Editor's Introduction

We hope to make this a regular section in our new journal. Its focus will allow contributors to briefly review their current work that addresses applied psychoanalytic topics. For this issue, we will summarize a number of discussion groups that are ongoing at meetings of the American Psychoanalytic Association.1 However, this section is not confined only to discussion group reporting. Any individual who wishes to send a synopsis of ongoing research work or ideas, wants to report unusual or interesting results of research in the applied field, or who or has a suggestion regarding an hypothesis and wants to network with others who may be working in a similar area is welcome to write to me directly and we will publish material within space limits. We will do our very best to enable psychoanalysts and individuals with an interest in psychoanalytic applications to employ this section to communicate with each other. We are also open to letters commenting on papers and suggesting improvement in the journal including critical commentary. One of the strengths of our journal will be that we have no “party line,” so any theoretical approach will be given equal exposure and criticism within reasonable limits. If you know of any meetings that are addressing applied topics, please let us know and we will advertise them in this section.

We are very open to publishing reports of interdisciplinary case conferences where the patient's problems are viewed from a bio-psychosocial perspective. The point here is to emphasize the overlapping integration of psychoanalytic disciplines with other medical fields, thus illustrating how the psychoanalytic approach can enrich and provide a solid foundation