Remembering Faye Newsome

Faye Newsome passed away on Saturday, May 24th, at the age of 83. Her loss is felt deeply by those who knew her, as a colleague, a friend, and a vital force in the life of The Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies (CMPS).

Faye was part of the Center from the beginning, first as a student, then as a training analyst, supervisor, faculty member, Editor-in-Chief of Modern Psychoanalysis, and Chair of the Board of Trustees. Her intelligence was unmistakable, precise, unsentimental, and animated by a genuine curiosity about the human condition. She asked good questions and expected good answers, and her dedication to the Center helped shape it into what it is today.

As editor, Faye took the helm of the journal with a clear vision and a deep sense of responsibility after the passing of the torch from June Bernstein. Faye led with decisiveness and care, keeping the journal intellectually lively and clinically grounded. Her own writing, including pieces like “Envy and the Negative Therapeutic Reaction”, reflected a mind that was both sharp and steady. She contributed to the field, but never in a way that called attention to itself.

Faye also played a pivotal role at The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis (BGSP) for over two decades, combining leadership,

clinical education, and governance. As Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Studies, she shaped the curriculum and supervised trainee development. Her roles as training analyst and governance chair further underscored her significant contributions to psychoanalytic training within BGSP and its larger community.

And of course, psychoanalysis was only one part of the story. Faye had wide-ranging interests, a dry wit, and a way of seeing things that was distinctly her own. She could be intense, funny, exacting, and kind, sometimes all in the span of a single conversation. She was, quite simply, a pleasure to work with.

Faye's legacy will continue to leave an imprint for a long time to come. At the family's reques