As the outgoing Chairman of the Committee on Psychoanalytic Practice, Dr. Theodore Jacobs reported to the Executive Council in Montreal last May on the work of his committee over the past seven years. His report included several studies of special interest to the general membership:
First, a study of older colleagues disaffected from local analytic societies and/or the American. The study showed that most felt strongly identified with psychoanalysis, wished they were doing more analytic work, and wanted to be more active in their local and national societies. Dr. Jacobs' committee collected information from a number of societies to assess their awareness of this problem and to learn what efforts were being made to remedy the situation. Such responses included review and updating of procedures for faculty appointment and progression, rotation of appointments to society committees, study of referral patterns from institutes, and initiation of outreach programs (academic and social) for less involved members. A summary was then distributed to the Directors of Institutes and Presidents of Societies. Dr. Jacobs reported that a follow-up questionnaire to evaluate changes is planned in the near future.
Second, the status of recent graduates. Sampling 90 recent graduates from various institutes, the Committee learned that a typical recent graduate holds a half-time salaried job and has a half-time private practice divided about equally between analysis and psychotherapy. Mostly, these graduates are satisfied with their training but would like to do more analytic work and wish they could be more involved in their institutes and societies. Because it is clear that the majority of recent graduates are functioning as part-time analysts, devoting a considerable part of their time to psychotherapy, Dr. Jacobs questioned whether undergraduate or postgraduate seminars in psychoanalytic psychotherapy should be offered as part of the educational programs offered by institutes.
In each of these studies, many analysts reported dissatisfaction with the size of their analytic practices. With this in mind, the Committee decided to look at the question of how analysts recommend analysis to their patients and how they follow up on this recommendation. They prepared a detailed report based on a questionnaire sent to 71 analysts (including training and non-training analysts, older and recent graduates) from 14 different institutes. Summarizing this report, Dr. Jacobs said: “The way an analyst presents analysis to a prospective patient during the consultation period, and subsequently works with his resistances around the question of the recommendation, makes a profound difference as to the kind of practice he or she develops.”
Hoping to educate younger colleagues in the technical handling of the consultation process, the Committee on Practice has been holding a discussion group at the mid-winter meetings entitled “The Consultation Process: Introducing Patients to Analysis.” In addition, the Committee continues to offer an annual workshop on analytic practice for representatives of societies across the country.
Concluding his report to the Council, Dr. Jacobs felt that continued exploration in these areas would “yield substantial benefits both to individual colleagues and to the Association as a whole.” As he retired from his position as Chairman of the Committee on Psychoanalytic Practice, Dr. Jacobs was thanked for his efforts in several important areas of interest and concern to many of our members.