Editorial

When I came to write the editorial for this, my first issue of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, I found myself wondering about the origins of the Association for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (APP) in the NHS, and I spoke with some of the people who had been involved. As with psychoanalysis itself, the APP and the Journal owe their beginnings and ongoing development to the passion of individuals. According to John Steiner, the ‘moving spirit’ behind the setting up of the APP was Mike Michalacopoulos. At that time most Consultant Psychotherapists were medical doctors and psychoanalysts. Mike Michalacopoulos told me that his concern was that there were moves (now realized) to create consultant psychiatrist posts with a special interest in psychotherapy, i.e. posts that could be filled by individuals who had not undergone a formal training in psychotherapy. He therefore wanted Consultant Psychotherapists who were analysts to play a full role in the NHS, especially in the education and training of mental health professionals. In 1979 he convened a meeting of all Consultant Psychotherapists who were analysts, they formed a committee, and Mike Michalacopoulos was elected chair. In 1981 this arrangement was formalized by setting up the APP, and its council, with John Steiner as chair, Mike Michalacopoulos as secretary and Colin James as treasurer and a very successful training scheme, which lasted for six years, was established at Queen Mary's University Hospital. Senior analysts taught on the course — Hannah Segal, Anton Obholzer, John Steiner, Edna O'Shaunessy, to name some — and it attracted both medical and non-medical mental health staff.

The council was also keen to establish a journal and Michael Sinason, at the time a Specialist Registrar in the Psychotherapy Unit at the Maudsley Hospital, and a candidate at the Institute of Psychoanalysis, came to mind. Michael Sinason had already had some experience in publishing. As a medical student he had been the editor of the new