Advance Your Practice. Enrich Your Knowledge.
Whether you are a new attendee or have attended many APsaA national meetings, an APsaA Scientific Meeting can sometimes seem overwhelming. Below are some tips on how to make the most of the Meeting and see its impact on you and your practice.
APsaA members often note that the cost of attending a Meeting is returned many-fold just in the referrals that come their way as a result of meeting analysts from other parts of the country as well as through developing new ideas about clinical work.
The first step toward a productive meeting is to plan ahead. Review the Preliminary Program, and, in particular, review the Glossary where you'll note that there are many different interests and types of sessions highlighted.
Candidate Track
- Review the Preliminary Program. Sessions marked with the CND symbol are specifically geared toward those in psychoanalytic training.
- Attend as many candidate programs as possible – you'll start to meet candidates from all over the country in small discussion group settings. It's a great way to get your "feet wet" at a meeting.
- Attend the Candidates' Council Breakfast. A gathering of candidates and candidate delegates from each Institute get together prior to the meeting of the Candidates' Council, which is the national group of candidate members that represents candidates at all APsaA institutes. The Council's purpose, through its delegates, officers, committees, and other candidate participants, is to improve the psychoanalytic training experience. Attend the breakfast only or stay for the entire meeting and participate in discussing issues that are most relevant to candidates. This is an informal opportunity to meet the Candidates' Council's leadership as well as other candidates, and it's an opportunity to begin developing a professional network throughout the country.
- Sign up for the Senior Analyst Presentation – a unique opportunity for a small group discussion with a nationally prominent analyst. This two-part session is held on Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Sign up for the Coffee with a Distinguished Analyst – another unique opportunity. This session, held on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. – 8:45, a.m., provides a chance to meet with a Distinguished Analyst in an informal, relaxed setting.
- Attend the Social Events geared toward candidates – there are a number to take advantage of, in addition to the Candidates' Council breakfast, such as the Candidates Dutch Treat Lunch and often a Thursday night party. Again, meeting candidates at these social events is a great way to broaden your network of analysts.
"The meetings, more than anything else for me, are fun because of the social aspect. Having attended for the past three years, I can now count on meeting new colleagues and seeing familiar faces again to engage with and share common interests. That being said, all the other stuff, that is, work-related stuff, like training as a candidate, cases, referrals, theoretical concepts and discussions serves a beneficial role as well, but for me it's secondary. The vibrant, intellectual life of a psychoanalyst is nothing, if not to share it with others!"
- Wolfgang Rosenfeldt, M.D., candidate and Former Candidates' Council Secretary
Active Member Track
Review the Preliminary Program. With close to 200 sessions to choose from, take the time to review the activities and make note of the sessions that pique your interest. These sessions provide a way to connect with analysts with similar interests, while the Discussion Groups provide an intimate setting for more in-depth, meaningful discussion. Overall, the Meeting provides an invaluable opportunity to meet other colleagues from across the country which will help to expand your network for referrals.
Look for new APsaA Initiatives (i.e. Soldiers & Veterans Initiative, Health Care reform, patient-therapist privacy rights) which will be highlighted throughout the program. By debating these societal issues and staking out official positions, APsaA remains a respected authority within the mental health field. If you encounter a project of particular interest to you, you can contact the coordinator after the meeting and get more involved.
Attend the Ethics Course (sponsored by Frenkel & Co.) and the Ethics Workshop Sessions to learn how to best protect yourself and your practice.
Attend the scheduled Social Events including the Photo Exhibit, the Meeting of Members' coffee, and the Dutch Treat Cocktail Party. Get to know your colleagues in an informal setting and create lasting connections. Again, this is another opportunity for referrals.
"The benefit of attending APsaA meetings has been for the national referrals that I receive from colleagues across the country whom I have met at the meetings or through my committee work. Occasionally, patients move or someone is looking to refer a family member and my name will be suggested. Having a national network of colleagues has been helpful in building my analytic practice."
–Julio Calderon, M.D., Active Member and former Candidates' Council President
Special Interests
Child Analysis
Meet other child analysts at the many child-focused workshops and discussion groups – these provide occasions to work or participate with a number of child analysts, something that may be lacking on the local level.
Sessions of interest to Child Analysts are:
- Committee on Child & Adolescent Analysis (COCAA)
Workshop
- COPE Workshop for Child/Adolescent Supervisors and
Associate Child/Adolescent Supervisors
- COCAA/COCAP Breakfast
- Child and Adolescent Two-Day Clinical Workshop
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues
- Plan to attend the Discussion Group on Emerging Perspectives on LGBT Issues as well as the LGBT Issues Committee-sponsored Workshop.
- One of the highlights is the presentation of the Ralph Roughton Award at the Meeting of Members on Friday morning.
Psychoanalytic Advocacy
- The Psychoanalysis and Health Care Reform session (formerly called Spotlight on Capitol Hill) focuses on crucial health legislation currently being considered in Washington and how it will directly affect your practice. This session takes place on Friday from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Connect with analytically oriented psychotherapists from across the country at the many special sessions.
- Review the Preliminary Program. Sessions marked with the PSYT symbol are specifically geared toward those whose interests include the practice of psychoanalytic /psychodynamic psychotherapy.
- Attend as many Psychotherapy Department sponsored sessions as possible:
- Discussion Group: “Psychotherapist Associates Present” – A closer look at the process and effectiveness of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
- Two-Day Clinical Workshop on Psychotherapy Technique and Process – an unusual opportunity to investigate the process of psychoanalytic psychotherapy in depth
- Psychotherapist Associates Committee Sponsored Workshop: The Business of Practice
- Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Programs Committee Sponsored Workshop: Workshop on Psychotherapy Training - an opportunity for representatives from Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training Programs to discuss educational and organizational issues.
- The Psychotherapist Associates’ Welcoming Committee provides opportunities for Psychotherapist Associates to meet each other and to navigate the program at the scientific meetings. Check the bulletin board at the meeting for times and locations as well as for Dutch treat lunch or coffee opportunities with other Psychotherapist Associates.
Research
- The Poster Session has become a popular and important research venue.
- RAAPA-PPRS Research Forum – an all day seminar with the goal to advance systematic research in the framework of psychoanalysis and psychodynamic science.
- Look for joint events sponsored by the Psychoanalytic Psychodynamic Research Society (PPRS) and APsaA
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