After completing a psychodynamically-oriented doctoral psychology program, I found myself deeply invested in learning more about the complexity of the human mind through the most comprehensive and thorough method I knew: psychoanalysis. While obtaining clinical hours and studying for my licensing exam loomed large in my mind, more expansive was the gap that was once filled with the magic of discovery. I very much wished to apply concepts I found captivating during my graduate studies—intrapsychic conflict, compromise formation, transference—and see them come alive in a meaningful treatment process. Stuck between my newfound identity as a psychologist and the clinician I wished to become, analytic training seemed an ideal option. Little did I know that this training would not only provide me with a precious scholarly future but would also afford me access to an interconnected kinship spanning institutes, states, and countries. It is through involvement with this psychoanalytic community that I received referrals, began a private practice, and took on an office; found exposure to teaching and supervising opportunities; and met a multitude of likeminded, warm, and intelligent individuals devoted to the field of psychoanalysis. My involvement in the psychoanalytic community has been remarkable in that it has allowed me to discover the richness and depth that characterizes stellar educational ideals fueled by the clear devotion and commitment of individuals at the very heart of the field.
There are endless reasons to become involved in a psychoanalytic community that many consider home. Outlined are a few compelling motives aimed at addressing the importance of active participation in our field. While the busy world keeps us all spinning, involvement with psychoanalytic thought and principles provides a welcome anchor.
The fact that Americans are in the midst of a deep national crisis is well known. Families bereft of members serving in the military, individuals losing their jobs and homes, and the threat of terrorism, are just a few of the worries plaguing the national psyche. Psychoanalytic treatment, with its comprehensive vision of the unconscious and the endless possibility of creative thought in a quest for personal meaning, can provide infinite relief and adaptive solutions to those in the midst of sudden crisis or chronic disturbance. Psychoanalysis is unique in that it allows for discovery of the mind through a privileged and intimate relationship for the purpose of transforming long-standing, maladaptive, and deeply entrenched responses to the world. Promoting psychoanalytic treatment through communication with the media and community outreach is needed to raise public awareness of psychonalysis and thus provide suffering individuals with enduring relief and intrapsychic freedom.
In a world where short-term psychotherapies based on symptom reduction and/or pure medication management are promoted by insurance companies and sought by many in desperate need of quick solutions, it is easy for psychoanalysis to be overlooked. The intensive time and financial obligations, as well as the methodical and often painful uncovering of the inner workings of the mind, are far from effortless. It is our responsibility as representatives of our field to advance our position and uphold psychoanalytic thought. Involvement in research; treatment of low-fee analytic patients; pro-bono supervision and teaching; and participation in local, national, and international psychoanalytic committees are all ways to ensure our lasting presence in the mental health world.
Involvement in a professional body devoted to the enhancement of psychoanalytic ideals is essential to the psychoanalytic clinician. Since the work of psychoanalysis is at times challenging, lonely, rewarding, exhausting, and deeply powerful, access to psychoanalytic education, peer supervision, and engagement with like-minded colleagues is crucial for the personal and professional empowerment of the psychoanalyst. The danger of committing ethical violations, losing cases prematurely, or burning out could be mitigated through participation in psychoanalytic activities aimed at uniting and teaching analysts who are deeply invested in their work.
Participation in the psychoanalytic community provides opportunities to contribute to those in distress, ensures our survival as a field, and fosters academic growth and a sense of community. Although conflict within psychoanalytic organizations might decrease individuals'willingness to commit to extracurricular psychoanalytic activities, the global rewards for involvement far outweigh the current difficulties. I have found my professional home through my psychoanalytic studies, psychoanalytically related activities, and the people I have come to know. I can think of no better way to ensure the progression of psychoanalytic thought and treatment than to continually involve myself in the local, national, and international psychoanalytic community that has already given many of us so much.
Hilli Dagony-Clark, Psy.D., is president-elect of the Affiliate Council, a candidate in adult psychoanalytic training at the NY Psychoanalytic Institute, and a candidate in child psychoanalytic training at the combined Child Program of NY Psychoanalytic, NYU Medical, and Columbia Psychoanalytic Institutes.