeded by space requirements so all opinion pieces and comments can be posted. Analysts have a tendency to talk past each other instead of listening with open minds. Vehemently defending our beliefs affects our ability to see beyond them. Civil dialogue leads to growth.

Write soon.
Jane S. Hall, Op-Ed Editor

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An editorial by Edwin Fancher
a founding director, Washington Square Institute for Psychotherapy and Mental Health founding president, New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis

I would like to support Rick Perlman on the issue of the inadequacy of the standards of training for the New York State Licensed Psychologist status, which are based on standards promoted by the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP). I have many disagreements with the NAAP standards, but believe that the most important issue is the lack of a frequency in the requirements for psychoanalytic training, which I will address.

Frequency has a long and complicated history in psychoanalysis, but I believe it is worthwhile to review some of that history, and I will touch on a few points in regard to how the issue of frequency influences: 1, the definition of psychoanalysis itself, 2. the distinction between psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, 3. the controversy over lay analysis, 4. scientific research into clinical technique, and 5. political controversy between organized professional groups on a state and national level. Continue reading Training Standards and the NAAP

NAAP and Licensing: Fact and Fiction
By Categories: Controversial, Editorials

As Op Editor of InternationalPsychoanalysis.net I am pleased to post a new editorial from Jennifer Harper about a current debate in the United States on a recent licensing bill passed by several states due to the effort of the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP). More than an opinion piece, Jennifer Harper has given a history and explanation of NAAP’s efforts to protect psychoanalysis. Although this piece was written in response to my recent editorial, I feel that its depth and breadth merits its own editorial space. Your responses are welcome.

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An editorial by Jennifer R. Harper, MDiv
Past-President, NAAP
Chair, Psychoanalytic Recognition Committee, NAAP

Many thanks to Jane S. Hall for her editorial of August 7, 2007 and for her thoughtful outline of qualities that make good analysts. I applaud her effort to initiate an on-line conversation around a number of issues that have aroused consternation among various psychoanalytic groups and individuals over the meaning of the term psychoanalysis and of the requirements for training that are reflected in the New York state license.

The license we have in New York state is a product of many defensive maneuvers carried out over a period of more than 30 years on behalf of evolving groups, including various subgroups of existing mental health interests and more recently of the legislative efforts and organization of the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP).

Contrary to the perception that NAAP has aggressively pursued licensing for psychoanalysis, NAAP has in fact aggressively defended lay analysis against multiple attempts by the existing mental health professions (medicine, later psychology and more recently social work) who seek to own and control the scope of practice of psychoanalysis within their own licenses; thereby denying the existence of independently trained psychoanalysts. Even in this history of struggle there are efforts that we can all support and join around as we seek ways of cooperating more clearly among ourselves around our common interests and our continued differences — as psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic organizations. Continue reading NAAP and Licensing: Fact and Fiction

Register now for The Future of Psychoanalytic Education conference Dec. 1 & 2, 2007
By Categories: Announcements

Seats are going quickly for the December 1st and 2nd, 2007 conference at the Lycee Francais (505 East 75th Street, New York, NY) with Keynote Speaker Jurgen Reader

In light of the extraordinary changes occurring in the education and credentialing of psychoanalysts, the goal of this conference is to provide an ecumenical forum, bringing together representatives of the major psychoanalytic associations to discuss the current and future status of psychoanalytic education.

Click here to see Program and Click here for Registration Information