The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (BPSI) celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its membership in the American Psychoanalytic Association with a symposium, Psychoanalysis Today: The Integration of Theory and Practice, held in Boston on October 29-30, 1983. According to Ralph J. Kahana, M.D., chairman of its Planning Committee, “The symposium integrated diverse perspectives on current clinical and theoretical approaches, and pointed to future directions in the practice and science of psychoanalysis, and to psychoanalytic applications in the potential resolution of international problems.”
It was attended by more than four hundred analysts, candidates, and other mental health professionals including representation from Canada, Mexico, and European countries. Among the honored guests were surviving founders of the BPSI, lay trustees, and family members of deceased analysts. The registrants, guests, and faculty enjoyed several social events and historical exhibits prepared by Dr. Sanford Gifford. At a festive banquet Dr. Gifford and Dr. Gregory Rochlin reanimated the intellectual climate and memorable personalities of the early history of psychoanalysis in Boston and the era of the pioneering immigrant European analysts.
Three major themes recurred throughout the symposium: the implications of theory for the therapeutic process; the importance of training for research; and the application of theory to the prevention of international aggression. Among the principal speakers were Roger Fisher, John Gedo, Philip Holzman, Selma Kramer, John Mack, Karl Menninger, Arnold Modell, Paul Myerson, Charles Pinderhughes, Morton Reiser, and Robert Wallerstein. Many other distinguished participants contributed as panel chairpersons and discussants.