A major challenge for The American today is how to address members' conflicting viewpoints about the Association's role amid changes in the field of psychoanalysis.
On one hand, members are showing great vitality and creativity, reflected in advances in theory and practice; on the other, many members feel demoralized and uncertain about the capacity of The American to help them. A number of analysts believe psychoanalysis, both in theory and practice, is fossilized and has only minimal value, and that The American is immersed in pursuits that have little relevancy to the exigencies of current reality—i.e., the deterioration of analytic practice and psychoanalysts' estrangement from academic psychiatry and their communities.
Psychoanalysis has changed enormously during the last decade, for many reasons. The most obvious is depolarization in theoretical models used in practice and the emphasis on professional and community outreach. In some areas in the United States, professional and community outreach of psychoanalysis is extensive and effective. Great effort is made to develop the ability to communicate the enormous value of psychoanalytic principles to virtually all areas within a community—social, academic, and professional. Psychoanalytic training in these communities is flourishing, and practice is very healthy. Yet the membership of The American has not grown, in contrast to other professional organizations whose membership has increased in proportion to the population. Members of many affiliate societies see The American as merely an evaluation and certification body that limits and curtails professional opportunity under the aegis of maintaining standards.
Since its inception the Committee on Societies has devoted increasing attention to its role in bridging the creative energy, talent, and potential among the American Psychoanalytic Association, its affiliate societies, and its members. The Committee hopes to become the major facilitator in making resources of The American available to the affiliate societies. We expect to do this by expediting the use of resources developed by committees of The American and by fostering the exchange of information among societies.
In reaching out to the affiliate societies thus far, we have learned what their needs are and have developed profiles of their organizational structure and activities. We have visited a few of the smaller societies to improve our understanding of them and to begin developing more personal relationships with their members and their communities. The success of the Committee as facilitators depends on developing and maintaining these personal relationships. Becoming familiar with the activities and concerns of a specific society will help us tailor our responses. Trust and regular communication is fundamental.
Our information gathering has been revealing. We have seen that the success of many societies is related to the ability of its members to utilize psychoanalytic principles in practice and community outreach. Community support for a society frequently occurs when the psychoanalytic model is used to help others understand the workings of the mind, regardless of the situation. Societies whose members have the most active practices are those whose members are actively applying psychoanalytic principles to psychotherapy, with the gradual conversion of some cases to analysis.
Societies that are successful with community outreach and in developing foundations have been able to communicate to the community at large the value of analytic principles, for example through extension division seminars and general consultation services. Psychotherapy training programs have also been extremely successful in communicating the value of these principles. However, the use of psychoanalytic principles within a managed care environment when only psychotherapy is possible can still have a considerable impact on patient well-being. Those societies whose members are the least affected by health care changes are often those whose members have attempted to modify their practices within the new health care system.
A number of estranged analysts were present in every society the Committee has visited. Some of these analysts' disappointment results from their interactions with The American. Part of the tension between societies and The American has been related to problems with the certification process. The American must find means to support and encourage all of its members.
The following are examples of how the Committee on Societies is working to connect the needs of societies with the resources of The American:
The Committee on Psychoanalytic Private Practice has an extraordinary amount of information on how to develop and maintain a private practice. The Committee on Societies will consider setting up private practice workshops for regional societies.
Program coordination with regional societies can be addressed by the Committee on Program Chairs and the Committee on Societies.
Coordinating membership categories for improved database access in The American can be addressed by the Committee on Membership.
The newsletter published by the Committee on Societies addresses problems related to the daily practice of the psychoanalyst.
By considering common issues and concerns of all the members of The American and the societies, we hope to unite analysts and to usher in an era of productive collaboration.
Melvin Bornstein and Allan Rosenblatt are Cochairs of the Committee on Societies.