The various branches of the Candidates' Council (CC) have continued to expand in an effort to connect colleagues from across the country, and strengthen the internal sense of analytic identity and cohesion among our active members. Since the Candidates' Council is now in an election year, I am enthusiastically encouraging you to run for office of the Candidates' Council's Executive Committee. Positions include president-elect, treasurer, and secretary. These positions not only provide candidates with an opportunity to sample the organizational life of APsaA but also to closely bond with and help a like-minded community of colleagues in training. Please feel free to inquire more about these positions from me, or any other member of the Candidates' Council's Executive Committee, including President-Elect Navah Kaplan, Treasurer Jamie Cromer, and Secretary Valerie Golden. Election ballots will be sent out in the fall, and candidates for office will be asked to make their position statements during the Candidates' Council meeting this spring.
Our committees have been working over the past several months to help foster candidate involvement and empowerment. I am thrilled to announce the launch of the first candidate study group, chaired by Candidates' Council's education chair, Caryn Schorr, and sponsored by the Committee on Psychoanalytic Education. It will assemble during the Annual Meeting in Chicago on Wednesday, June 13. This group, comprising approximately 12 candidate and recent graduate members, will address challenges candidates face in training. More specific goals will be sharpened during the meeting. This group will produce a publication and/or presentations at its conclusion.
In the continued spirit of innovation in candidate involvement, Navah Kaplan has submitted a proposal to the American Psychoanalytic Foundation for funding for the Candidates' Scientific Paper Prize that would enlarge the scope of the program. The proposal added the component of a Candidates' Writing Workshop to further the aim of helping candidates learn to write analytically. Monetary awards will continue for the winner and runner-up of a Candidates' Scientific Paper Prize.
After four years as CC Program Committee chair, Phoebe Cirio will step down from this position after the June meeting. Her contributions to the scholastic branch of the Candidates' Council have been outstanding and greatly appreciated. Sarah L. Lusk, who is an adult candidate at the Psychoanalytic Institute of New England (PINE) and child candidate at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (BPSI), will take her place. Lusk will be an excellent addition to the Candidates' Council's Steering Committee, and I welcome her to her new role.
The Candidate Connection Newsletter is also seeing a shift in leadership. Editors Michael Garfinkle and Jamieson Webster stepped down at the end of last year. I thank them both for their valuable contributions. Replacing them is Graciana Lapetina, a candidate from the Institute for Psychoanalytic Education. I welcome her to our community and look forward to her contributions. As in the past year, the newsletter will continue to be printed electronically.
In order to increase the presence of candidates on the APsaA website, and provide easy access to information about the Candidates' Council, chair of the Digital Media and Communications Committee, Vanessa Sinclair, has been working tirelessly with the National Office over the course of this academic year. At the time of this writing, the staff at headquarters is putting up a new link within the main home page with updated information on the Candidates' Council. Sinclair is also working to expand communication of candidates through the use of Ning, a social networking platform designed to inform candidates of one another's practices. As the use of technology expands, these services become increasingly crucial to maintain contact, foster communication, and learn about our colleagues' work.
The CC Executive Committee has also been working to further the candidate cause. In addition to her work on the Candidate Paper Prize, Navah Kaplan has been helping to coordinate the candidate party for the June meetings. Jamie Cromer has been working on the Travel Grant Program, which will be awarded to several candidates during the Annual Meeting in Chicago. Valery Golden has continued her efforts with the Master Teacher Award Program, particularly discussing with her committee how to operationalize the selection of master teachers and how to create a committee of judges.
I have continued in my efforts to launch the Pilot Mentorship Program. At the time of this writing, I have corresponded with several institutes about participating in the trial program. I hope to have more information about how to implement the program by the time of the Annual Meeting.
As I have illustrated, members of the Candidates' Council are working diligently to further candidates' presence in the organization and enhance their training experiences. Consider joining us in our work. There is no better time to get to know APsaA's organizational life, network, and develop a sense of analytic identity than during one's training, when so many opportunities are available. You may contact me (hilli@dagony-clark. com) or any other member of the Candidates' Council's Executive Committee for further information. I hope to see you in Chicago.
Editor's Note:
This is an abbreviated version of the “President's Letter” from the most recent issue of the Candidate Connection which can be read in its entirety at .
Hilli Dagony-Clark, Psy.D., is president of the Candidates' Council.