Members of PCOP’s Youth Psychotherapy Project (YPP) have begun their second year of innovative work with Philadelphia students. YPP is pleased to have expanded its partnership to two pioneering schools — the CB Community School in Manayunk and YES Philly in North Philly. In their own way, both schools have looked to craft responsive programs, tailored to meet needs of important segments of our community who have historically been overlooked — youth in the foster system and youth giving high school a second chance.

As a therapist in this program, it has been a thrill to see first-hand how fruitfully, and complexly, the psychoanalytic process applies when we take our tools into the community. How do we understand the attachment system with attention to foster care and the attending workers, appointments, and court visits? How do we position ourselves regarding “gratification” in the context of ongoing deprivations? Beyond these very interesting technical and theoretical considerations, I have reaped bounteous rewards by meeting minds with energetic and inspired young people as they prepare to launch into the world.

The Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Society
1937-1987
Memories of the First Dozen Years

Click here to view the video.

By Susan Kolod, Ph.D.

(Published by the American Psychoanalytic Association)

Yasser Arafat, the former Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, famously stated in his 1974 speech before the United Nations that, "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."

By Bruce Levin, MD

(Published by the American Psychoanalytic Association)

Keeping secrets is a central tenet in my line of work as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. I am intimately involved with the most private experiences, behaviors, fantasies, thoughts, and desires of my patients. Keeping secrets is vital in developing and maintaining a trusting and nurturing alliance with my patients. As treatment proceeds and trust deepens, my patients reveal more, and eventually, they come to understand even the “secrets” they have kept from themselves. Or as one of my patients frequently liked to remind me, “You are only as sick as your secrets.”

In this episode of "Beyond The Couch", Madelaine Sayko discusses mortality with Dr. Corrine Masur, PsyD. Click here to watch this episode. Dates and times that this episode will air on Radnor Studio 21 will be available soon.

Henri Parens, MD, discusses his experiences, his upcoming book, Renewal of Life: Healing from the Holocaust, and his inspirations for his work with PCOP. Watch here.

Andrew Smolar, MD

In the wake of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, Andrew spoke about the dynamics of tribal culture, crowd bonding and aggression as manifested through football. He also talked about how parents and children bond over sports and what problems arise when there is conflict in these expectations.

Click here to watch the video of Andrew's conversation.

by Michael Canino, MD

On Saturday, February 24^th, Ira Brenner, MD, presented The Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in a well-attended three-hour program hosted by Thomas Jefferson University.  This Program in Psychoanalytic Studies engaged 129 professionals, residents, students, and interns with a wide range of clinical backgrounds and offered 3 Continuing Education/Medical Education Credits.

Dr. Brenner opened the program by using Helen Epstein’s metaphor of the “Iron Box” to describe the intergenerational transmission of trauma (IGTT) as a psychodynamic phenomenon that all clinicians should be aware of, despite the notion that it rarely presents itself as a “chief complaint.”  He provided a thorough history of the concept of IGTT starting with its’ first identification in the children of Holocaust survivors during the 1960s all the way through the recent school shooting event in Parkland, Florida.  He exposed the audience to a range of psychodynamic theories that have been applied to IGTT as well as some specific approaches to treatment the informed clinician may use with those suffering from it.  He showed video clips to depict IGTT in cinema, as well as in interviews with those affected, and concluded with several clinical examples taken both from his own practice and others to provide a real-life context for applying his research and experience.

by Harvey Schwartz, MD

(published by the American Psychoanalytic Association)

The couch has become the iconic symbol of psychoanalysis in cartoons, television, and movies. However, not all therapists, or even all psychoanalysts, use the couch. When you first consult a therapist, it is unlikely that they will suggest the couch right away. It is an approach that is appropriate for some patients and generally something that one evolves into. While some mental health professionals' consulting rooms include a couch, psychoanalysts are extensively trained to use it as an accompaniment to psychoanalytic therapy.

Why Use the Couch?

More than a century after its use was introduced by Sigmund Freud, the couch still provokes both curiosity and ridicule. Its ability to continue to be evocative is testimony to the imaginings it stimulates.

As we rang in the New Year, most of us made resolutions for this coming year. Whether it’s to exercise more, to spend more time with family, or to help others, generally, New Year’s resolutions are pretty difficult for most people to keep. In fact, according to the New York Times, more than half of all resolutions fail and about a third of all people quit on their resolution before the end of January.

Even though the odds may seem stacked against us, it’s possible to seek self-improvement, particularly on resolutions regarding your mental health.