Dear IARPP Members,

In just under a month, we will finally meet at our annual conference in Toronto (May 7-10, 2026). Hazel Ipp and Hilary Offman (both of Canada), as co-chairs, along with the International and Local Committees, have been working on this conference for over a year to put together a very comprehensive program on “Can Hate Last? Reclaiming Clinical Sensibilities in Relational Psychoanalysis,” where we will explore how we live and work in the context of the hate we encounter, both within ourselves and others, and inside and outside our consulting rooms.

As you surely know, our conferences provide an exceptional meeting place where we can connect and share in person with our international community. During the rest of the year, many of us meet in the various working committees, and we can also share and learn through our webinars and colloquia.

Recently, the Candidates Committee held a webinar on “When the Other Becomes the Enemy: Clinical Work with Intimate Partner Violence.” The participants had the opportunity to have an interesting dialogue with the Italian relational psychoanalyst Maria Silvia Soriato and explore violence in intimate relationships through clinical and theoretical perspectives, drawing on survivors’ experiences and feminist and psychoanalytic thought. More than one hundred participants from numerous countries registered, making the meeting rich and diverse.

In that same spirit, we will meet in Toronto. Looking very much forward to seeing you all there! Don’t forget to register here: https://iarpp.ce-go.com/iarpp-conference-2026-may-7-may-10-2026/home

With warm regards,

Sandra Toribio Caballero
IARPP President

Sandra Toribio Caballero, Ph.D.
Madrid, Spain
Email Sandra Toribio Caballero

Dear Colleagues,

Hate is in the air.

By which I mean that, in just a few more weeks, IARPP will convene for its annual conference, an international gathering which this year dedicates itself to hate and destructiveness as it emerges in the clinical situation, in our internal worlds, as well as in its various interpersonal, institutional, social, cultural, ethnic and political forms. We look forward to welcoming many hundreds of relational analysts and those interested in its ideas and practices to Toronto for an exploration in numerous plenaries, parallel paper sessions, and discussions formal and informal, as we ponder the rich and bracing question, “Can Hate Last? Reclaiming Clinical Sensibilities in Relational Psychoanalysis.”

If you haven’t already registered to attend, we hope you will consider doing so! You can find a précis of the conference at the Conference page. If you haven’t already registered, you can do so here: https://iarpp.ce-go.com/iarpp-conference-2026-may-7-may-10-2026/home. If you are not attending, you might consider registering, through the same link, for virtual access to the plenaries. And if you are still deciding whether to attend, you can peruse the full program here: https://iarpp.ce-go.com/iarpp-conference-2026-may-7-may-10-2026/agenda

For those of you attending the conference, we invite you to join us Friday during lunchtime, 12:30–1:15, for a memorial tribute to the life and work of the late Malcolm Owen Slavin. This coming together of our community will help us mourn the loss of a colleague who was both a warm, kind soul and a brilliant thinker. At the time of his passing in January, Mal was a member of IARPP’s Board of Directors. He was a familiar presence through his numerous IARPP plenary presentations across the decades and a seminal relational contributor through his influential writing, which culminated in the 2024 publication of The Story of Loss: Grieving Existential Trauma in the Arts and the Art of Psychotherapy. Mal’s magnum opus received the prestigious Gradiva Award for best psychoanalytic book just weeks after his passing. Remembrances will appear as well in the next (June) issue of this newsletter.

Sadly, the loss of colleagues has been mounting lately. The preeminent interpersonal psychoanalyst Edgar Levenson passed away last month at age 101. Regarded as a “quintessential American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst,” Dr. Levenson wrote three important books, The Fallacy of Understanding  (1972), The Ambiguity of Change  (1983), and The Purloined Self  (1991) which, alongside numerous journal articles, are standards of psychoanalytic training around the globe.

Ruth Lijtmaer, a frequent contributor to The IARPP Bookshelf, passed away last month as well. Ruth was a tireless advocate for those who endure degrading, traumatic, and painful circumstances — immigrants, refugees, and those living in exile. Through her writings and presentations, including at recent IARPP conferences, she sought to humanize these experiences and deepen our sensitivity to the suffering of others, especially in a time marked by profound social and political dehumanization.

Finally, Irwin Hoffman has just left us. His contributions to Relational psychoanalysis are as monumental as Levenson’s contributions to Interpersonal psychoanalysis. His book, Ritual and Spontaneity in the Psychoanalytic Process: A Dialectical-Constructivist View  (1998), remains a cornerstone of Relational thinking, offering us everything from an understanding of dialectical or social constructivism to the phrase “throwing away the book.” Among his many influential papers were “The Patient as Interpreter of the Analyst’s Experience” (1983), his second sole-authored essay, and “Therapeutic Passion in the Countertransference” (2009), which was also the basis of a memorable plenary talk he gave at the 2012 IARPP Conference in New York.

This month’s issue features a letter from our president, remarks about the Toronto conference, reports from several committees, and the latest activities of two international chapters, Thessaloniki and Mexico.

* * *

If you would like me to include news of your recent publications and/or presentations in the next IARPP Bookshelf, please send the following materials to me at MattAibel@gmail.com by Sunday, May 24, 2026:

• Title of your recent or upcoming publication(s)/presentation(s) (“Recent” means within the prior year; IARPP Conference presentations are not eligible)
• An abstract or brief description of the content, around 150 words
• Link to a publisher, if applicable, so that members might access or purchase a copy
• Book cover photo or artwork, if applicable
• Digital photograph of yourself (jpeg format)
• Professional contact information as you would like it to appear publicly (city/town in which you practice or work and your email address)
• Book authors, please provide a brief bio of up to 90 words
• Presenters, please spell out organizational acronyms and include the location, if in-person

Best wishes,

Matt Aibel
Editor, The IARPP Bulletin

Matt Aibel, LCSW
New York, NY, USA
Email Matt Aibel

Dear Colleagues,

It has been 25 years since Stephen Mitchell published his last book, Can Love Last? The Fate of Romance Over Time. We now find ourselves considering the fate of hate over time, as we seek to come to terms with the impact of the hatred we face in our internal worlds (in hating and being hated) and in the social-cultural-interpersonal surround in which hatred and destructiveness abound and shape the field in which we live and practice.

Can Hate Last?
Reclaiming Clinical Sensibilities in Relational Psychoanalysis

Toronto, May 7-10, 2026

Hazel Ipp, Ph.D.
Toronto, Canada
Email Hazel Ipp

Hilary Offman, MD, FRCPC
Toronto, Canada
Email Hilary Offman

In February, we hosted a powerful webinar featuring Maria Silvia Soriato (Italy), who presented her paper, “When the Other Becomes the Enemy: Clinical Work with Intimate Partner Violence.” Early career clinicians from all over the world took part in a wonderful discussion of the paper and the broader issues and implications for clinical work within its theme.

We are delighted to welcome several new members to the Candidates Committee, Massoud Asadi (Iran), Bella Sosevsky (Israel), Gerardo Perez (Mexico), and Walter Monterosso (Italy). We look forward to their contributions and participation.

Finally, we are excited to announce the Candidates Panel at the upcoming Toronto conference. Entitled “Encountering the Unexpected: When Hate Haunts the Analytic Room,” it will take place on Saturday afternoon, May 9. The session will feature presentations by Patricia Barroilhet Bustamante (Chile), Florence Loh (Canada), and Masoomeh (Bita) Abdollah Ghapoochi (Iran), with a discussion by Joyce Slochower (USA). We hope you will join us for what promises to be a stimulating and meaningful exchange.

Afarin Kohan (Canada) and Ignacio Blasco (Spain)
Candidates Committee Co-Chairs
Ashleigh Ide (USA)
Committee Member

Afarin Kohan, MD, FRCPC
Toronto, Canada
Email Afarin Kohan

Ignacio Blasco, MA
Madrid, Spain
Email Ignacio Blasco

Ashleigh Ide, LMSW
New York, NY, USA
Email Ashleigh Ide

Throughout the latter part of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, Hilary Offman (Canada) and Berta Loret de Mola (Mexico) of the Chapters Committee conducted a series of individual interviews with the chairs of various international chapters. The primary objectives were to strengthen the sense of international community, understand local realities, and facilitate member participation in global events, such as the upcoming Toronto conference.

Common Challenges and Technological Solutions: Through meetings with chapters in Buenos Aires, Mexico, Greece, and Ukraine, two recurring obstacles were identified: language barriers and economic limitations. Many members expressed difficulty participating in English-language events. To address this, the committee has proposed the intensive use of technological tools, such as automatic Zoom subtitles and AI-driven translation, to democratize access to knowledge.

Resilience and Relational Theory in Crisis Contexts: The work with chapters in conflict zones has been particularly significant:

• Ukraine and Israel: Relational theory has been highlighted as fundamental for addressing war trauma and dissociation. In Israel, support groups have successfully fostered collaboration between Arab and Jewish communities. In Ukraine, despite significant logistical and safety hurdles, members are being encouraged and supported to present their work at the international conference.
• Iran: There is a burgeoning interest in relational psychoanalysis as a vital framework for finding meaning during times of social and political transition.

Growth and Academic Projects: In Europe, the Romanian chapter is focused on translating relational authors and studying the impact of historical trauma on national self-esteem.

Boosting Participation in Mexico and Argentina: Chapters in Mexico (Contemporary Mexico and IARPP Mexico) and Buenos Aires have demonstrated a strong commitment to a relational perspective through programs and study groups. There are plans to organize Spanish-language webinars and invite distinguished IARPP figures to speak on the history and purpose of our global community to motivate international affiliation.

This coordination effort serves not only to address administrative needs but to build a human bridge that allows regional voices to enrich the global relational psychoanalytic dialogue.

Hilary Offman (Canada) and Berta Loret de Mola (Mexico)
Chapters Commitee Co-Chairs

Hilary Offman, MD, FRCPC
Toronto, Canada
Email Hilary Offman

Berta Loret de Mola, Ph.D.
Merida, Mexico
Email Berta Loret de Mola

Dear IARPP Community,

We are pleased to invite you to the next IARPP Colloquium which will run from June 4th through June 14th.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Cathy Hicks (Australia) and Shlomit Gadot (Israel) for their thoughtful and dedicated work as outgoing co-chairs of the IARPP Colloquium. Their commitment, care, and intellectual generosity have helped create a vibrant space for meaningful dialogue and shared learning. Through their leadership, the Colloquium has flourished as a place where diverse voices can come together in genuine engagement, deepening our collective exploration of relational psychoanalysis. We thank them warmly for all they have given.

In our next Colloquium, we will gather in conversation around Brent Willock’s (Canada) award-winning paper: “On Dreaming, Parasomnia, Dream Enactment, and Murder” (2022), recipient of the Gradiva Award. This upcoming Colloquium offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with a text that is as clinically provocative as it is theoretically rich.

Willock’s article takes us into the unsettling terrain where dreaming, embodiment, and action blur – raising profound questions about the limits of psychic life and the thresholds between fantasy and enactment. By exploring parasomnia and extreme forms of dream enactment, the paper challenges us to reconsider the relationship between unconscious processes and their behavioral manifestations. It invites us to think not only about what dreams mean, but about what happens when they are no longer contained within the symbolic space of the mind.

We selected this paper because it speaks directly to core concerns in relational psychoanalysis: the interplay between mind and body, the co-construction of meaning, and the ways in which dissociated or unmentalized experience can emerge in action. At the same time, it pushes us beyond familiar clinical territory, opening dialogue with neurobiology, trauma, and questions of responsibility and agency. It is precisely this tension – between the known and the unthinkable – that makes the article so compelling for group discussion.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own clinical experiences, associations, and questions into the conversation. How do we understand forms of enactment that seem to bypass symbolization? What happens to relational thinking at the edge of consciousness? And how might this work expand or challenge our clinical sensibilities?

We hope you will join us for what promises to be a lively and thought-provoking exchange. Your presence and voice are essential in shaping the dialogue.

We look forward to meeting you in June,
Laura and Temo

Laura Frigau-London (Italy/USA) and Temo Keshelashvili (Georgia/Canada)
Colloquium Committee Co-Chairs

Laura Frigau-London, Psy.D., LMSW
Cagliari, Italy
Email Laura Frigau-London

Temo Keshelashvili, M.Sc.
Tbilisi, The Republic of Georgia
Email Temo Keshelashvili

As 2026 began, the Webinar Committee continued to foster international dialogue through a series of clinically and theoretically engaging webinars, reflecting the diversity and vitality of the IARPP community.The Candidates Committee organized its webinar, “When the Other Becomes the Enemy: Clinical Work with Intimate Partner Violence,” with Maria Silvia Soriato (Italy). It was held in February as a one-day Zoom event, and it very successfully reflected the Candidates Committee’s ongoing efforts to create meaningful spaces for dialogue among candidates within IARPP.

As a prelude to the Toronto conference theme, the Webinar Committee recently offered “Hating and Being Hated: Donald Winnicott and Stephen Mitchell” at the end of March, moderated by Judi Kobrick (Canada) and Matt Aibel (USA). The webinar placed two seminal papers in conversation with one another, both on hating and being hated in the clinical situation: Winnicott’s (1947) “Hate in the Countertransference” and Mitchell’s (2000) “Intersubjectivity: Between Expressiveness and Restraint in the Analytic Relationship,” drawn from his final psychoanalytic book, Relationality: From Attachment to Intersubjectivity. This webinar filled within one day of registration. Participants engaged with the complex clinical challenges that occur when hate collides with the desire for recognition and connection in an unpredictable, ever-changing landscape. A wide range of clinical, theoretical, sociopolitical, and personal themes were explored with candor and sensitivity.

During the second half of the year, we will come together again through more webinars. We will be in touch with further announcements.

We remain deeply grateful to our moderators, presenters, and participants for their ongoing engagement and contributions.

With warm regards,

Adriana Cuenca (Mexico/USA) and Carmine Schettini (Italy)
Webinar Committee Co-Chairs

Adriana Cuenca Carrara, Ph.D., LMFT
Tijuana, Mexico/San Diego, USA
Email Adriana Cuenca Carrara

Carmine Schettini, MD
Rome, Italy
Email Carmine Schettini

Comité de Webinars

Al comenzar el año 2026, el Comité de Webinars siguió fomentando el diálogo internacional a través de una serie de seminarios web de gran interés tanto desde el punto de vista clínico como teórico, que reflejaban la diversidad y la vitalidad de la comunidad de la IARPP.

El Comité de Candidatos organizó su webinar, «When the Other Becomes the Enemy: Clinical Work with Intimate Partner Violence» (Cuando el otro se convierte en el enemigo: el trabajo clínico con la violencia de pareja), con Maria Silvia Soriato (Italia). Se celebró en febrero como un evento de un día a través de Zoom y reflejó con gran éxito los esfuerzos continuos del Comité de Candidatos por crear espacios significativos para el diálogo entre los candidatos dentro de la IARPP.

Como preludio al tema de la conferencia de Toronto, el Comité de Seminarios Web ofreció recientemente, a finales de marzo, «Hating and Being Hated: Donald Winnicott and Stephen Mitchell» (Odiar y ser odiado: Donald Winnicott y Stephen Mitchell), moderado por Judi Kobrick (Canadá) y Matt Aibel (EE. UU.). El seminario web puso en diálogo dos artículos fundamentales, ambos sobre odiar y ser odiado en la situación clínica: el de Winnicott (1947) «Hate in the Countertransference» (El odio en la contratransferencia) y el de Mitchell (2000) «Intersubjectivity: Between Expressiveness and Restraint in the Analytic Relationship» (Intersubjetividad: entre la expresividad y la moderación en la relación analítica), extraído de su último libro psicoanalítico, Relationality: From Attachment to Intersubjectivity (Relacionalidad: del apego a la intersubjetividad). Este seminario web se llenó en tan solo un día desde la apertura de las inscripciones. Los participantes abordaron los complejos retos clínicos que surgen cuando el odio choca con el deseo de reconocimiento y conexión en un panorama impredecible y en constante cambio. Se exploró una amplia gama de temas clínicos, teóricos, sociopolíticos y personales con franqueza y sensibilidad.

Durante la segunda mitad del año, volveremos a reunirnos a través de más seminarios web. Nos pondremos en contacto con vosotros para comunicaros más detalles.

Seguimos profundamente agradecidos a nuestros moderadores, ponentes y participantes por su compromiso y sus contribuciones continuas.

Con afecto,

Adriana Cuenca (México/EE. UU.) y Carmine Schettini (Italia)
Coordinadores del Comité de Webinars

Comitato Webinar

All’inizio del 2026, il Comitato Webinar ha continuato a promuovere il dialogo internazionale attraverso una serie di webinar di grande interesse sia dal punto di vista clinico che teorico, che hanno rispecchiato la diversità e la vitalità della comunità IARPP.

Il Comitato Candidati ha organizzato il proprio webinar, intitolato “Quando l’altro diventa il nemico: il lavoro clinico sulla violenza da parte del partner”, con Maria Silvia Soriato (Italia). Si è tenuto a febbraio come evento Zoom di un giorno e ha rispecchiato con grande successo gli sforzi continui del Comitato dei Candidati per creare spazi significativi di dialogo tra i candidati all’interno della IARPP.

Come preludio al tema della conferenza di Toronto, il Comitato Webinar ha recentemente proposto: “Odiare ed essere odiati: Donald Winnicott e Stephen Mitchell” alla fine di marzo, moderato da Judi Kobrick (Canada) e Matt Aibel (USA). Il webinar ha messo in dialogo due articoli fondamentali, entrambi sul tema dell’odiare ed essere odiati nella situazione clinica: quello di Winnicott (1947): “L’odio nel controtransfert” e quello di Mitchell (2000): “Intersoggettività: tra espressività e moderazione nella relazione analitica”, tratto dal suo ultimo libro di psicoanalisi: “Relazionalità: dall’attaccamento all’intersoggettività”. Questo webinar ha registrato il tutto esaurito nel giro di un giorno dall’apertura delle iscrizioni, a testimonianza della vitalità e dell’impegno della nostra comunità internazionale. I partecipanti hanno affrontato le complesse sfide cliniche che sorgono quando l’odio si scontra con il desiderio di riconoscimento e di connessione in un contesto imprevedibile e in continua evoluzione. È stata esplorata con franchezza e sensibilità un’ampia gamma di temi clinici, teorici, sociopolitici e personali.

Nella seconda metà dell’anno ci ritroveremo nuovamente insieme attraverso altri webinar. Vi terremo aggiornati con ulteriori annunci.

Rimaniamo profondamente grati ai nostri moderatori, relatori e partecipanti per il loro costante impegno e contributo.

Cordiali saluti,

Adriana Cuenca (Messico-USA) e Carmine Schettini (Italia)
Coordinatori del Comitato Webinar

The Mexico Chapter is pleased to share its current activities and ongoing projects, all of which aim to foster learning, collaboration, and the dissemination of Relational psychoanalysis.

The academic coordination team, consisting of Alejandra Plaza, Graciela Viturro, Wilma Belzarena, Humberto Giachello, Anabelle Soto and Saraly Vega, organized the following events:

A central initiative is the Study Group, which embodies the Chapter’s mission by creating the opportunity for members to connect, learn, and reflect together. Meeting monthly, participants engage with selected readings presented by a speaker, encouraging dialogue and thoughtful exploration of relational concepts.

The Postgraduate Course in Clinical Relational Psychoanalysis is another key offering, designed to strengthen participants’ clinical skills. The 2025 program, Clinical Practice in Relational Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: Foundational Aspects, is followed in 2026 by Clinical Practice in Relational Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: The Sociocultural Relational Matrix, extending the focus to broader contextual dimensions of clinical work.

The Writing Workshop for Relational Texts meets monthly to provide a collaborative environment for developing relational writing. This hybrid-format activity encourages creativity and collective authorship (the group’s writers are currently collaborating on “Clinical Relational Diaries: Change through Relationship; What the Therapist Brings; What the Group Brings”), and provides feedback on individual projects.

The Intervision Group, organized by Marcella Lopez and Alicia Ramos, represents a horizontal model of clinical reflection, i.e. peer supervision, in which participants draw on their collective experience to deepen understanding of the therapeutic relationship.

Community Coordination, facilitated by Ariadne Papacostas, Anne Maxwell, Gabriel Pinto, and Mónica Ruiz, focuses on strengthening relational bonds within the organization. Its goal is to cultivate a warm, participatory, and pluralistic community. Its work centers on four areas: strengthening emotional connection, fostering proactivity, supporting the coordination team, and ongoing evaluation. Planned initiatives for 2026 include social gatherings, an emotional presence program for partners during significant life events, development of member-led projects, a public recognition system, structured opportunities for reflection and adjustment, and free access.

Liaison Coordination, established last year by María Fernanda González Robles, promotes partnerships with institutions sharing an interest in psychoanalysis. Its efforts include establishing academic and clinical exchange agreements, forming an editorial committee, and developing a blog and website to disseminate activities and publications. In 2026, the team expands with Karen Ibarra Zazueta and Adriana Pérez Peón and consolidates agreements with institutions such as Centro K (Center for Psychoanalysis in Mexico City) and the Latin American University of Yucatán. These collaborations support intervision spaces, new partnership proposals, and the integration of psychological and psychoanalytic literature.

Public Relations Coordination developed a media and outreach strategy in 2025 to increase visibility. Facebook and Instagram serve as primary platforms, with expansion to YouTube and TikTok planned. A publication policy ensures coherence across communications, promoting events such as study groups, intervision meetings, training programs, and social gatherings.

Finally, Clinical Coordination is advancing plans for 2026, prioritizing the creation of the SMPR-IARPP Mexico Community Care Clinic, expected to open in April. The initiative includes building referral partnerships and forming supervision groups to review clinical cases. Ongoing evaluation will guide future adjustments.

Together, these initiatives reflect a dynamic and collaborative effort to strengthen the practice and community of Relational psychoanalysis in Mexico.

Alejandra Plaza Espinosa and María Fernanda González Robles
Mexico Chapter Co-Chairs

Alejandra Plaza Espinosa, Ph.D.
Mexico City, Mexico
Email Alejandra Plaza Espinosa

María Fernanda González Robles, Ph.D.
Mexico City, Mexico
Email María Fernanda González Robles

Ελληνικά

Over the past eight years, our Chapter has grown into a vibrant community of learning and exchange, structured around three dynamic and evolving tracks:

• An introductory track dedicated to the foundational concepts of Relational psychoanalysis
• A clinically oriented track focused on therapeutic practice and attachment-related issues
• An innovative post-human track exploring the intersections of psychoanalysis, subjectivity, and technology

The thematic focus of the post-human track’s previous academic year addressed virtual reality, sexuality, and adolescence. It included contributions from distinguished scholars and clinicians, namely Angie Voela (UK), Sylvain Missonnier (France), Xanthi Vlachopoulou (France), and Alessandra Lemma (UK).

Over the past year, Nancy McWilliams (USA) delivered a structured series of six webinars – three focused on psychoanalytic case formulation and three on psychoanalytic supervision – which offered participants both practical tools and deep clinical insight.

Complementing this, Michael Garrett (USA) led an introductory seminar at the psychiatric hospital of Thessaloniki on psychotherapy with psychotic and near-psychotic patients.

Importantly, these learning experiences extended beyond theory. During the academic year 2025–2026, participants actively integrated Dr. McWilliams’ framework into an ongoing supervision group, while Dr. Garrett further supported the community with three additional webinars aimed at deepening the clinical understanding of psychotic patients.

From the very beginning, we have been committed to making Relational psychoanalysis both accessible and meaningful. Adrienne Harris (USA) played a foundational role in introducing relational thinking during the initial two years of our operation. This initiative later evolved into a structured, year-long introductory course delivered by senior members of the Chapter.

This year, we turned our attention to the pioneering work of Sándor Ferenczi. Our program features distinguished guest speakers, including George Stathopoulos (Greece) and Tony Bass (USA), a leading expert on Ferenczi, offering participants a unique opportunity to engage deeply with this influential body of work.

Today, a committed community of approximately 100 mental health professionals from across Greece actively participates in our webinars and workshops, fostering a lively and sustained space for dialogue, reflection, and professional growth.

Building on this momentum, we will continue to deepen our engagement with the core concepts of Relational psychoanalysis, further expand our educational offerings, and strengthen our role as a key meeting point for psychoanalytic thought and clinical innovation in Greece.

Tanya Anagnostopoulou & Nayia Doudali
Thessaloniki Chapter Co-Chairs

Tanya Anagnostopoulou, Ph.D.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Email Tanya Anagnostopoulou

Nayia Doudali, M.Sc.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Email Nayia Doudali

Οκτώ χρόνια από την έναρξή του, το Παράρτημα της Θεσσαλονίκης λειτουργεί ως μια ζωντανή κοινότητα μάθησης και διαλόγου για τους ειδικούς ψυχικής υγείας προσφέροντας επιμόρφωση σε τρεις άξονες:

1. Τα εισαγωγικά μαθήματα που καλύπτουν τις θεμελιώδεις έννοιες της Σχεσιακής Ψυχανάλυσης.
2. Τα κλινικά σεμινάρια που εστιάζουν στη θεραπευτική πρακτική και ζητήματα δεσμού.
3. Τα καινοτόμα σεμινάρια για την μετα-ανθρώπινη εποχή που διερευνούν τη διατομή της ψυχανάλυσης και της υποκειμενικότητας με την τεχνολογία.

Ειδικότερα στον τομέα του posthuman, φιλοξενήσαμε την προηγούμενη ακαδημαϊκή χρονιά διακεκριμένους συγγραφείς και κλινικούς, όπως η Angie Voela (UK), ο Sylvain Missonnier (France), η Xanthi Vlachopoulou (France) και η Alessandra Lemma (UK), με ενδιαφέρουσες συζητήσεις σχετικά με τη σεξουαλικότητα και την εφηβεία στην εποχή της εικονικής πραγματικότητας.

Επιπλέον, την προηγούμενη ακαδημαϊκή χρονιά η διακεκριμένη ψυχαναλύτρια Nancy McWilliams (USA) πρόσφερε 6 εργαστήρια για τη μελέτη της ψυχαναλυτικής διατύπωσης περιπτώσεων και την ψυχαναλυτική εποπτεία. Ένα ευρύ κοινό 70 ειδικών ψυχικής υγείας παρακολούθησε τα μαθήματά της που ήταν πλούσια τόσο σε πρακτικές οδηγίες όσο και σε κατευθύνσεις για την περαιτέρω ανάπτυξη της κλινικής διαίσθησης των επαγγελματιών.

Παράλληλα, ο ψυχίατρος και ψυχαναλυτής Michael Garrett (USA) έδωσε μια δια ζώσης ομιλία στο ψυχιατρικό νοσοκομείο Θεσσαλονίκης σχετικά με την ψυχοθεραπεία ατόμων με ψύχωση και παρεμφερείς διαταραχές που προσήλκυσε έναν μεγάλο αριθμό ψυχιάτρων και ψυχολόγων.

Κατά την τρέχουσα ακαδημαϊκή χρονιά εφαρμόσαμε τις αρχές της ψυχαναλυτικής εποπτείας σε μια ομάδα εποπτείας, ενώ ο Dr. Garrett επέκτεινε το ζήτημα της θεραπείας των ψυχώσεων με 3 επιπλέον συναντήσεις, όπου συζητήθηκαν κλινικά περιστατικά για την καλύτερη κατανόηση των ψυχωτικών ασθενών.

Από την έναρξη της εταιρείας μας προσφέραμε εισαγωγικά μαθήματα για να βοηθήσουμε το κοινό να κατανοήσει τις έννοιες της Σχεσιακής Ψυχανάλυσης. Βασικός συντελεστής τα πρώτα δύο χρόνια ήταν η Adrienne Harris (USA) που παρουσίασε τις βασικές θεωρητικές και κλινικές έννοιες στα μέλη του Παραρτήματος. Σε συνέχεια αυτής της μελέτης, τα πιο έμπειρα μέλη μας σχεδίασαν και υλοποίησαν ένα ετήσιο εισαγωγικό σεμινάριο για ένα ευρύτερο κοινό.

Αυτήν τη χρονιά, ξεκινήσαμε το εισαγωγικό μας σεμινάριο με μια εις βάθος μελέτη του Sándor Ferenczi με εξαιρετικούς ομιλητές, όπως τον Γιώργο Σταθόπουλο, μέλος της Ελληνικής Ψυχαναλυτικής Εταιρείας και τον Tony Bass (USA), εξέχοντα μελετητή του Ferenczi, που έγινε δεκτή με ενθουσιασμό.

Αυτήν τη στιγμή, η κοινότητά μας απαρτίζεται από περίπου 100 ειδικούς ψυχικής υγείας από όλη την Ελλάδα που συμμετέχουν στα σεμινάρια και τα εργαστήρια, με απώτερο στόχο την ανάπτυξη ενός χώρου διαλόγου, αναστοχασμού και επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης.

Το Παράρτημα Θεσσαλονίκης θα συνεχίσει να συμβάλλει στην κατανόηση της Σχεσιακής Ψυχανάλυσης, να επεκτείνει τις επιμορφωτικές του δραστηριότητες και να ενδυναμώσει τον διάλογο για την ψυχαναλυτική σκέψη και την κλινική καινοτομία στην Ελλάδα.

Τάνια Αναγνωστοπούλου & Νάγια Δούδαλη
Co-Chairs