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Like my predecessor, Dr Frances Gitelson, I will try in this first part of the Secretary's Report, to give a comprehensive view of the life of our psychoanalytical community.
In fact, during these last two years, Serge Lebovici and I have been able to visit an important number of Societies and to meet the representatives of many others at the time of regional congresses.
From this experience, we draw the very deep feeling that the problems we have encountered are very similar from group to group, and that it would be very useful if all the members of the I.P.A. would become fully aware of their common difficulties, as well as of the solutions which are proposed, no matter how different they might be.
This can be seen first of all in the actual life of the Societies. This increase in membership, the success of psychoanalysis in related fields, has the effect everywhere of increasing internal strains and the risks of splits. Another consequence of this success: many groups make claim to psychoanalysis outside the I.P.A. and most Societies must take this situation into account. A more positive consequence of expansion is that psychoanalysts quickly spread outside the cities where their Society is located. In their new residence, they are very quickly surrounded by applicants and by potential candidates. Now, the setting up of a Study Group requires a minimum core of experienced analysts. Some Societies become federated within a national framework so as to take charge of the development of these small groups of analysts, too small and with too little experience to be able to form a Study Group. Other Societies prefer to keep their unity, even if it entails the multiplication of the Institutes under the same Society. Finally, expansion is characterized by a geographical extension in countries where psychoanalysis did not previously exist. Small groups of analysts are coming into existence in Central Euro