Affiliate: n. A person, organization, or establishment associated with another as a subordinate, subsidiary, or member.
Associate: n. A person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or colleague. A member of an institution or society who is granted only partial status or privileges.
(Source: dictionary.com The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.)
In last year's response to APsaA's Strategic Plan mailing, we found that many of our members identified their membership categories incorrectly. With affiliate membership and associate categories as well as having affiliate or affiliated study groups and simply using the terms, “affiliated” and “associated,” in APsaA literature, it's no wonder many of our members and Associates are unsure in which category they belong. “Affiliate” and “Associate” are words commonly used by APsaA. Both are similar in definition, as noted above, but represent very different groups in the Association. I hope the following will help clarify some of the differences and clear up some of the confusion.
APsaA's Associates are individuals who are interested in psychoanalysis but are not psychoanalysts or analytic candidates. The four categories (Educator Associates, Psychotherapist Associates, Research Associates, Student/Resident Associates) were developed as a way to include and involve these individuals in our Association as well as create a place for these like-minded professionals to network. The Associate programs have a nominal yearly enrollment fee ($25-50) which provides the following benefits:
Subscriptions to TAP and Forward!
For membership assistance, please contact Debra Steinke, manager, Education & Membership Services, 212-752-0450 x 26 or e-mail: .
Discounted registration rates for APsaA's biannual meetings.
Eligibility to subscribe to JAPA at the members' rate.
Unlike members, Associates are not governed by APsaA's bylaws and they do not have voting privileges or access to APsaA's closed Web site and e-mail lists.
The Associates have created a place for non-analysts to exchange psychoanalytic ideas. Each Associate category has its own committee which develops programming at the biannual meetings. For example:
Research Associates of the American Psychoanalytic Association (RAAPA), formerly the Collaborative Analytic Multi-site Project (CAMP), sponsor the RAAPA-CAMP Research Forum at the Winter Meetings—a forum for the exchange of psychoanalytic research topics.
Psychotherapist Associates have established a well attended biannual Thursday Discussion Group with the theme of “Bringing the Best of Psychoanalytic Thought to the American Psychotherapist, from Classic to Cutting Edge.”
Student/Resident Associates co-sponsor a biannual Saturday Special Event.
The Liaison to Schools Committee (the Educator Associates Committee) sponsors an annual Saturday Symposium highlighting psychoanalytic topics that are important to educators.
For additional information on the Associate programs as well as to download a brochure and enrollment form, please visit: .
An Affiliate Member is a psychoanalytic candidate enrolled in full clinical training or non-clinical/academic training at an accredited APsaA institute or new training facility, who has accepted membership in the Association. Affiliate Members are governed by APsaA's bylaws, pay annual dues, have voting privileges, access to APsaA's closed section of the Web site and e-mail lists, are eligible for the many insurance benefits as well as other member benefits offered to Active Members.
Affiliate Members are the next generation of analysts and the future of the Association. The Affiliate Council, under the leadership of President Julio G. Calderon, represents the interests of APsaA's candidates. Delegates from each institute compose the body of the Affiliate Council, which meets Thursday during the two national meetings. APsaA candidates who would like to become Affiliate Members can contact me at the National Office and I will help you get set up for membership.
If you are still unsure of the differences between Affiliates and Associates, please drop me a line and I will be happy to discuss this further with you.