Dick Fox opened his first Executive Council meeting as president of the American Psychoanalytic Association on December 14, 2000, by introducing the representative from the Mexican Psychoanalytic Society and the Monterrey Psychoanalytic Society, Olga Santamaria, as a non-voting member. Fox reviewed the success of the organization of Council and joint committees into divisions, described our work in the Bierenbaum case [see TAP 34/4], and presented the results of the meeting survey and subsequent executive committee recommendations [see page 7].
Jon Meyer, secretary of the American, introduced Richard Gottlieb and Ed Shapiro of our newest society, the Psychoanalytic Society of the Berkshires. He announced the APsaA election results: Lynne Moritz will be our next secretary, and Paul Mosher and Elise Snyder will be councilors-at-large.
There has been a 10 percent increase in membership since 1995, for a current total of 3,500 members. There was an increase of ninety active members in that period. Senior membership has increased by 150, indicating that our organization is aging. Affiliate membership has gone up by 130. Unexplained loss of membership for reasons other than death increased in 1997, raising a serious issue of membership wastage. We do not seem to be replenishing membership effectively from the graduates of our own institutes.
Allan Compton presented the treasurers report. The total requested budget funds exceeded projected revenues by about $350,000 in 2000. This is by far a larger gap than has been experienced before. In fiscal 2001, the enthusiasm of the creative committee chairs exceeds the resources to pay for the projects we would like to undertake. There is a projected operating deficit of $74,863 (for 2001) and a net income and expense deficit of $164,863 (over the course of fiscal 2001).
The American needs to take steps to increase revenues to prevent the deficit from increasing. Dues were last raised in 1990. Council was asked to endorse an increase in dues for active members, to commence with the December billing for 2002 dues. A $100 dues increase would increase annual revenue by about $212,000. On the other hand, a dues increase may cause some members to resign. After vigorous discussion, Council passed the $100 dues increase and accepted the treasurer's report.
Nadine Levinson gave the PEP CD-ROM report. The PEP project has moved from red ink to black ink. All loans have been paid back, about five new disks and five or six new updates are being sold each week, and Internet distribution is being actively considered.
Photo by Mervin Stewart
Ralph Engle, who chaired the Joint Committee on Ethics prior to the chairmanship of Marvin Margolis and prior to his resignation, spoke on patients' rights. Confidentiality of communications is a basic right and an essential condition for effective psychoanalytic treatment and research. A psychoanalyst must take all measures necessary not to reveal present or former patient confidences without permission nor discuss the particularities observed or inferred about patients outside consultative, educational, or scientific contexts.
With regard to informed consent, the analyst must be ready to withhold information, especially when public figures are involved. It is ethical, although not required, for a psychoanalyst to refuse legal demands for such confidential information, even in the face of the patient's informed consent, and the analyst must be ready to accept the legal consequences of such a refusal. In the event of a credible threat, the analyst may breach patient confidentiality only to the extent necessary to prevent imminent harm to the patient or others. In the case of possible harm to a minor, confidentiality may be breached to the minimum extent necessary to the child's parents or guardians. A psychoanalyst may also refuse to comply with local reporting laws if he/she believes that to do so would seriously undermine the treatment or damage the patient. Council accepted the report.
Dick Fox presented the Joint Ad Hoc Task Force on Education and Membership report. This committee considered Board-Council relationships and tensions that have so dissipated our energies in the past. Some task force members voiced concern for preserving the Board's capacity to carry out its functions autonomously. The task force advocated universal voting privileges. The more candidates are involved, the more they identify with the organization and gain a sense of themselves as analysts.
After extensive discussion, without amendments permitted, the report of the task force was accepted.
Martin Silverman gave the report of the Joint Task Force on Strategic Planning for Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis. Child analytic practice is suffering. The task force's recommendations included fostering child analytic training in institutes. Child analysis needs to have full parity with adult analysis — in our minds, in our practice, and in our training programs. The task force encourages institutes to develop integrated training programs, and candidates should be encouraged to gain experience in treating children as well as adults. President Fox is considering forming a committee on child analysis within the Council.
Jon Meyer reported for the Ad Hoc Committee on Community Clinics. The William Alanson White Institute Clinic will be recognized as APsaA Community Service Clinic of the Year. The Clinic of the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research received honorable mention. Community service clinics are affiliated actively with a psychoanalytic program, provide a broad range of services to
the community, offer a sliding fee scale on an ongoing basis, provide a means through which psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic ideas are actively shared with the community, provide a site for training in psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalytic concepts, provide supervised cases for psychoanalytic work, and provide a venue for clinical research.
Otto Kernberg, president of the International Psychoanalytical Association, spoke on the IPA's creation of a unicameral system, condensing and integrating the executive council and house of delegates into a board of representatives that is more regionally representative.
There are mounting concerns worldwide over perceived rigidities and old-fashioned attitudes in psychoanalytic education. The IPA is studying this in order to rejuvenate the educational process. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy seems to have been ignored by some institutes. Recent IPA conferences have spotlighted such topics as empirical research in psychoanalytic education, psychoanalysis in university settings, and confidentiality.
Marvin Margolis, speaking for the Committee on New Psychoanalytic Centers, said the committee is trying to set up psychoanalytic centers in cities with populations greater than 1 million. He proposed such centers be named as “affiliated study groups.” Such study groups would include one to four members of our organization. The hope is that many of the nonmembers who join will become dues-paying psychotherapy associates of the American.
Margolis also spoke about the Ad Hoc Committee on Outreach for Scientific and Educational Programs, which does a great deal of networking and advertising for our meetings. He advocated that this become a standing committee, and it was approved.
Nancy Brehm, president of the Affiliate Council, reported that the council received a travel grant from the American Psychoanalytic Foundation for members to come to APsaA meetings. Five affiliate members each received $500 to help them attend the 2001 Annual Meeting. The Affiliate Council Scientific Paper Prize was awarded to Forrest Hamer of San Francisco.
Don Meyers of the Committee on Honorary Membership presented two nominations for honorary membership: Louis Sander, a pioneer in the investigation of the infant caregiving environment as a living system, and Robert Bornstein, who has written extensively on psychoanalytic and psychodynamic topics. Joan Acocella was nominated for the American's Excellence in Journalism award for her article “The Empty Couch: What's Lost When Psychiatry Turns To Drugs,” which appeared in the New Yorker May 8, 2000. Sheila Hafter Gray and Robert Cummings were nominated for Distinguished Service Awards for their contributions in writing the practice bulletins, which provide guidelines for interacting with official parties outside the analytic relationship. Council approved all award nominations.
Harvey Rich spoke about the current status of the American Psychoanalytic Foundation. The APF is working on planned giving programs and fundraising among outside sources. Two new members were recommended for the APF board: Homer Curtis, a past president of the American, and Martin Weinrob, who has served on the board of directors of the Psychoanalytic Quarterly. Both were approved. Rich felt that organizations cannot truly mature until their founders pass their positions on to a new set of leaders. Rich will be leaving his position as president of the APF, founder, and chairman of the board.