President's Report

It is an honor to offer these few thoughts to the membership of NCSPP and to the readers of our longstanding and well-respected publication, fort da. As the 28th president of NCSPP, I am struck by our rich history focused on an unwavering dedication to sharing ideas, thoughts, and enthusiasm for psychoanalytically oriented theory and application. Twenty-eight years ago a group of similarly minded clinicians founded NCSPP in the spirit of inclusion and with a commitment to growing a professional home for Bay Area clinicians. Three years later, founders of NCSPP and others created the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (PINC) as an institute providing full analytic training to mental health professionals of all disciplines. Today, NCSPP and other analytically oriented organizations, training programs and institutes provide a wide range of offerings in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In gaining a better understanding of the history and current Bay Area psychoanalytic thinking, whether delving into previous fort da publications, speaking to past NCSPP presidents, or connecting with NCSPP founders, I have heard two consistent themes. First, there is and has always been a commitment to understanding, questioning, and developing psychoanalytic theory and its application. And second, there is an ongoing desire to create, provide, and sustain a professional home for psychoanalytically oriented clinicians. Whether during a period of enthusiastic endorsement of our approaches or a moment (we can only hope) of “managed care,” these two themes have shaped our organizations. NCSPP's organizational structure and efforts reflect these two commitments, and I am pleased to share with you our committees, our accomplishments, and our goals in pursuit of a professional home for psychoanalytically oriented individuals who are in the ever-present pursuit of analytic thinking and challenge. Without a doubt, our greatest strength is ou