An amendment to the By-Laws of the American Psychoanalytic Association, which would have made it possible for a group of non-medical training and supervising analysts to apply for full membership, has failed, by a small margin, to win approval in a mail ballot vote. Out of a total of 634 ballots returned, 396 voted in favor of the amendment, and 238 voted against. A total of 423 votes (two-thirds of those voting) would have been necessary for approval.
The mail ballot on this question, conducted in October, 1969, was the most recent in a series of efforts over a long period to arrange some form of recognition for a group of non-physicians who have been engaged in training and supervising activities in a number of accredited Institutes in various parts of the United States. There are at present 17 such individuals who would have been eligible to apply for membership under the defeated By-Law. These analysts have all been granted training analyst status by vote of the Board on Professional Standards through the waiver provision adopted some years ago.
In 1964, a “full-membership” By-Law was proposed to Council, and in 1967, one providing restricted membership. Neither of these was ever submitted for mail-ballot vote by the membership. The 1967 Amendment had actually been scheduled for a mail vote, but this was rescinded when a number of Societies objected on the grounds that there had not been enough time to consider the matter.
Following this action, in December, 1967, Council adopted a proposal to conduct an informal referendum among the members in an effort to determine what membership sentiment might be as regards various types of membership for this group of teachers. A committee chaired by Dr. Herbert Herskovitz conducted such a referendum in the Fall of 1968. The referendum indicated that nearly 90% of the members who responded favored some type of membership, but there was no clear indication that either the full or restricted type of membership would obtain the necessary two-thirds majority if submitted to a vote. About 60% of those answering the referendum questions favored full membership, and another group indicated that they would accept full membership if restricted membership were defeated.
On the basis of this referendum the Executive Council at its meeting in May, 1969, voted to submit to mail ballot vote a By-Law proposing full membership. It was this By-Law which has now failed to win approval.
In keeping with an Executive Council decision in May, 1969, the defeat of this Amendment was followed at once by the framing of a By-Law providing for a restricted form of membership for this group of analysts. A draft of such a By-Law was presented to the Council at its meeting on December 11, but Council found it too restrictive and returned it to the framing Committee for revision.
The Ad Hoc Committee which has been charged with framing and submitting the various By-Law amendments is now chaired by Dr. David Kairys; its members are Drs. Herbert Herskovitz, Aaron Karush, Otto Kernberg and Emanuel Windholz.