For most members of the American Psychoanalytic Association, the International Psycho-Analytical Association (IPA) is a distant, unknown organization to which they belong by virtue of their membership in the American Psychoanalytic. They do not know exactly what the International Psycho-Analytical Association does other than to sponsor a scientific congress every 2 years, usually in a European city. (The next one, however, in July, 1979, takes place in New York City, the first time the IPA has met in the Western Hemisphere.) The myriad other activities of the IPA are, by and large, unknown to the average American analyst, and his relationship with the IPA is a vague one.
The contrary is true for psychoanalytic associations around the world. For most psychoanalytic societies, the IPA is a vital and important part of their awareness of psychoanalysis, and it is to the IPA that they look for guidance in matters related to the scientific aspects of psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic education and growth within the field. The American Psychoanalytic is a regional association of the IPA and, as such, has complete autonomy within its geographic area for psychoanalytic educational activities. In the remainder of the world, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Canada, the Far East and Australia, the IPA has direct responsibility for psychoanalytic education, formation of new societies, scientific and regional meetings as well as the biennial scientific congress that Americans, as well as other analysts, attend.
The International Psycho-Analytic Association had its origins at the first Congress held in Salzburg in 1908. Since that time, there has been a congress held in various cities of Europe every 2 years with the exception of the years during World War I and World War II. In addition to these scientific congresses, interest in psychoanalytic education had been an integral undertaking of the IPA from its inception. At first, educational activities were personalized, dependent upon the activities of individual analysts in the various cities in which they lived. With the formation of the Berlin Institute in 1921, these activities became better organized and institutionalized. Problems of differing local customs and language as psychoanalysis spread throughout Europe, North America, Latin America and the Far East, made for a looseness of organization at the international level with a great deal of autonomy given at a local level to develop within the framework of guidelines provided by the IPA.
In the United States where, by and large, the culture was homogeneous and there was a sharing of common language, the American was able to develop a stronger organization of its educational activities, culminating in its acceptance as a regional association with the right to control educational activities within its own geographic area. Following this came the development of the American Psychoanalytic Association over a period of years as
the most organized component of the IPA in the development of educational standards, new institutes and new societies.
Over the years, however, the IPA has always taken an interest in the development of new societies and educational centers, sponsoring a number of these as study groups within the framework of the IPA in various countries other than the United States, and providing guidance through sponsoring committees manned by experienced analysts who oversee the development of a new society or institute. As a study group would gain in knowledge, experience and size, it could gradually progress to the status of provisional society or ultimately a full society, a component of the IPA given the right by the IPA to conduct both scientific psychoanalytic activities as well as undertake independent educational activities. This process has facilitated the development of a number of psychoanalytic societies in various countries of the world. At the present time, there are study groups under the sponsorship of the IPA in Spain, Argentina and Mexico. In recognition of the changing nature of the development of psychoanalytic activities, the IPA has recently sponsored smaller groups as pre-study groups, leading to their eventual development along the lines of study group to provisional society to full component society. The IPA has also fostered the development of psychoanalysis in countries behind the Iron Curtain where political conditions might preclude the usual methods of development of psychoanalytic study groups.
Increasingly, the IPA has become interested in the socioeconomic factors that effect psychoanalytic practice, development and growth, and is preparing a survey through a committee of various social security programs and their impact upon psychoanalytic practice in all the countries represented in the IPA. Out of this will hopefully come a body of information and knowledge that will be helpful in those areas in which national health plans are developing or changing.
To coordinate the various component societies with their mutual areas of interest and problems, the IPA has also sponsored and developed a program of meetings of Presidents of the component societies which facilitates the interchange of information between different national psychoanalytic societies. It is planned at the next congress, to be held in New York, that the administrators of psychoanalytic societies be brought together to share their mutual problems, concerns and interests in order to facilitate greater communication between the component societies. In the interest also of a sharing of mutual scientific interests, the editors of the different language psychoanalytic publications have been meeting under the aegis of the IPA to work out methods of sharing each other's scientific publications and articles to facilitate greater understanding of the different schools of thought that have developed in psychoanalysis.
The biennial scientific congresses allow for the meeting together of psychoanalysts of different orientation and a mutual sharing of their common and differing interests. Through such scientific
interchanges, greater understanding of the growth of psychoanalytic thinking in all parts of the world is communicated. In addition, as an evidence of its interest in psychoanalytic education, the IPA has, for the past dozen years or more, sponsored a precongress meeting devoted solely to issues of psychoanalytic training. The papers from these training symposia are published in the appropriate national journals so that they reach all sections of the international psychoanalytic community.
To facilitate and coordinate these and many other undertakings of the International, a central office in London was established during the Presidency of Dr. Leo Rangell, and this office has assumed many important administrative as well as archival functions. There is a permanent Executive Secretary, Mrs. Irene Auletta, who works in close cooperation with the officers of the IPA. Traditionally, the office of President and Secretary of the IPA has alternated every 4 years between Europe and the United States. Past American Presidents have included Drs. Leo Rangell, Max Gitelson, Leo Bartemeier, and Heinz Hartmann.
The Executive Council of the IPA functions as the administrative body between business meetings of the members. The Executive Council is composed of the Officers, Treasurer, eight Vice-Presidents, the Honorary President, Anna Freud, and Honorary Vice-President, Phyllis Greenacre. The Past-President and Associate Secretaries complete the membership of the Executive Council. At the present time, Drs. Kenneth Calder, Robert Wallerstein and Edward Weinshel are the American Vice-Presidents with Dr. Burness Moore as Treasurer and Dr. Francis McLaughlin as Secretary. Two Vice-Presidents and an Associate Secretary represent Latin America, while 3 Vice-Presidents and an Associate Secretary represent Europe.
The 31st Congress to be held in New York City at the end of July represents the first time that the IPA has met in the Western Hemisphere. It is an opportunity for members of the APA to extend hospitality to fellow analysts from around the world and an opportunity to reciprocate the hospitality received by Americans at the congresses held in Europe and Jerusalem over the past many years. It is my hope that many members of the American Psychoanalytic Association will attend this Congress for the scientific stimulation offered by the program that has been developed by Albert Solnit and Richard Isay of New Haven and Adam Limentani of London. The Committee responsible for organizing the Congress is chaired by Milton Jucovy, with Mervin Hurwitz serving as Secretary and Howard Schlossman as Treasurer. The scientific and organizational program offered is one that will stimulate and reward all who attend. I look forward to seeing you at this Congress.
Edward D. Joseph
President