Despite the somewhat daunting title, the subject under discussion proved to be provocative and stimulating, fueled by the explosive energy and humor of the presenter. In a colloquial and earthy style, Arnold Rothstein addressed the growing concerns centered around the dearth of analysands, and assured his audience of analytic candidates and seasoned practitioners that a new, “optimistic” attitude toward analysis, coupled with a willingness to adapt and modify treatment parameters, could result in a plethora of analytic patients. Giving his own practice as an example, he noted he currently had ten patients in analysis.

Commenting that analytic theory trains how “not” to have a practice, with its idealized emphasis on the patient's suitability for analysis, including selected ego strengths determined at the time of preliminary consultations, and its particular elitist slant toward the favored few who are deemed analyzable, he questioned