The December 15 meeting of the Executive Council was highlighted by a lively debate over whether The American should officially join the Psychoanalytic Consortium. President Judith Schachter, in her first stint as presiding officer of the Council, introduced a new format for debate, one that allowed a full and intense exchange of opinions and arguments to be conducted civilly and within a limited time frame. Participants on both sides of the question appeared satisfied with the debate.
After preliminaries, the business portion of the meeting, and officers' reports (see below), the Council took up the question of Consortium membership. At the end of the previous Council meeting, last May in Philadelphia, lack of a quorum prevented action on a resolution authorizing The American's formal participation. Since then, the other parties to the Consortium have been waiting for The American before proceeding.
Because there has been talk of instituting a credentialing body for psychoanalysts through the Consortium, some members of The American are concerned that the issues of consortium membership and external credentialing are converging too quickly, without adequate discussion. Their concerns are based on a reading of documents emanating from the Consortium, and on the fact that no bylaws for the Consortium have yet been drafted. These members fear that a credentialing body might set itself above the Board on Professional Standards and set its own criteria for certification. This issue had galvanized a number of societies and institutes into early opposition against membership.
Schachter's plan for debate called for a ten-minute presentation of the motion, followed by statements three to five minutes in length. These would alternate between pro and con, the latter going first. Eight speakers were scheduled for each side, including the maker of the motion, who would provide a closing statement. Following this format, the issues were fully aired and resolved before lunch.
Marvin Margolis, who has led The American in exploratory talks with the Consortium, presented the motion to join the group officially, with no restrictions but the “specific understanding” that no major decisions can be taken by the Consortium without the approval of the governing bodies of all member organizations.
Speaking in turn for the opposition were Leon Hoffman, Homer Curtis (who cautioned against dividing the membership), Judith Chertoff, Donald Rosenblitt, John Macgregor, and Jonah Schein. They were followed by Lawrence Chalfin, whose basic feeling that the Consortium is a worthy project was outweighed by his concerns over external credentialing. Finally, Elise Snyder, though she said that personally she was reassured by the “understanding,” nonetheless opposed the motion officially, as she had been instructed by her society to vote against unrestricted membership.
Elizabeth Reid, George Allison, Norman Clemens, David Hurst, Melvin Mandel, Paula Bernstein, and Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer all spoke in favor. The “understanding” satisfied their concerns, and they believed that the issues of external credentialing and Consortium membership could be kept separate. Some had had experience with coalitions elsewhere, and there the rule that important decisions require unanimity had effectively safeguarded member organizations against being overtaken by the larger group. Most expressed the conviction that standards could be dealt with in the future, and that in the meantime it is important that analytic colleagues not be slighted, lest a valuable alliance be lost. Joining together, they argued, amplifies the psychoanalytic voice of The American's three thousand members to a chorus three times that size.
Margolis concluded the discussion, after which Robert Pyles, acting for Curtis, who had to leave the meeting, presented an amendment. A briefer version of the recommendation that was passed the previous day by the Board on Professional Standards (see the report on BOPS in this issue), the amendment would in essence restrict any discussion of external credentialing within the Consortium. Margolis, as maker of the original motion, accepted the amendment as friendly, making a direct vote unnecessary. Now, however, the Council, faced with a motion that was self-contradictory, quickly defeated it. Reintroduced, the original motion then passed by a margin of two to one.
The business portion of the meeting began with reports from the officers of The American. Secretary David Hurst reported that the Executive Committee has approved the transfer of moneys from the Fund for Psychoanalytic Research and the Liddle and Hymowitz Fund to the American Psychoanalytic Foundation. Up to now, these funds have been administered by the Executive Committee and various other committees of The American. The newly established foundation has been granted full IRS nonprofit status, allowing it to receive and distribute funds on a tax-free basis (see page 13 for a related article on this issue).
President Schachter then reported that she had headed the North American delegation to the IPA last summer. She had also participated in a conference with Congressional leader Richard Gephardt, in which she emphasized The American's concerns about preserving confidentiality in any health care reform legislation. She urged members to join the American Psychiatric Association, as a means of enhancing the influence of analysts in that body. Likewise, members with backgrounds in social work or psychology were urged to participate in the professional organizations of those fields. Finally, she offered her appreciation to Irene Chiarandini and the Committee on Public Information, who, with the help of administrative director Doris Eder, have revised About Psychoanalysis, The American's brochure conveying the value and
efficacy of psychoanalysis, indications for it, and advice on how to select an analyst.
Treasurer Stephen Firestein reported that he can now offer an informed financial picture monthly on demand. Significantly, he noted, the number of dues-paying members is now lower than at the last report, a disturbing fact since some growth had been expected.
In another major development, Robert Pyles and Anton Kris presented a joint report emanating from two working bodies, the Task Force on Board/Council Structure and the Committee on Bylaws, both involved with rethinking the structure of the American. The proposal calls for a board of directors representing the membership, the Council, and the Board on Professional Standards. The membership would be represented by three elected officials: president, secretary, and treasurer. The Council would be represented by the president-elect, who would chair the Council, and two councilors-at-large elected by that body. BOPS would be represented by its chair, its secretary, and one Fellow elected by the Board. Both Council and BOPS would report to the new board of directors. In addition, a new Committee on Research would be set up under the board of directors, lending greater prominence to the research needs of The American.
In the course of the discussion, a number of councilors indicated that they were not altogether pleased with the role accorded the Council, or the makeup of the proposed board of directors. Privately and publicly, some expressed the feeling that the Council is finally coming to exercise the power accorded it in the bylaws, power the new plan was seen as tending, even intending, to weaken. While Pyles and Kris thought their proposal would, if enacted, decrease the long-standing tension between Board and Council, many expressed doubt that any such proposal would much affect that tension, which they saw as inherent in the organization's goals, interests, and structure. The Council requested greater input into the process, a request readily agreed to by Pyles and Kris. No formal vote was expected or taken.
Judith Schachter bade farewell to Oscar Legault, who has served as parliamentarian for many years, surely a test of character among freewheeling psychoanalysts. Legault, of the Washington Psychoanalytic Society, has maintained the rules of order at both the Board on Professional Standards and the Executive Council. Accepting a gift from past president George Allison, who described his colleague as a “rescuer of errant presidents,” Legault offered his impressions of living the double life of parliamentarian and psychoanalyst.
David Hurst reported that the Executive Committee had met with Arnold Richards, new Editor of JAPA. Since the market for psychoanalytic journals is now intensely competitive, Richards is recommending a reduction in the subscription rate. He also described several changes he is making in the appearance and content of JAPA. For example, the proceedings of Board and Council, which have long been reported in its pages, will no longer appear. The reports will be on file in the office and available to any member interested. At the Meeting of Members, Richards demonstrated changes he has made in the cover and typography of JAPA.
The Council voted to confer two honorary memberships, which were to be reported at the Meeting of Members the following day. The recipients were Jay Greenberg, who has contributed a classic text on object relations, and Edgar Levenson, who has made significant contributions to the field of interpersonal psychoanalysis. Both are members of the William Alanson White Institute.
Sheila Hafter Gray presented the concluding report of the Committee on Peer Review, which has been formulating the Psychoanalytic Chart. The committee's aim is to create a national standard that will differentiate psychoanalytic charting requirements from those in other fields of medicine. Publication of these standards will allow insurers and courts to accept charts for a psychoanalysis that do not specify daily events, a requirement for other medical treatments. The chart requires only a beginning prescriptive statement and a termination report. The committee's report was approved.
Ralph Engle, outgoing cochair, reported for the Committee on Societies, which has been preparing materials for meetings of the component societies, held in preparation for meetings of the Council. A recent survey conducted by the committee revealed that many societies are conducting more informed discussions, resulting in greater interest by members in matters coming before the Council. In preparation for the December meeting, societies discussed membership in the Consortium, restructuring proposals, and proposed standards for the Psychoanalytic Chart. Engle is succeeded as cochair by Melvin Bornstein.
The following day the Meeting of Members was highlighted by another vote on joining the Consortium, the issue that on the two preceding days had sparked passions at BOPS and Council. Those who opposed unrestricted membership in the organization attempted to derail the proposal passed by the Council, by calling for a vote of members on the issue. Once again speakers on both sides of the issue moved to the microphones, and spoke for their points of view within the limited time constraints of the meeting.
Before the meeting, however, the opponents of unrestricted membership had gathered proxy votes, as authorized under the bylaws. When those favoring unrestricted membership learned of this, they too collected proxies, so that at the Meeting of Members the proxy votes far outweighed the votes of those present. As it happened, the proponents of unrestricted membership again won handily, by about a two-thirds majority of all votes cast. However, the procedure left some of those present wondering about the soundness of the process.
William O'Brien, retiring from the Ethics Committee, where he has served for approximately ten years, the last four as chair, offered observations and suggestions for the committee's future. He thanked the committee and urged support for incoming chair Ralph Engle, who moves over from the Committee on Societies.
Allan Rosenblatt reported only briefly for the Committee on External Credentialing, as its work had been discussed at some length in the debate over the Consortium. He asked the Council to trust in the integrity of his committee, which he felt was being questioned by some members.
Arnold Rothstein, who chairs the Program Committee, reported on its work. Cochair Owen Renik, who will assume the chair in May, applauded Rothstein for his leadership in providing programs making use of the best talent available, from both within and without the organization.
Stuart Hauser's report for the Fund for Psychoanalytic Research was delivered by Allan Compton. Its funds are in process of transfer to the American Psychoanalytic Foundation. Hauser feared that this transfer might paradoxically result in a lowering of contributions in the future, should too many contributors assume that adequate funding will be easily available now that it is under the umbrella of the foundation.
Robert Galatzer-Levy reported for the Committee on Scientific Activities, which was awarded a Sigourney prize in recognition of its work. The committee expects to publish its studies on the efficacy of psychoanalysis, probably with Yale University Press.
Robert Wallerstein reported on the Multi-site Program. The program, which gathered sixteen psychoanalytic researchers into a single collaborative effort, has met twice yearly at the meetings, convening all day Friday. The program is applying to NIMH for further funding, but since the political upheaval last November it is difficult to predict the application's success.