Celebrating APsA’s Growth in 2025
Organizational Updates and Strategic Developments for 2026
From the Desk of Dan Prezant, President, American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA)
As we welcome the new year, I want to share several important developments shaping the future of the American Psychoanalytic Association. It is an honor to serve as President of APsA, and a privilege to work alongside such a deeply committed and thoughtful professional community.
Over the past year, we have taken meaningful steps to strengthen our organizational structure, expand professional pathways, and respond to the evolving clinical, educational, and cultural contexts in which psychoanalysis is practiced today.
APsA Organizational Restructuring and New Leadership Initiatives
APsA has introduced several new departments and committees to better align our governance with strategic priorities and emerging areas of focus. These include the President’s Commission on Artificial Intelligence, co-chaired by Todd Essig and Amy Levy, reflecting our commitment to understanding the clinical, ethical, and professional implications of AI.
We have also established a dedicated Meetings Department, led by Christopher Rigling, and a Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Department under the leadership of Alan Sugarman. To strengthen our public presence and advocacy efforts, APsA merged its Communications and Public Advocacy functions into a unified Communications and Advocacy Department, headed by Gail Saltz.
Additional initiatives include the formation of a Psychotherapist Advisory Group to support expanded membership pathways, a Treatment Guidelines Committee addressing implementation of the UBH v. Wit lawsuit, and an Advanced Practice in Nursing Committee within the Academic and Professional Affairs Department.
Several existing programs were realigned to reduce silos and enhance collaboration. The Program Committee now resides within the Meetings Department, while the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA) and the College of Research Fellows are now part of the Science Department. The American Psychoanalytic Foundation has moved into the Communications and Advocacy Department.
Expanding Membership, Education, and Professional Engagement
Strengthening dialogue and connection across our membership remains a core priority. APsA has expanded opportunities for engagement through monthly town halls, collegiality development groups, retirement groups, and changing-world process groups. We have also increased direct outreach through meet-and-greets with trainees and analytic therapists at APsA institutes.
The Board of Directors has approved several major policy updates, including revised listserv governance, guidelines for public statements and sponsored content, and the first revision of APsA’s Code of Ethics in four decades. New educational and professional resources—including the Psychoanalyst Assistance Casebook, DEI curriculum initiatives, and model courses addressing contemporary practice—are now available to our community.
APsA continues to invest in research and training, with initiatives such as a two-day Research Training Track at the National Meeting and joint action research with the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) on teleanalytic training.
Newly Approved APsA Institutes and Psychoanalytic Societies
We are pleased to welcome several new APsA-approved institutes and societies, expanding access to psychoanalytic education and professional affiliation. These include the Newport Psychoanalytic Institute; the Erikson Institute of the Austen Riggs Center; the Adelphi University Postgraduate Program in Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy; and the Southwest Psychoanalytic Society.
APsA and the International Psychoanalytical Association: A Historic Transition
In July 2025, APsA made a historic transition by becoming an IPA Component Society, concluding a 115-year structure dating back to the founding of the IPA in 1910. This change was supported by a strong majority of voting members across both organizations.
We recognize that members have questions about how this transition affects online training. Candidates who begin or are already in training by July 31, 2030, at APsA institutes utilizing online components may continue under current APsA guidelines through graduation. Candidates beginning training on or after August 1, 2030, will follow IPA training rules in effect at that time, informed by ongoing research and evaluation.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 APsA National Meeting
I am deeply grateful to APsA’s staff, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, department and committee leaders, and members whose dedication makes this organization a vibrant professional home. I look forward to gathering in person at the 2026 APsA National Meeting, taking place January 27–February 1 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, as we continue this work together.