Program Committee

The Program Committee has been reborn this spring, with Anca Ivan stepping down from several years of wonderful programming and leadership. Not only have I just arrived as Program Chair, but I am also accompanied by a brand-new group of enthusiastic committee members. We had the honor of arriving just as the 20th Annual Lecture with Dr. Lewis Aron took place, and what an inspiring event it was to usher in the 2008-2009 year. Dr. Aron's two-part lecture first re-examined the definitions of and distinctions between psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, ultimately challenging the split and arguing for a redefinition of the place of psychoanalysis in our culture. In the second half of the lecture Dr. Aron led the audience through an investigation of origin and birth fantasies. Through the lens of three consecutive birthday sessions with a patient, Dr. Aron highlighted the relational interweaving of patient and therapist's imagination and unconscious process. Dr. Aron's detailed recall of intricate moments in psychoanalytic history, and his inspiring ability to understand changing theories and assumptions in the greater context of the culture and climate of the time, made for a delicious feast of relationally flavored discussion.

In June we had our Spring Scientific Meeting with Dr. Alan Kessler, whose presentation, “Working with the Hidden Faces of Masochism and Self-Defeat: The Weave of Interpretation and Relationship,” drew standing-room-only attendance. Dr. Kessler vividly portrayed various manifestations of masochistic organization through riveting case examples, highlighting how the therapist can be transformed into a partner in the sadomasochistic ritual. He described the mutative effects of both interpretation and the therapeutic relationship, emphasizing the latter. The discussant, Dr. Charles Fisher, in turn, championed the role of interpretation in his discussion.

Fall and Winter 2008 promises to be quite special. On Saturday, October 18, the Bay Area Couple Psychoa