Bridge Psychoanalysis & Social Context

Psychoanalysis must remain deeply connected to the social environments in which people live.  This includes attention to families and communities as well as to issues of diversity and social change. 

As a child analyst, I have always been implicitly aware of the impact of social context on development and the unconscious.  I have recently edited a volume, “Echoes of Childhood: The Foundational Role of Child Analysis in Adult Analytic Work” (Dec, 2025)  that illustrates how developmental perspectives enrich analytic work with adults.  Building on this work, I have developed a four-month virtual book series, beginning in October, where the contributing authors and I will present our chapters in a creative effort to broaden the reach of developmental insights and invite a wider, more diverse audience into the conversation at a modest cost.

Equally central is my commitment to community psychoanalysis, which I have consistently put into practice.  In my APsA leadership role chairing the Psychoanalysis in the Community Committee, I have facilitated and led initiatives nationally and internationally that bring psychoanalysis to the front lines of social life. 

Since February 2022, I have led the International Town Hall Project, APsA’s humanitarian response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  I am now working with a Ukrainian psychologist to recruit front-line responders for a community-based pilot project, furthering my commitment to linking psychoanalysis with urgent social realities.

By integrating developmental and community perspectives into APsA’s curricula, training, and outreach, I will ensure that psychoanalysis remains relevant across the lifespan and responsive to the pressing realities of our time.

Psychoanalysis grows stronger when it engages with the world around it.