Dear Colleague,
As we look back at the past 10 years since IARPP’s inception we are both humbled and proud. IARPP was Stephen Mitchell’s brainchild – an idea that sprang from his perpetual curiosity and creativity and wish to expand the relational conversation beyond the few to include the many, in terms of culture, nationality, orientation and discipline.

How fitting it is that we mark this 10th anniversary both with a concentrated tribute to Stephen in terms of his ideas and his prolific writings. Many of these ideas altered the course of contemporary psychoanalysis in radical ways, spawning new ways of considering theory and clinical practice, highlighting how each mirror the other. Mitchell eschewed binaries, arguing instead for opening and maintaining dialectic tension and paradox. He placed the analyst at the centre of the analytic endeavor while staying ever mindful of the powerful influence of the psychosocial in our emergent personalities and clinical work.

While there were others who contributed and continue to contribute very significantly to the relational tradition, it was Stephen who created a sense of community and inspired a feeling of common purpose – a feeling that has become embodied in IARPP and one that we all continue to thrive on as our ranks swell and our conversation becomes increasingly international. The 2012 IARPP conference aims to consider in depth Stephen’s particular theoretical and clinical contributions alongside his legacy. How have his ideas been developed and continued? What parallel theories have found common voice even as they differ? In what ways do we strive to keep ourselves vital, creative and curious? How do we impact others and in turn be impacted by them?

Each plenary session will lead off from a specific aspect of Mitchell’s thinking demonstrating how richly textured his ideas were and how they laid the groundwork for much that has followed. Our plenary speakers are each major innovators and contributors to the relational tradition and will address the specific topics in terms of Mitchell’s legacy and their own thinking. Where we were and where we are now will be themes coursing throughout the conference as we honor and celebrate Stephen Mitchell and the legacy he has left in terms of the richness and complexity of his relational thinking going forward, as it has been picked up by or developed alongside other important contributors in our community.

Apart from the plenary sessions the program includes a number of Invited panels embracing the themes of the conference along with many submitted papers and panels demonstrating the creativity and scholarship of the membership of our organization.

We look forward to a richly satisfying and thoroughly stimulating conference along with a fabulous Saturday night party celebrating our 10 years growing together. We look forward to seeing you in New York City.

Margaret Black and Hazel Ipp