IPA Promotes Survey to Aid Psychoanalytic Practice in the Three Regions

Sometimes, our country leads the world in ways we wish it did not. Since the early '80s, we have been dealing with increasing assaults on psychoanalytic practice, first by managed care, then by increasing regulation and intrusion by government and insurance companies, and, finally, from threats by licensing and competition by groups with lesser training. Caught off guard, and helpless at first, we have rallied to develop ways to fight back. Political action at the federal and local levels, public information and media efforts, community outreach, and strengthening ties to universities has helped us turn the tide from declining membership and candidate enrollment to a position of slow but steady growth.

We are now seeing that similar threats have spread to the other regions of Europe and Latin America. Many local societies there find themselves under siege, with the same problems of regulation and competition that we have been facing, and with the same result of declining membership and candidate applications.

Under the forward thinking policies of the last several IPA administrations, Otto Kernberg, Daniel Widlocher, and now Claudio Eizirik, increasing efforts are being made to develop a similar capacity by the IPA to protect and promote psychoanalysis on a worldwide basis. For example, a Public Information Committee, under Sergio Nick of Rio, has been formed.

A major development has been the formation by Claudio Eizirik of a Working Group on Professional Practice Issues, which I chair and Rick Perlman co-chairs. The charge of this group is to become an international “think tank,” collecting information from societies in all three regions on their experiences, threats to practice, and their efforts to deal with them. The idea is to bring both collective experience and wisdom to any society that is threatened, as well as practical and “on the ground” aid. The current hot spot is Venezuela where the policies of President Chavez are so threatening to psychoanalysis, that many psychoanalysts are planning to leave the country.

As a first step, each society in each region, will soon be receiving an important questionnaire, asking about such issues as threats to practice, recruiting of candidates, licensing, public relations, relations to other professional groups, and competition with other groups. It is critical in this effort to receive information as complete as possible. Our group also has the charge, and the budget, to do site visits, if desirable.

It is very important that each society return the survey. Help us empower the IPA to help you!