A lifelong Philadelphian and avid tennis player with a great sense of humor, Newell Fischer is one analyst who is far from the public image of the aloof and cold psychoanalyst. Our previous president, Dick Fox, passed the Association's virtual baton to Fischer at the Meeting of Members on Friday, May 17, 2002, during APsaA's Annual Meeting held this year in Fischer's home town.
Asked about his mission for his term as president, Fischer mentioned the importance of public outreach. We need to let people know what psychoanalysts do. “I really believe in freedom, and that analysis can allow people greater freedom. Maybe we add years to life, but certainly we as analysts add life to years,” he said.
Fischer believes in inclusion. “There are a lot of good analysts out there who may not have orthodox credentials — maybe they're from other disciplines — but they are seriously committed to analytic practice and thought,” he said. “I'd like to reach out to these individuals as well as to other organizations” such as the William Alanson White Institute and IPS institutes, Fischer stated.
“I'm concerned about the organization bogging down in perpetual struggles about internal structure. We can get so involved with looking inward that we never look outside ourselves,” said Fischer.
Photo by Mervin Stewart
Praising the contributions of his predecessors, Fischer said he had been inspired by Marvin Margolis's vision of outreach to many different groups, which had an enormous impact on the organization. Judy Schachter got the Budget and Finance Committee started and got the National Office computerized. Bob Pyles took outreach efforts in another direction, to the political arena. Dick Fox improved the Association's structure and functioning.
“Bigger is better,” Fischer said. He believes in letting the organization grow by inclusion. We shouldn't settle for being a boutique organization: “Twenty years ago, analysts said, ‘We have the truth.‘ We have a vision, an understanding, but we don't have the truth.”
Regarding internal disputes, Fischer thinks, “It's important to be friends. To have a sense of humor. To not neglect each other even when we disagree.”
Several times during the May meetings, Fischer said that the baton he was now holding felt a bit heavy, a bit worrisome. His vision of inclusiveness, outward vision, good humor, and friendliness emerged clearly at the Philadelphia meetings.
Fischer's personal history is closely tied to Philadelphia, where he has spent his whole life, received his education, and did psychiatric and psychoanalytic training. He met Ruth Simons, now Ruth Fischer, one of APsaA's councilors-at-large, when he was thirteen and she was twelve. He says Ruth is still mad at him for not inviting her to his bar mitzvah.
The Fischers live on a five-acre piece of land in exurban Philadelphia. They raised four grown children, none of whom pursued them into medicine. One son teaches high school English, one daughter is a painter, and two sons work in video editing.
Newell plays tennis four times a week and reads, at times voraciously, for relaxation.
Prudy Gourguechon is editor of TAP.