APsA Names Dr. Christopher Walling 2026 Ticho Memorial Award Recipient
New York, NY, November 17, 2025 — The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA) is pleased to announce that Christopher G. Walling, PsyD, MBA, FABP, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Ernst & Gertrude Ticho Memorial Award. Dr. Walling will deliver the Ticho Award Lecture, titled “Toward an Embodied Psychoanalysis,” on Saturday, January 31, 2026, during the APsA National Meeting at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California.
Established to honor the scholarly and clinical legacies of Ernst and Gertrude Ticho, the Memorial Award recognizes an early career psychoanalyst whose work advances the integration of theory, practice, and teaching and extends psychoanalytic thinking into contemporary clinical concerns.
Building on this tradition of integrative thought, Dr. Walling’s lecture, ‘Toward an Embodied Psychoanalysis,’ will explore how embodied processes, including affect regulation, interoception, and relational attunement, can enrich psychoanalytic technique, deepen our understanding of transference–countertransference, and illuminate pathways for repair in contemporary practice. The lecture will draw on clinical vignettes, interdisciplinary research, and the history of psychoanalytic thought to offer a practical, ethically grounded framework for today’s consulting room. Dr. Walling’s work bridges neuroscience and psychoanalysis, examining how bodily awareness and emotional attunement shape the therapeutic relationship.
“The Ticho Award is a profound honor, and I’m grateful to join a lineage that has shaped psychoanalytic thought and care,” said Dr. Walling. “My hope is to invite our community into a conversation about how embodied ways of knowing can sharpen our clinical listening and expand the possibilities of analytic change.”
Event Details
What: 2026 Ernst & Gertrude Ticho Memorial Award Lecture
Speaker: Chris G. Walling, PsyD, MBA, FABP
Title: Toward an Embodied Psychoanalysis
When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026
Where: Palace Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Occasion: 2026 American Psychoanalytic Association National Meeting
Media representatives and meeting registrants are invited to attend. Additional program details, registration information, and press credentials will be available on the APsA meeting website. Note to editors: A headshot of Dr. Walling and additional background materials are available upon request. Please contact [email protected] to request.
APsA is now accepting applications for the 2027 Ernst and Gertrude Ticho Memorial award. Visit the award page to learn more about eligibility criteria and application guidelines.
