Our May issue brings offerings from a variety of voices. Adam Kremen reminds us that our professional community depends on our active participation; Jane Burka describes the rich offerings of the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (PINC); and Cleopatra Victoria demonstrates that psychoanalytically informed work can extend far beyond the limits of the couch. Also, we highlight an exciting and timely event on the psychology of adoption.

We hope you enjoy this month's issue, and we hope you'll join NCSPP to assist us in furthering the community that belongs to us all.

A number of commentators have made grim predictions about the fate of psychoanalysis: its dwindling place, the drying up of its reserves, the extinction of its eco-system, especially when compared to its heyday. Yet when I look at the ferment within the world of psychoanalysis — a ferment which has continued, it seems, unabated since the beginning — I see life, vitality and growth. One important trend has been the broadening of psychoanalysis proper into the psychoanalytic therapies, such as psychoanalytic psychotherapy, psychoanalytic couples therapy, infant-parent work, and psychoanalytic groups. Another, closely linked, has been the widening scope. Many other trends and developments I do not have space to touch upon.

I believe the growth of a discipline is linked to the activity of its practitioners, that is, to their active involvement in thinking, discovering and refining. I worry that many of us who practice within the psychoanalytic framework are not actively involved in the ferment. There are of course a number of ways to be involved, and the breadth and richness of the programs available (see APPOINTMENT BOOK below for a monthly cross-section) bear witness to that. But I am concerned that we may be taking in these offerings too passively. Aside from our consultation groups and small seminars, where and how can people bring their voices and experience to bear? The evolution of our field will depend on all of us being involved; and to do this we will need to find ways for those who are not institutionally affiliated to communicate what they know and what they have learned from their work.

Adam Kremen, Ph.D.
President, NCSPP

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The Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (PINC) is a psychoanalytic training center for comparative psychoanalysis known for its intellectual vibrancy, inclusive organizational structure and innovative programs for the mental health community. Founded in 1989 as an independent institute, PINC is now a provisional Member Society of the International Psychoanalytic Association.

PINC offers a four-year curriculum of comparative classical and modern psychoanalytic theories. Weekend courses are taught by senior analysts from other states and other countries. The most exciting challenge for candidates is their personal integration of multiple approaches, supported by classes that encourage development of a unique analytic identity.

The culmination of PINC's analytic training is the candidate's presentation of a graduation paper, and the mental health community is invited to attend these remarkable intellectual and creative achievements, which will give you a sense of the exciting intellectual life at PINC.

PINC also offers a Doctor of Psychology in Psychoanalysis (Psy.D.), certified by the State of California. Candidates may begin the Psy.D. program concurrently with their analytic training.

For over 10 years, PINC has co-sponsored with NCSPP the Bay Area Intensive Study Groups. Every year, PINC offers courses that satisfy continuing education requirements in the areas of ethics, aging, and supervision, all taught with a psychodynamic focus.

As a comparative institute, PINC offers programs that create dialogues and synthesis between psychoanalysis and science, the arts, and politics. Next in the Crossing the Synapse neuropsychoanalysis series is Oliver Turnbull on May 19; on June 2, "Design and the Unconscious" with Maria McVarish; and on September 29, Ingeborg Scholz-Strasser, Director of the Freud Museum in Vienna, and Adrienne Harris will join us for a conference on Freud's Women.

For more information about PINC's training program or community events, check our website at www.pincsf.org or call the office at (415) 922-4050.

Jane Burka, Ph.D.
Personal and Supervising Analyst at PINC
and Faculty Representative to the PINC Board

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Many practitioners are applying psychodynamic principles to the work they do, even when treatment doesn't conform to the traditional frame. Cleopatra Victoria, M.A., MFT uses psychodynamic principles in short-term work with trauma victims.

Recently I was asked to provide group and individual sessions, on-site, for a retail establishment whose employees had experienced a holdup at gunpoint. Besides private practice, I do this work frequently, so the request was not unusual. There was one problem. All the employees spoke Spanish and they could not locate a Spanish-speaking therapist on such short notice. I explained that my Spanish was basic, certainly not enough to conduct an intake or session. The intervention seemed critical, so we decided that with the aid of a bilingual employee, I would run the sessions.

It was with anxiety, fear, and excitement that I hurriedly checked out some basic translation dictionaries from the library to refresh myself (after all, the word for gun, pistola, was never taught in my basic Spanish classes) and drove to the site. We assembled our first group. "Gracias. Es voluntario. Privado. Hablas o no hablas — no necesario." This was my attempt at informed consent. The insurance company had provided a handout on trauma, written in Spanish, which I easily read aloud, and then asked individuals about their "reacción emocional" and "cardíaco rapido"?

After a while, the employees began speaking rapidly and fluently about their experience of the holdup. I could only comprehend about twenty percent of what was being said. (When I told this to a colleague, he remarked that, even in English, he only understands about twenty percent of what his patients say!) What I did understand, I echoed back — "puerta abierto" (open door), providing a basic amount of mirroring. Later, the catharsis in the room was evident. In this case, holding and containment were everything. And I only had to be a "good enough" therapist — not a perfect one who spoke perfect Spanish. Gracias a Dios!

Cleopatra Victoria, M.A., MFT

Know of an unconventional application of psychoanalytic work? You're invited to write a PSYCHOANALYSIS ON THE STREET or just contribute an idea. Contact us.

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If you read People magazine you might think adoption is a trendy fashion accessory. However, if you treat one of 8,000,000 Americans with first-hand adoption connections, you need more information than Madonna's adventures in Malawi. Adoption creates complex family structures and charged dynamics. Adoptive parents, birth parents, and people who were adopted have many stories of therapists misdiagnosing or missing their concerns altogether.

Adoption in the Consulting Room: What Therapists Need to Know will fill gaps in your awareness. Explore the experience of placing a child for adoption, working with birth and adoptive families, and attending to unconscious material in the adoptive situation. 6 CEU's for psychologists, social workers and MFTs.

Speakers: Leslie Foge, MFT, and Gail Mosconi, LCSW, coauthors The Third Choice: A Woman's Guide to Placing a Child for Adoption, and Melissa Holub, Ph.D., psychoanalytic clinician specializing in adoption concerns.

May 19th, 9 AM - 4 PM, Mills College
Register: Melissa Holub, Ph.D. (510) 658-7119 or gail@thirdchoicebooks.com

Want EVENT SPOTLIGHT to shine on your upcoming analytic happening? You'll find our submission guidelines illuminating.

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Appointment Book offers a sampling of the psychoanalytically oriented events taking place in Northern California over the coming month. Where available, simply click an event title to view details on the sponsoring organization's web site.

SFPI&S Theater on the Couch: "Blackbird" by David Harrower
Fri, May 4 / 8 PM / ACT Theatre, 415 Geary Street / San Francisco
SFPI&S / (415) 563-5815 / Peter Goldberg, Ph.D.; Linda Lageman, Ph.D. / $21 - $65

Implications of the Work of Tustin for Adult Treatment
Sat, May 5 / 9 AM - 4:15 PM / UCSF Laurel Heights Conference, 3333 California / San Francisco
NCSPP / (510) 717-5330 / Judith Mitrani, Ph.D; Scott Lines, Ph.D. / $60 - $180

SFPI&S Peninsula Student Outreach: Attachment and Separation
Wed, May 9 (begins) / 7:15 - 8:45 PM / Psychiatry Building, 401 Quarry Rd., Rm 1206 / Palo Alto
SFPI&S / (415) 563-5815 / Beth Taylor, M.D. / free

SFPI&S Public Lecture Series: Negotiating Conflict in Couples
Wed, May 9 / 7:30 - 9 PM / 2420 Sutter Street / San Francisco
SFPI&S / (415) 563-5815 / Holly Gordon, D.M.H. / free

SFPI&S Evening of Art III
Fri, May 11 / 6 - 9 PM / 2420 Sutter Street / San Francisco
SFPI&S / (415) 563-5815 / Artists from SFPI&S & the Bay Area Mental Health Community / free

Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Aging
Sat, May 12 / 9 AM - 12 PM / PINC Library, 2252 Fillmore / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 922-4050 / Nancy Drooker, PhD / $45

SFPI&S Scientific Meeting with Lee Grossman, M.D.
Mon, May 14 / 7:30 - 9:30 PM / 2420 Sutter Street / San Francisco
SFPI&S / (415) 563-5815 / Lee Grossman, M.D. / free

SFPI&S Friends Clinical Forum (case presentation & discussion)
Tue, May 15 / 7:30 - 9 PM / 2420 Sutter Street / San Francisco
Friends of SFPI&S / (415) 563-5815 / Peabody Bradford, Ph.D. (presenter); Katherine Fraser, DMH (discussant) / free (CE $15)

Peninsula/South Bay Salon - Cultura Cura: Culture and the Holding Environment
Fri, May 18 / 7:30 - 9:30 PM / Home of Alison Cabell / Los Altos
NCSPP / (408) 243-2733 / Francisco Gonzalez, M.D. / $25

Transformational Parenting from a Control Mastery Perspective
Sat, May 19 / 9 AM - 1 PM / SF Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St. / San Francisco
SFPRG / (415) 561-6771 / Paul Abrinko, M.D.; Susan Badger, MFT; Betsy Hanna, Psy.D.; Patsy Wood, Ph.D. / $65 - $75

A Day with Oliver Turnbull: Neuroscience of Emotion, Intuition, Sexuality
Sat, May 19 / 9 AM - 3:30 PM / UC Laurel Heights Conference Ctr 3333 California / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 922-4050 / Oliver Turnbull Ph. D. / $40 - $175

Transformational Parenting from a Control Mastery Perspective
Sat, May 19 / 9 AM - 1:15 PM / JCC - 3200 California at Presidio Ave / San Francisco
SFPRG / (415) 561-6771 / Paul Abrinko, Ph.D.; Susan Badger, MFT; Betsy Hanna, Psy.D.; Patsy Wood, Ph.D. / $65 - $75

SFPI&S Stanford Grand Rounds: Gained in Translation
Wed, May 30 / 6:15 - 7:30 PM / Psychiatry Bldg., 401 Quarry Road, Rm 2209 / Palo Alto
SFPI&S / (415) 563-5815 / Judith Katz, Ph.D. / free

Lacanian and Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Supervision
Sat, Jun 2 / 10 AM - 4:30 PM / 1578 San Lorenzo / Berkeley
Lacanian School / (510) 526-9341 / Raul Moncayo, Ph.D. / $100, $135 with CEU

Flesh or Function: Design and the Unconscious
Sat, Jun 2 / 11 AM - 1 PM / Timken Auditorium, CCA, 1111 Eighth Street / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 922-4050 / Maria McVarish, Professor of Design, California College of the Arts / $35

To submit an event, please see our submission guidelines.

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CONSULTATION GROUP: Beginning in May, focusing on character organization using Nancy McWilliams' book Psychoanalytic Diagnosis. Corte Madera, 1st and 3rd Fridays, 4 - 5:30 PM, $55/session. Diane A. Suffridge, Ph.D. (415) 485-5779.

KLEINIAN PERSPECTIVES ON INDIVIDUAL AND COUPLES TREATMENT: Consultation and Supervision from a Contemporary Kleinian View. (415) 883-4235 or drwaska@aol.com. Space currently available for either one-on-one or small group consultation. Day & Time: Tuesday Mornings in Marin, 10-11am; Friday Afternoons in San Francisco, 2:15-3:15pm Fee: $75 Robert Waska MFT, PhD is the author of five textbooks and over sixty articles on various contemporary Kleinian topics including projective identification, loss, borderline and psychotic states, the practical realities of psychoanalytic practice in the modern world, and the establishment of analytic contact with difficult, hard to reach patients. He emphasizes the moment to moment understanding of transference and phantasy as the vehicle for gradual integration and mastery of unconscious conflict and paranoid or depressive states. Dr. Waska maintains a private psychoanalytic practice for individuals and couples in San Rafael and San Francisco.

GOT CONSULTATION? Find a Bay Area consultation or study group through the clearinghouse maintained by the Friends and SFPI&S Extension Division.

Old couches, new books, hot jobs, cool internships? Post classified ads on NCSPP's online bulletin board at no charge. We will also feature your listing in IMPULSE for a modest fee. Please see our submission guidelines for details.

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The Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP) is committed to the study of psychoanalytic psychology and the encouragement of its interest in the professional and general communities. We are a multi-disciplinary, non-profit membership organization open to mental health professionals and all others interested in the study of psychoanalytic psychology.

Our more than 650 members form a community that spans the greater Bay Area and Northern California. NCSPP is a local affiliate of Division 39 (psychoanalysis) of the American Psychological Association. Our vast array of lectures, intensive study groups, scientific meetings, courses, our journal fort da, and numerous special events and projects are all brought to you by scores of volunteers who work to support NCSPP's mission. Our educational programs include continuing education credit for psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. We welcome you into the psychoanalytic community in Northern California. Join us.

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Adam Kremen, Ph.D., NCSPP President
Cleopatra Victoria, M.A., MFT, Editor
Cate Corcoran, M.A., Features Editor
Brad Falconer, M.A., Managing Editor

Each month, IMPULSE reaches over 1,650 psychoanalytically interested professionals and students in Northern California.

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IMPULSE is a monthly newsletter published by the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology for the purpose of connecting Northern California psychoanalytic practitioners, students, and scholars. IMPULSE aims to foster the development of psychoanalytic practice and thought in our region through collaboration and understanding.

For information on submitting event listings and other content to IMPULSE, please see our guidelines and policies page on the NCSPP web site.

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IMPULSE is published electronically once a month by the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology. Comments are welcome and should be sent via our online contact form.

You are receiving this monthly newsletter from the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP) because of your interest in psychoanalysis. Any mental health professional or student interested in psychoanalytic thought may subscribe free to IMPULSE, regardless of organizational affiliation. To ensure that IMPULSE isn't misidentified as junk mail, we recommend adding impulse@ncspp.org to your email program's address book. If you haven't done so already, click to confirm your interest in subscribing. To unsubscribe, click the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this message.

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