The New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute is the oldest psychoanalytic society in the United States. From the beginning, its primary purpose has been the development and teaching of a deep understanding of the human mind. Our members, faculty and students are heirs to a long history dating back to the founding of New York Psychoanalytic Society in 1911 by Abraham Arden Brill. One of the first practicing psychoanalysts in the United States, Brill was the first translator of Freud’s writings into English and a public advocate for psychoanalytic ideas.
The Society grew in the years following World War I, as increasing numbers of Americans studied at psychoanalytic institutes in Vienna, Budapest and Berlin, and brought their Freudian-based knowledge back to the United States. The resultant demand for more formal instruction in the U.S. led the Society to hold its first series of lecture courses in 1922, and to create an educational committee in 1923 to formally organize the Society’s teaching functions. Education was to be based on the tripartite model: personal analysis, seminars, and the supervision of cases in analysis.
In 1931 the Society established the New York Psychoanalytic Institute. The Institute was patterned after the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute from which it recruited its first educational director, Sandor Rado. From its inception, New York Psychoanalytic Institute was intended to be educationally autonomous and financially self-supporting.
The rise of Hitler led to the emigration of a large numbers of eminent European psychoanalysts. Many became the intellectual leaders and senior teachers of the Institute, including Heinz Hartmann, Ernst Kris, Rudolf Loewenstein, Edith Jacobson, Robert Bak, and Kurt Eissler. In cooperation with Anna Freud, they established contemporary ego psychology. Leadership in child analysis was provided by Berta Bornstein, Marianne Kris and Margaret Mahler. Before long, New York Psychoanalytic Institute became a model for other institutes throughout the United States.
In 1946 the Institute obtained a New York State license to open its psychoanalytic Treatment Center. At first, it functioned as a Veterans’ Mental Hygiene Clinic and by 1948 it expanded its services to the community at large. Its services benefited the public and aided the Institute’s teaching of clinical psychoanalysis to its candidates.
In recent years, activities of the Society and Institute have expanded beyond the training of candidates. A robust Extension Program offers a wide variety of classes to both mental health practitioners and the interested public. Internships and externships for psychology doctoral students offer seminars and clinical experience. The Fellowship program for psychiatric residents and graduate students in psychology and social work presents an introduction to psychoanalytic ideas.
In 2003, the Society and Institute merged, forming the New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute (NYPSI). To meet the demands of the 21st century, NYPSI incorporates new theory and clinical innovation into its psychoanalytic education while preserving the fundamentals psychoanalytic ideas stemming from basic Freudian principles. Additionally, the psychoanalytic training program has been enriched by opportunities for research in conjunction with our Research Center.
Looking outward, NYPSI hosts discussions of the mind/brain interface at The Pfeffer Center for Neuro-Psychoanalysis, and consultation, education and support for mothers of small children at The Pacella Research Center.
CHARTER MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIETY:
- Dr. L.E. Bish
- Dr. A.A. Brill
- Dr. F.J. Farnell
- Dr. H.W. Frink
- Dr. C. Garvin
- Dr. A. Hoch
- Dr. M.J. Karpas
- Dr. G.H. Kirby
- Dr. G.P. Oberndorf
- Dr. B. Onuf
- Dr. E.M. Poate
- Dr. Ricksher
- Dr. J. Rosenbloom
- Dr. E.W. Scripture
- Dr. S.A. Tanenbaum
FORMER PRESIDENTS OF THE NEW YORK PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIETY:
- Dr. A.A. Brill, 1911-1913
- Dr. H.W. Frink, 1913-1915
- Dr. B. Onuf, 1915-1917
- Dr. M.J. Karpas, 1917
- Dr. C.P. Oberndorf, 1917-1920
- Dr. F.J. Farnell, 1920-1921
- Dr. T.H. Ames, 1921-1922
- Dr. Adolph Stern, 1922-1923
- Dr. H.W. Frink, 1923-1924
- Dr. Adolph Stern, 1924-1925
- Dr. A.A. Brill, 1925-1936
- Dr. Bertram D. Lewin, 1936-1939
- Dr. Lawrence S. Kubie, 1939-1940
- Dr. Adolph Stern, 1940-1942
- Dr. Leonard Blumgart, 1942-1945
- Dr. Sara A. Bonnett, 1945-1946
- Dr. Philip R. Lehrman, 1946-1947
- Dr. Sandor Lorand, 1947-1948
- Dr. Henry A. Bunker, 1948-1950
- Dr. Herman Nunberg, 1950-1952
- Dr. Heinz Hartmann, 1952-1954
- Dr. Edith Jacobson, 1954-1956
- Dr. Phyllis Greenacre, 1956-1957
- Dr. Robert C. Bak, 1957-1959
- Dr. Rudolph Loewenstein, 1959-1961
- Dr. Charles Brenner, 1961-1963
- Dr. Martin H. Stein, 1963-1965
- Dr. Charles Fisher, 1965-1967
- Dr. Samuel Atkin, 1967-1969
- Dr. David Beres, 1969-1971
- Dr. Margaret S. Mahler, 1971-1973
- Dr. Leo A. Spiegel, 1973-1975
- Dr. Andrew Peto, 1975-1977
- Dr. Leo Stone, 1977-1979
- Dr. Bernard Brodsky, 1979-1981
- Dr. Milton E. Jacovy, 1981-1983
- Dr. Milton H. Horowitz, 1983-1985
- Dr. Aaron H. Esman, 1985-1987
- Dr. Jerome Ennis, 1987-1989
- Dr. Ernest Kafka, 1989-1991
- Dr. Edward Nersessian, 1991-1993
- Dr. Robert S. Grayson, 1993-1995
- Dr. Donald Cohen, 1995-1997
- Dr. Lester Schwartz, 1997-1999
- Dr. Albert M. Sax, 1999-2001
- Dr. Leon Kupferstein, 2001-2003
FORMER PRESIDENTS OF THE NEW YORK PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIETY & INSTITUTE:
- Dr. Paul Rosenbaum, 2003-2007
- Dr. Roger Rahtz, 2007- 2013
- Dr. Ian Buckingham, 2013 – 2016
- Dr. Michele Press, 2016 – 2019
- Dr. Adam Libow, 2019 – 2022