Nov 10, 2011
Review of IPA Congress - Mexico City 2011. Allan Frosch, PhD, FIPA
I have always found that a particular of going to the IPA congresses is the exposure to colleagues work from different countries. It is easy to maintain the fantasy that “our way” is in fact the way most individuals practice psychoanalysis. This fantasy was very pleasantly dispelled in Mexico City at the 47th IPA Congress. The focus of the congress on Sexuality, Dreams, and the Unconscious really honed in on basic psychoanalytic concepts. And the presenters at the Major Panels on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday highlighted the commonalities and differences in how we see these three crucial areas of psychoanalytic theory and their reverberations in technique. I think we can all be proud of the work CIPS member Steve Ellman did as chair of the committee that organized the conceptual theme of this congress.
Of course, the three major panels were only one aspect of the congress. Panel discussions on developing analytic cases, enactments, and working with the “relational unconscious” were just a few of the presentations offered. A panel that I found particularly interesting was “Meet the Author” where Arnold (Chuck) Rothstein’s new book, Making Freud More Freudian, was discussed by Haydee Faimberg and Jay Greenberg (Session Chair: Kenneth Winarick). Faimberg and Greenberg had a great deal to say about the book, most of it very positive, as well as some significant points of disagreement. It was the kind of emotionally engaging discussion and honest critique one hopes for in a congress session. I was struck by the lack of defensiveness and absence of “jockeying for position” or one-upmanship that can permeate analytic discussions. It was a thoughtful and thought provoking dialogue between the two discussants and with those of us in attendance. The kind of conversation you hope for when highly accomplished analysts sit down together. The high quality of intellectual discourse and the conductive tone of this panel were characteristic of the conference overall.
All in all, I found the congress to be well organized and “user friendly.” In addition to the conference organizers, the hosts in Mexico City contributed mightily to the quality of the meetings. Mexico City is a wonderful place to visit. I found the accommodations comfortable and the people very friendly. In short, I felt this was a terrific experience and one that leaves me looking forward to the next IPA congress in Prague two years from now.
Of course, the three major panels were only one aspect of the congress. Panel discussions on developing analytic cases, enactments, and working with the “relational unconscious” were just a few of the presentations offered. A panel that I found particularly interesting was “Meet the Author” where Arnold (Chuck) Rothstein’s new book, Making Freud More Freudian, was discussed by Haydee Faimberg and Jay Greenberg (Session Chair: Kenneth Winarick). Faimberg and Greenberg had a great deal to say about the book, most of it very positive, as well as some significant points of disagreement. It was the kind of emotionally engaging discussion and honest critique one hopes for in a congress session. I was struck by the lack of defensiveness and absence of “jockeying for position” or one-upmanship that can permeate analytic discussions. It was a thoughtful and thought provoking dialogue between the two discussants and with those of us in attendance. The kind of conversation you hope for when highly accomplished analysts sit down together. The high quality of intellectual discourse and the conductive tone of this panel were characteristic of the conference overall.
All in all, I found the congress to be well organized and “user friendly.” In addition to the conference organizers, the hosts in Mexico City contributed mightily to the quality of the meetings. Mexico City is a wonderful place to visit. I found the accommodations comfortable and the people very friendly. In short, I felt this was a terrific experience and one that leaves me looking forward to the next IPA congress in Prague two years from now.
