EPF (European Psychoanalytical Federation)

Summary of EPF activities from Summer 1989 till Summer 1991:

The biennal Main EPF Conference which was held this year, 1991, in Stockholm, was on the

topic of extraverbal communication in the analytical practice. As always the main papers dealt with the subject on the basis of extensive clinical material. This has proved to be the best means of communication between the participants. (EPF members express themselves in 22 different languages which makes for great diversity in the formulation of the psychoanalytical thinking.)

In the biennial Scientific Symposium the participants discussed mainly controversial concepts. The last one in Vienna, in 1990, was on the nature of Object. This meeting is meant for analysts who have studied and published on the topic. Usually there are two representatives from each Society which makes the number of participants around 50.

The yearly Standing Conference on Child and Adolescent Analysis meets in London and has two representatives from each Society. Societies compete to participate in this meeting. The discussion on a mainly clinical theme is done on the basis of extensive clinical material.

The EPF now has a yearly Associate Members Meeting in which some 40 or 50 Associate Members from all European Societies present clinical material in small groups of 8 or 10. Each group is chaired by one training analyst. There is no one particular topic. In these meetings Associate Members and some students of the East European Societies have taken part. This can be a rather good way to help the members or students of Eastern Europe, in that they can see through clinical discussions and supervisions what the analysis is about. They can follow the clinical work in small groups in which help is given in all linguistic problems. We began these seminars in the three official languages, which were then reduced to two. At this moment we arrange for all groups to work in English, which has been proved the most practical solution.

In 1990