We would like to thank the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research for their fostering of an environment of open-mindedness and theoretical inclusiveness, all while maintaining its solid identity as a Freudian institute. It is just such a combination of intellectual flexibility and integrity that makes a conference such as this one possible. We are especially grateful for the Program Committee of IPTAR and its chairs, Drs. Carolyn Ellman and Anni Bergman, for their wisdom, enthusiasm, and support during the planning of this conference. We would also like to thank Lawrence Schwartz partners for their usual competent handling of conference administration as well as the invaluable assistance of the graduate student and candidate volunteers who helped make this conference a reality. Finally, a special thanks is owed to our speakers for the clarity and brillance with which they articulated their positions, and for the spirit of mutual respect and acceptance that characterized each of their discussions of difference.