Ulla Anneli Stewen: 1931-2010

The child psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, member of the Finnish Psychoanalytical Society, Anneli Stewen passed away 29 March 2010 in Helsinki. She was born in Oulu and studied medicine at Helsinki University where she graduated in 1957. Later, she specialized in child psychiatry. She studied for a period at the Hamp-stead clinic, London, where she spent most of 1964. She held positions in child psychiatry units in Helsinki and was a consultant in several places in Finland. She went over to private practice in the 1970s.

Anneli was one of those psychiatrists who had a keen interest in understanding the human mind in depth and therefore embarked on psychoanalytic training. She belonged to the first group of seven psychoanalysts trained in Finland. They graduated in 1968. Anneli became a full member the Finnish Psychoanalytical Society in 1973.

Remembering my colleague and friend Anneli, I realize how often we have collaborated in many different ways over the years. In the 1970s, our society formed a committee whose task was to plan a psychotherapy training program for different kinds of mental health care professionals. This was the beginning of the Helsinki Psychotherapeutic Society. Anneli was the chair of the society for many years. In the 1990s, the society also offered training in psychotherapy to Estonian students. Anneli was a central figure in planning and starting this training.

Anneli was continually interested in deepening her psychoanalytic knowledge. She read extensively and enjoyed theoretical reflection. In addition to her work as a teacher in psychotherapy, she was also a lecturer for students of psychoanalysis in the 1980s. She was an active member of our society and was elected as its president in 1987.1 was secretary of the society at the time, so Anneli and I started to work together yet again.

During her period as president, the Finnish Psychoanalytical Society had its 20th anniversary, and this was celebrated splendidly. In the capacity of President,