We hope that you enjoy this month's issue, and we hope you'll join NCSPP or contribute to our scholarship fund to assist us in fostering a vibrant psychoanalytic community in Northern California.

It wasn't long ago that psychoanalytic practitioners, when confronted with the evidence produced by a research paradigm resting firmly on the triad of dogmatic positivism, pharmaceutical-company financing, and insurance company interests, had few rhetorical options other than the sort of epistemological, humanistic, and common sense arguments that, these days, only seem to make the unpopular more unpopular.

Well, for better or worse, no longer can we so easily be held prisoner to our integrity and wisdom. Thanks to blessed colleagues who have ventured into unfriendly lands, lived among the natives, learned the language well, and lived to tell about it, each of us can, if we so choose, enter the debate (in the classroom, in the consulting room, in the press room, and even in the family room) with the tools of the trade. Keep it quiet, please, lest we disturb the equilibrium, but there is robust and quickly accumulating evidence - the sort that has mainstream currency - that psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy are, as our patients and we already know, quite helpful.

As you may have heard elsewhere, the upcoming February-March 2010 issue of American Psychologist will feature Jonathan Shedler's "The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy", a meta-analysis that provides strong support for the efficacy of psychodynamic treatment. This study accords with the findings of another meta-analysis published in 2008 by the Journal of the American Medical Association ("The Effectiveness of Long-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy", by Falk Leichsenring and Sven Rabung; also see commentary in The New York Times). While, in fact, these studies are just two of many (interested readers may want to review the comprehensive list compiled by the American Psychoanalytic Association), they are distinguished by their publication in decidedly mainstream journals.

I, for one, am looking forward to playing with my new tools. That said, if you happen to catch me hopelessly plying away at a screw with my thumbs, let me be. It helps me remember the real work.

Andrew Harlem, Ph.D.
NCSPP President


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We at IMPULSE are expanding our volunteer staff in an effort to bring you more content each month. We would like to welcome aboard, as staff writers, Jane Reingold, Blair Davis, Mark McKinley, and Elizabeth Bradshaw. Mark, Elizabeth, Blair, and Jane are excited to capture in writing some of the richness of our psychoanalytic community. Who knows where their curiosity might lead them? In coming issues you will find their articles under a new feature entitled Potential Space.

With new content comes a need for help with editing and oversight. IMPULSE is currently seeking an Editor for the Potential Space feature. This editor will be responsible for coordinating the writing schedule among our four new staff writers and editing this feature each month to ensure a level of consistency. Being part of our team is a great way to raise your visibility in the community, as well as a way to expand your network of contacts, not to mention fulfilling Erikson's generativity vs. stagnation phase-of-life requirement. If you pride yourself on your editing skills and want to contribute, please contact me.

Matthew Morrissey, MFT
IMPULSE Editor

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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.

SFCP Salon: Med Mgmt for Psychiatrists & Psychotherapists
Tue, Mar 2 / 6:30 PM - 9 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / A. Goldyne, M.D., E. Markoczy, Psy.D., M. Hansen, M.D., M. Swoiskin, M.D. / $35

SFCP: Understanding the Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage
Wed, Mar 3 / 7:30 PM - 9 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Gary Grossman, Ph.D. / free

PINC presents: Continuous Case Conference
Wed, Mar 3 (begins) / 7:30 PM - 9 PM / PINC library, 2252 Fillmore St. / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 922-4050 / Bob Carrere, Ph.D. and Ralph Kaywin, DMH / $260 / limited to 12

SFCP: Thinking Together on Behalf of Children and Their Parents
Wed, Mar 3 / 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Lynn Hazen, M.A., MFA & Debbie Vuong, MFT / free

Thinking Psychoanalytically in the Community
Fri, Mar 5 / 4 PM - 5:30 PM / The Wright Institute / Berkeley
NCSPP / (510) 207-9443 / Francisco Gonzalez, M.D. / free

Law and Ethics for Clinicians: Burdens, Dilemmas, Possibilities
Sat, Mar 6 / 9 AM - 4 PM / 2232 Carleton Street / Berkeley
The Psychotherapy Institute / (510) 548-2250 x107 / Bram Fridhandler, Ph.D. / $60-$145

SFCP Child Colloquium: Unable to Break Away
Sat, Mar 6 / 10 AM - 12 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Ruth Karush, M.D. / free

SFCP Scientific Meeting with Ruth Karush
Mon, Mar 8 / 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Ruth Karush, M.D. / free

SFCP Community Members North Bay Clinical Forum
Tue, Mar 9 / 7 PM - 9 PM / 4340 Redwood Highway / San Rafael
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Todd Finnemore, Psy.D. & Richard Shore, M.D. / free

SFCP Community Members East Bay Clinical Forum
Wed, Mar 10 / 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM / TBA / Berkeley
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / John A. Lundin, Psy.D. & Jan Baeuerlen, M.D. / free

PINC: Ethical Principles & Conundrums in Clinical Practice
Sat, Mar 13 / 9 AM - 4 PM / PINC Library, 2252 Fillmore St. / San Francisco, CA
PINC / (415) 922-4050 / Jeffrey Sandler, M.D. / $90-$100. CE Credits

Aging with Our Clients in Psychotherapy
Sat, Mar 13 / 9 AM - 12 PM / 2232 Carleton Street / Berkeley
TPI / (510) 548-2250 x.107 / A. Berman, LCSW, S. Pennington, MSW, S. Henry, LMFT / $30-$90

SFCP Ext. Div. Peninsula Seminar - Why a Theory of Mind?
Sat, Mar 13 / 9 AM - 12 PM / Christ Episcopal Church, 1040 Border Road / Los Altos
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Micahel Smith, Ph.D. / $75

PINC: The Nearness of Attention
Mon, Mar 15 (begins) / 7:30 PM - 9 PM / CIP; 1330 Lincoln Av / San Rafael, CA
PINC / (415) 922-4050 / Karen Peoples, Ph.D. / $60-$100. CE credits.

SFCP Community Members San Francisco Clinical Forum
Tue, Mar 16 / 7:10 PM - 9:30 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Elizabeth Kita, MSW, LCSW & Maureen Anne Katz, M.D. / free

SFCP Community Members South Bay Clinical Forum
Tue, Mar 16 / 7:15 PM - 9 PM / Psychiatry Building 401 Quarry Road / Stanford
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Kristen Callahan, MFT & Beth Taylor, M.D. / free

LUTECIUM: Lacanian Case Conference I
Thu, Mar 18 / 6 PM - 8 PM / 870 Market Street / San Francisco
Lutecium Psychoanalytic Group / Rebecca Bauknight, Ph.D. / $40-$80

LUTECIUM: Psychoanalysis & Poetics
Fri, Mar 19 / 6 PM - 8 PM / 870 Market Street / San Francisco
Lutecium Psychoanalytic Group / David Marriott, Ph.D. / $40-$80

LUTECIUM: Writing Group "Letters" - Open House
Fri, Mar 19 / 8 PM - 9:30 PM / 870 Market Street / San Francisco
Lutecium Psychoanalytic Group / "Letters" group members / free

Why is Parent Work Crucial: Pleasures & Pitfalls
Sat, Mar 20 / 9 AM - 12:30 PM / San Francisco, TBA / San Francisco
NCSPP / (415) 457-9949 / Myrna Frankel, LCSW / $50-$110

The Necessity of Astonishment
Sat, Mar 20 / 9 AM - 4 PM / 2232 Carleton Street / Berkeley
The Psychotherapy Institute / (510) 548-2250 x107 / Leslye Russell, M.A., MFT / $60-$140

Literary Analysis & Therapeutic Discourse
Sat, Mar 20 (begins) / 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM / 2040 Gough Street / San Francisco
C. G. Jung Institute / (415) 771-8080 / Ellen Siegelman, Ph.D. / $150

LUTECIUM: Film Event - Jane Campion's "In the Cut"
Sat, Mar 20 / 12 PM - 5 PM / Hobart Building, 582 Market St. / San Francisco
Lutecium Psychoanalytic Group / J. Bored, R. Bauknight, E. Essman, C. Sailers, J. Siboni / $20-$30

LUTECIUM: Lacanian Case Conference II
Sat, Mar 20 / 6 PM - 8 PM / 870 Market Street / San Francisco
Lutecium Psychoanalytic Group / Jacques Siboni, M.D. / $40-$80

The Psychoanalytic Road Not Taken
Sun, Mar 21 / 8:30 AM - 1 PM / 3200 California Street, Fisher Family Hall, JCC / San Francisco
ICP-North / (310) 207-8441 / Louis Breger, Ph.D. / $40-$85

LUTECIUM: Psychoanalysis & Topology
Sun, Mar 21 / 12 PM - 5 PM / 870 Market Street / San Francisco
Lutecium Psychoanalytic Group / Jacques Siboni, M.D., & Robert Groome / $60-$100

SFCP Child Colloquium: An Afternoon at the Movies
Sun, Mar 21 / 1 PM - 4 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Mark Scott, Ph.D. / free

PINC Presents: Sitting on the Couch
Sat, Mar 27 / 9 AM - 3:30 PM / St. Gregory\'s Church, 500 De Haro St. / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 922-4050 / Tenshin Roshi Reb Anderson; Jeffrey Rubin, Ph.D. / $35-$75

The Radical Potential of Psychotherapy
Sat, Mar 27 / 9 AM - 12 PM / Berkeley Repertory Theatre / Berkeley
The Psychotherapy Institute / (510) 548-2250 x107 / Carol Gilligan, Ph.D. / $30-$110

Spring Scientific Meeting: Conceptualizing Conception
Sat, Mar 27 / 10 AM - 1 PM / CPMC, Enright Room, 2333 Buchanan St / San Francisco
NCSPP / (415) 457-9949 / A. Kremen, D. Ehrensaft, T. M. Greenberg, and M. Murphy / free-$30

In Our Own Voices
Sat, Mar 27 / 2 PM - 4 PM / David Brower Center / Berkeley
The Psychotherapy Institute / (510) 548-2250 x107 / Carol Gilligan, Ph.D. / $30-$100

SFCP Grand Rounds: Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte
Wed, Mar 31 / 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM / Psychiatry Building 401 Quarry Road / Stanford
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Richard Almond, M.D. / free

SFCP Psychoanalytic Student Seminar
Tue, Apr 1 (begins) / 7:30 PM - 9 PM / 2340 Jackson, 4th floor / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / Gary Grossman, Ph.D. / free

SFCP: Theather on the Couch - Vigil (Morris Panych)
Fri, Apr 2 / 8 PM ACT, 401 Geary / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 749-2228 / Linda Lagemann, Ph.D. / fee tbd

To submit an event, please see our submission guidelines.

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LEFT BEHIND? - GET ONLINE! Create Your Presence on the Web. Need a good website but don't know where to start? What about Twitter. Wiki. Blog. Facebook. Social Network. Demystify web terms and processes in a supportive environment and create your own position on the Internet. The key to a comfortable and effective web presence comes with understanding the choices and creating a fit that's right for you. If you are new to it, or it's just been awhile, I'm here to help. Websites. Computer and Internet Basics and Beyond. Customized Individual Tutoring. sherri.ortegren@yahoo.com, (415) 250-1034, www.sherriortegren.com.

PSYCHOANALYTIC ORIENTED CONSULTATION GROUP forming, Mondays 1:45-3:00, Palo Alto. Reading plus case material. For information contact: Carol Harrus, M.D., (650) 328-8935 or Diane Strongwater, MFT, (408) 737-1337.

PSYCHOANALYTIC CASE CONSULTATION GROUP. Ongoing consultation group with openings starting March 5th. The focus will be on working from multiple perspectives. Even though we may be familiar with a variety of theories, it is often difficult to work from a number of perspectives in any one case or session. We will be addressing the complexity of working from a multi-model approach drawing on Freud, Klein, Bion, Middle School and Intersubjective approaches. Friday afternoons. Oakland. 16 week commitment. $800. CE approved. Annie Sweetnam, Ph.D (510) 531-5212. Anniesweetnam@sbcglobal.net

PSYCHOANALYTIC WRITING GROUP. Ongoing group with openings. A supportive group for those already writing or for those wanting to start. Focus will be on helping each member to develop their unique style and form of analytic writing. Saturday mornings once/month. Oakland. 8 meeting commitment. $600. Annie Sweetnam, Ph.D (510) 531-5212. Anniesweetnam@sbcglobal.net

PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION MANAGEMENT for patients in psychotherapy. Victor Libbey is a physician assistant (PA-C) with over 10 years experience in psychopharmacology. Expert MD supervision and a convenient Castro area location, sliding scale available! Victor Libbey, PA-C. Victor@psychiatrybayarea.com or (415) 437-1339.

ONGOING PSYCHOANALYTIC CONSULTATION GROUPS utilize case material, readings and group process as vehicles to deepen work with patients while embracing and developing one's own personal and unique clinical style. Berkeley location. Contact Cindy Sachs at (510) 339-3260 for more information about individual groups.

DREAM CONSULTATION SPECIALIST. Meredith Sabini, Ph.D. Bring the initial dream for diagnostic information, one from any stage of treatment, or your own about the work. 30 years' experience, general analytic orientation. Staff Training and CEU programs also available. Psychology License 7397; MCEP #SAB009 (510) 849-8511.

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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Andrew Harlem, Ph.D., NCSPP President
Matthew Morrissey, MFT, Editor-in-Chief
Bruce Weitzman, MFT, Managing Editor
Meg Earls, M.A., Features Editor
Terra Morais, M.A., Appointment Book Editor
Michele McGuinness, Production Manager
Jane Reingold, MFT, Blair Davis, M.A., Staff Writers
Mark McKinley, M.A., Elizabeth Bradshaw, M.Sc., Staff Writers

Cleopatra Victoria, M.A., MFT, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
Cate Corcoran, Psy.D., Brad Falconer, M.A., Editors Emeriti

Each month, IMPULSE reaches over 1,830 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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