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President's Message by Henry Evans, MD

The election for Society officers has been completed. The results are:

On behalf of the membership, I want to welcome the new officers to their two year terms of office. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to our outgoing officers. Harvey Strauss is completing his year as Immediate Past President, capping years of diligent, even-handed work in the service of our membership. Thanks to Phil Lebovitz our treasurer, we have begun to replenish our reserves and are considering additional marketing efforts. Prudy Leib has coordinated updating the roster and has kept careful track of the Executive Committee's business. I also want to thank Ann Kaplan, representing the Candidate members, for her active participation in our discussions and for her help as liaison. She will be replaced by Lauren Kern. I look forward to a continuation of the pleasant working atmosphere that has characterized our Executive committee discussions.

The conference "Psychoanalysis, Neurobiology and Therapeutic Change", co-sponsored by the Society in celebration of the Institute's 65th anniversary, was a rousing success. Some 270 were in attendance including over 40 registrants from out of state. I hope and trust this endeavor will be followed by efforts to extend an interdicipilary dialog amongst interested Chicago analysts and our colleagues from other fields.

A vote will be taken in Toronto about forming a President's Council, composed of the Presidents of the component Societies within the American.  Formation of this Council would serve to give the Societies greater involvement and voice in the deliberations of the Executive Council of the American. All issues on the agenda for the Executive Council would be first presented to the President's Council for discussion and input. The outcome of the vote and future details about the Toronto meeting will be forthcoming from our Councilor.

Looking ahead to next year, the Program committee, with Virginia Barry as Chair, has been working hard to formulate stimulating and varied programs for our scientific meetings. Slots are nearly filled and I am sure our members will find the year a rewarding one.

The Society Matinee program scheduled for April, unfortunately, had to be canceled due to a conflict with the site visit at the Institute. Eric Plaut, who was to speak on Richard Strauss, has graciously offered to give his presentation during the next academic year. One Matinee program remains for this year. Sunday, June 28, from 3-5, Martha Schneider will present "What is Contemporary Photography?" at her gallery (look for an announcement in June). Martha will surely give a stimulating talk and will encourage discussion. Light food and wine will be served. Space is limited but your place or place(s) can be guaranteed by calling our secretary, Lucy Wrobel at 312-853-3714. I will also be sending out a questionnaire, asking you to list any area of interest around which you would like to be involved in one of the Society's Matinee programs. We welcome the interests, vocations and avocations of any spouses or partners, as well. The accent is on the pleasure in sharing one's interests in a casual atmosphere.

Lastly, in cooperation with the Executive Committee, I am initiating a literary prize for members of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Society. The Society Prize will be available annually. The award of $1000.00 and the opportunity to present the paper at a meeting of the Society will alternate yearly between Regular including Life members and Candidate members. All papers will be reviewed blindly by a panel experienced with writing and publishing. The submissions must be original, unpublished psychoanalytic papers of clinical or theoretical focus. Although the award may not be given each year, a committee decision based upon merit, all papers will be reviewed and receive feedback with the hope of aiding the author. The first year of this prize will be 98-99 and will be for Regular and Life members. The deadline for submission will be March 31, 1999. A separate mailing and application for the Chicago Society's prize will be sent in the future.

Institute Activities

Each Newsletter Highlights Another Institute Program:

This Month: Psychoanalysis, Neurobiology and Therapeutic Change, Revisited

by Richard Herron, MD

 With over 50% of the human genome dedicated to but 2% of the body, the brain, the handsdown choice of the 65th Anniversary Conference of the Chicago Institute was to explore some of the recent findings of neuroscience and its affects upon psychoanalysis. Bob and Barbara Fajardo organized the conference which highlighted Gerald Edelman, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine. (That dynamic Fajardo duo may well be called upon repeatedly as their efforts were outstanding).

The conference began with Edelman's presentation entitled "Neural Darwinism: Rethinking Freud's Biology". Edelman stated that the organization of the million billion possible connections within the brain were a result of the individual's environmental conditions. He presented empirical data supporting his premise that each individual's brain selects unique patterns of responding to sensory stimuli not unlike Darwin's theory that certain species are selected by virtue of their ability to adapt.

Edelman's two colleagues, Giulo Tononi, MD, and Evan Balban, PhD, then presented their material.

Tononi, using examples from the monkey's visual cortex, demonstrated the many areas of the visual cortex are activated. Each area serving a unique function, for example, specific areas of neurons are activated for size, movement and color and then linked in unique patterns. Balaban transplanting parts of chicken and quail neurotubes demonstrated that bird songs were a product of both their brain structure and what they learned from listening to mature bird songs.

A great lunch on the 9th floor of the Washington Library preceded Barbara Fajardo's, Virginia Barry's and Arnold Modell's attempt to interweave Edelman's ideas with psychoanalytic theory. Fajardo presented a case which she felt demonstrated the repetition of an earlier learned pattern which required a transference to facilitate a reorganization. Barry utilized some neuroscience's concepts to better comprehend the repetition of her patent's non-verbal behavior. Modell discussed how through metaphor affects and memories are linked.

Memories and affects both in the speaker and the Modell implied that metaphor stimulates multiple memories in both the speaker and the recipient, not unlike how many specialized neurons of the visual cortex of the monkey are stimulated by a visual experience.

The Sunday morning panel, chaired by Arnold Cooper, was preceded by Fred Levin's summary of the Saturday's efforts. The question "what is the use of this information for psychoanalysis and does psychoanalysis have anything to contribute to neuroscience?" was on everyone's mind. Many topics were discussed such as how would "consciousness" or the "dynamic unconscious" be represented in Edelman's scheme. Most panelists felt that psychoanalysis needs to consider modern neuroscientific findings when theory building or run the risk of serious errors of how the mind works. The neuroscientist can use the wealth of material found only in a psychoanalyst's intimate examination of a person's psychology to help direct their search. Both groups share the challenge of representing non-linear data in a meaningful and cohesive fashion. For most in attendance the weekend was an awakening to new ideas.

(This author wishes to acknowledge Jay Einhorn, PhD, who willingly shared his notes of the conference which greatly helped in recalling its many events.)

The Institute Connection by Tom Pappadis, MD, Director

On April 15th, we welcomed a group of site visitors from the American who conducted a most thorough visit evaluating our curriculum, teaching, supervision and administrative structure. They examined the many programs including the integration of the child analytic training program. They met with us for four days and presented a very favorable summary on Sunday morning at our new quarters.

We truly felt settled in. The site visits occur every seven years, the last being 1991, it gives me a sense of how quickly these years go by. A special thanks to Ken Newman, who as Dean chaired the committee in preparation for this visit. Also thanks to Jim Wilson, Associate Dean, who put a great deal of effort in coordinating the schedules. Also thanks to Jorge Schnieider, Henry Seidenberg and Bob Galatzer-Levy for their hard work on the committee.

Pat Rueckheim did an exemplary job in helping the committee with all the administrative detail; while Chris Susman arranged the various luncheons and dinners meetings in her own receptive and efficient manner. Mary Pirau, as Director of Financial Affairs, organized our financial records for the visit.

There was a sense of collegiality right from the beginning which continued throughout the visit. A special thanks to Roz and Ken Newman for hosting a party at their home during the visit. All in all,we were delighted with the visit -the ambiance and the participation of the faculty, society members and candidates. Thanks to you all.

We are in an Institute that has many diverse theoretical positions with an open and healthy disagreements, but we remain an Institute that is cohesive, moving into new directions and maintaininga continuous, committed integration within the founding principles of psychoanalytic ideas and treatment.

Before closing, I wish to invite all of you to come to the Institute and take one of our new Course Catalogues for 1998-2000. This catalogue encompasses all of our educational programs. Please take as many as you need. Many contributed to this catalogue, but a special thanks to Jim Wilson, Pat Rueckheim, Eva Sandberg and Dottie Jefferies for their help producing the catalogue which so well describes next year's efforts.

PR Remarks by Mark Smaller, Ph.D.

I was going down the elevator recently and ran into a colleague who asked how things were going. It was a couple of days after we had so much success contributing our expertise and understanding to the media after the tragic Jonesboro, Arkansas shooting.

This incident also occurred on day after a nine year old boy here in Chicago was stabbed while witnessing his mother being beaten to death by her boyfriend. I described to my colleague some of our efforts and expressed my belief that the Society and the Institute were no longer the best kept secrets in Chicago, but that we were providing invaluable service to the community with our expertise. The media here in Chicago had functioned in this comforting way for the community, offering attempts at explanations, and ways to approach the subject of these horrible events with children. My colleague was a bit hesitant in his response. He then said, "Well, I'm not sure what's being accomplished with all this". I asked what he meant.

"I worry this king of media coverage sort of cheapens the product."

I was confused.

"Cheapens the product?" I asked.

"Well," he continued, "I'm not sure what these sound bites really can do for us."

I was speechless. This was a colleague who I had assumed, because of his activity in the Society and Institute, would have been extremely supportive of our efforts. We were leaving the building and therefore I was unable to have him explain further.

Driving down Lake Shore Drive, I found myself repeating out loud to myself, "Cheapens the product". What did that mean? The best I could come up with was that these PR efforts were somehow beneath the stature or dignity of the Institute, Society and psychoanalysis. "Cheapens the product."

The next day Martha left me a message to call Mrs. Smith (we'll call her). She had read my Letter to the editor in the Sun Times entitled "Listening Can Save a Child's Life". When I called Mrs. Smith, she explained that she was worried about her grandson Jackson. Jackson was five years old and having problems in school. He had a bad temper and was not learning or keeping up with the other kids. He was having trouble for some time. The school social worker said he was ADD and wanted to start him on medication. Mrs. Smith didn't think he needed that.

She though he was having some problems and maybe I could help. I said that maybe she wanted to have Jackson evaluated and we could see what the trouble was. I described our child clinic. She seemed receptive. Then I asked how his parents would feel about coming for help with Jackson. "Oh," she said, "Jackson never had a father and his mom died two years ago".

I paused, then inquired and found out that Jackson's mother had been murdered when he was three. She thought for a few seconds and said that most of his problems seemed to start not long after that. Recently, he talked about how his mother had just gone away but that she would be back any day now. No one at school had ever asked Jackson about losing his mother.

I explained to Mrs. Smith about our Barr Harris Clinic, how we worked with children and their families when there was a parent loss like she described. I then went on to ask how she was doing, that she had lost her daughter and that must be so painful for her. She began to cry and said that everyday she can't stop thinking about her daughter and she knows how Jackson must feel. She said she felt she couldn't talk to anyone about it.

The next day, Mrs. Smith and Jackson were seen at our Barr Harris Clinic at Little Company of Mary.

Cheapens the product? It seems to me that if our PR efforts accomplished only providing an opportunity for Jackson and his grandmother to get the help they need, that we can provide, the very best help, then our effort, our time and money spent on PR would be well worth it. I believe we have this incredible product, but it has been our past isolation and disconnection from the community that has not only cheapened it, but almost taken the product off the shelf for good. Not only does Jackson and his grandmother benefit, but also the school teacher, the principal, the school social worker who benefit from a consult with one of our Barr Harris staff. Then that social worker decides he or she wants more training and comes to one of our programs, or becomes an analyst and joins our Society, etc. etc. Our services and programs become more and more known directly from a result of our clinical interventions. Our commitment to PR is essential if psychoanalysis, the Institute and Society are going to grow and prosper into the next century. That's our goal.

Spreading the Psychoanalytic Word: Student Affiliates by Prudence Leib, MD

Although many are unaware, The American Psychoanalytic Association has undergone a sea of hange in recent years. Under the leadership of Marvin Margolis, committees have been formed to reach out to psychotherapists, students, academics, new geographic communities and non-American psychoanalytic societies and institutes. The Fellowship Program of the American has been opened up to psychologists and social workers. The current leadership of the American conceives of theorganization as a multidisciplinary specialty mental health organization.

The concept of Student Associates, at both a national and local level, seems especially promising.

About a year ago, the Executive council of the American approved the category of student associates- students in psychiatry, social work and psychology as well as other fields can join the American in this special category for a small annual fee ($25.00). In return, they receive mailings notifying them of scientific meetings, reduced annual meeting registration fees (only $20.00), a subscription to T.A.P., a reduced student rate for J.A.P.A. subscriptions (just $30.00) and a local mentor if possible.

The Committee on Student Associates of the American, headed by Gerry Melchiode, has a double mission. One, to promote and support the national level of affiliation by students outlined above. Two, to help local psychoanalytic communities develop student associations affiliated with their societies.

In Chicago, we already have a potential nucleus for a local student association organization. The Institute has sponsored a very successful local fellowship through its recruitment committee under the leadership of Hank Evans and Barbara Rocah. In its first year, there were 8 fellows, one of whom has already matriculated as a candidate. In its second and current year, there are 10 fellows. These groups have included psychiatry residents and psychology students and interns. At least one of this year's fellows has joined the American as a student associate. This year alone, seven Chicagoans applied to the Fellowship Program of the American- five social workers, one psychiatry resident and one psychologist. All of these applicants receive a free subscription to T.A.P. for a year and a mentor. This gives us a ready nucleus of 20 to 25 individual who have already demonstrated their interest in psychoanalysis. Without any focused effort, we already have a nascent student affiliates group, only needing organizing, recognition and some publicity to keep it going.

The Society needs to pursue this idea vigorously in the near future. The benefits to us are obvious. These students represent the next generation of candidates and community leaders who can be involved immediately in psychoanalysis as students, supervises and consulatees. They spread the word that psychoanalysis is alive and thriving as a therapeutic model and as a profession. Having been involved over the last few years in fellowship programs both at a local and national level, I am astounded and impressed by the interest in psychoanalysis voiced by young trainees in all the mental health fields and by some of those outside mental health: lawyers, pediatricians, biochemists, etc.

In reading personal statements of applicants to the national fellowship program, one sees a recurrent theme: individuals enter into mental health fields because of a hunger for understanding human behavior and motivation, and find themselves dissatisfied in their training programs, missing the very depth that attracted them to the field. They voice this search for understanding and a profound disappointment with the deficit in the education offered them in their psychiatry, psychology and social work departments.

As psychoanalysts here in Chicago, we can provide the resources to treat this deficit.

Coming Events!

Chicago Psychoanalytic Society Evening Meetings

OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY

June 23: 7:30 p.m. at the Dental School

Judith L. Kantrowitz, Ph.D.

The Role of the Preconscious In Psychoanalysis

Discussant: Mark Levey, MD

June 28: 3-5 p.m.

A Society Matinee

Martha Schnieder Gallery

"What is Contemporary Photography?"

by reservation only

Member News