Submission Guidelines

• General Guidelines
• Scientific Paper Submission Guidelines
• Discussion Group Submission Guidelines
• Symposium Submission Guidelines
• Poster Session Submission Guidelines
• Panel Submission Guidelines
• Ernst & Gertrude Ticho Memorial Lecture
• VIP Request Form

General Guidelines

• All patient information submitted in a proposal should be disguised.  There should be no identifying information.
• APsaA members presenting on the scientific program are required to pay a registration fee. Non APsaA members presenting on the scientific program will receive complimentary admission to the session at which they are presenting. If they wish to attend other sessions on the program, they are required to pay the appropriate registration fee.
• Scientific paper, discussion group and symposium submissions for the February 2021 is closed.
• Panel submissions for the February 2022 National Meeting is closed.
• Poster Session submissions for the February 2021 National Meeting is closed.

Scientific Paper Submission Guidelines

Scientific papers are presented by the author and considered by a formal discussant with ample time allotted for the audience to respond.

Discussion Group Submission Guidelines

Discussion groups permit a small number of participants to discuss a topic of mutual interest. The groups meet annually; this continuity offers participants a chance to collaborate yearly.

Deadline: Submissions are no longer being accepted for the 2021 National Meeting.  

When the submission process is open for the 2022 National Meeting you will click here to submit a proposal for a Discussion Group

Symposium Submission Guidelines

Symposia explore the interface between psychoanalysis, society and related disciplines in a relatively time limited exchange with the audience. Many focus on how psychoanalytic thinking can be applied to non-psychoanalytic settings such as cultural, societal, and academic topics. Recent successful Symposia have been:

—“Who Am I and How Did I Come to Be? Reproductive Complexities of our Time” which explored the interface between assisted reproduction and how children and parents relate to these facts of conception.

—“Poetry and Psychoanalysis”: Three psychoanalysts who are also poets present their reflections on creativity, use of metaphor, embodied experience and more in their psychoanalytic clinical work and their poetry. Each one read a small selection of their own poems.

—“Class Status within the Psychoanalytic Relationship”: The complexity of and neglect of class status in psychoanalytic clinical work and in psychoanalytic theory were considered in the context of a clinical vignette.

 SYMPOSIUM FORMAT:

These Symposium sessions feature 10-15 minute presentations given by a maximum of three presenters, with the remaining time allotted for audience participation. No papers are read and the emphasis is on audience interaction.  If you have questions or seek guidance about your proposal, please be in contact with the Sub-committee chair, Mary Margaret McClure, DMH ([email protected])

Deadline: Submissions are no longer being accepted for the 2021 National Meeting.  

When the submission process is open for the 2022 National Meeting you will click here to submit a proposal for a Symposium.

Panel Submission Guidelines

Panels bring together nationally recognized psychoanalysts to present papers on clinical and theoretical topics. Active interchange with the panelists is encouraged in response to questions from the audience.

All panel proposals are circulated and voted upon one year in advance by the Program Committee members. For example, a proposal that has been submitted for a National (February) Meeting must be received the previous year. It is voted on at the National Meeting and, if accepted, the panel is held the following February. When the committee meets, the eight proposals that have received the greatest number of votes are discussed, and from among these a selection is made.

 See below for frequently asked questions regarding panel proposals.

Deadline: Submissions are no longer being accepted for the 2022 National Meeting.

When the submission process is open for the 2023 National Meeting you will click here to submit a proposal for a Panel.

Frequently Asked Questions about Panel Proposal submissions

What is an APsaA panel?

Typically, APsaA sponsors four panels at each of our conferences. Panels address a wide range of currently pertinent or challenging clinical, theoretical, historical or professional topics through active interchange among panelists and with panelists and audience.

What is the format of an APsaA panel?

Several formats are encouraged, and are more likely to be selected for presentation:

• A panel in which panelists address, perhaps in two rounds of about 10 (and in no case more than 15) minute presentations, questions posed by the panel chair.  In between rounds, discussion with each other and the audience is encouraged.  (Such a format works well for a topic in which panelists may wish in a first round to give a general perspective, and in a second round, a clinical vignette).
• A format with individual presentations that are about 15 (and in no case more than 20) minutes, sometimes followed by a discussant and always with questions and interchange with the audience. This format is closer to a traditional papers panel.
• A panel configured as a roundtable, with a chair asking a series of questions over the three hours and limiting responses to these several questions to 5-6 minutes, rotating the order of panelists for each question.  Audience participation in such a format can be built in a variety of ways.
• A panel that begins with presentations and interchange among panelists for two hours followed by a third hour in which audience members gather in small groups, facilitated or visited by panel participants, further to discuss the topic.  (This format is particularly suitable to panels focused on particular clinical dilemmas.)

How are APsaA panel submissions different from panels at other professional conferences?

• Unlike other conferences where the submitted proposal if accepted appears on the program in the configuration the proposer developed, the APsaA Program Committee works actively with panel organizers to shape all panels, including both format and participants.  Panels on particular topics are accepted, but this does not necessarily mean that either the proposer or the proposed participants will be on the panel.  Panel proposers are encouraged to describe a general topic of inquiry, questions, and possible participants or categories of participants.  (This means that submitting a pre-determined list of presenters, or a proposal in which titles of papers or presentations have already been determined, is much less likely to be accepted).
• Panels are not intended as vehicles for the presentation of individual papers, which properly belong in the scientific papers section. Rather the Program Committee encourages proposals that consist of a theme or topics and suggested presenters.
• The Program Committee is committed to increasing and widening participation in programs.  Among suggested participants, panel proposals should always include at least one participant who has not been on a panel before or who has not been on a panel in the past five years.  On all panels, we will be trying for a mix of already-known presenters and those who are earlier in their career, less-well known, or have not participated recently. Representation of the range of member institutes and of member diversity will be fostered.

What if I have questions about my panel proposal?

If you would like to consult with a member of the Program Committee about your proposal, please contact Carolyn Gatto ([email protected]).

Ernst & Gertrude Ticho Memorial Lecture

The Ernst and Gertrude Ticho Memorial Award and Lecture recognizes and encourages the work of a promising psychoanalyst who has made contributions to the field through teaching, writing, research, and applied and/or clinical work with anticipation that the Ticho Award will foster future contributions to psychoanalysis.

The application process consists of a letter of nomination and a CV.
Applicants can self-nominate or be nominated.  

• Letter of nomination
A letter of nomination is required for those self-nominating or being nominated by an APsaA member.  Effective letters are detailed, specific, and generally no more than three pages in length.  They will explain why the individual should be considered for the Ticho Award including accomplishments to date and future intentions regarding psychoanalytic practice, science, and scholarship.

• Curriculum Vitae

• Nominees must be a member of APsaA in good standing at the time of submission

• Nominees must be available to present their paper on Friday, June 19^th in Chicago.

•Those previously nominated for the Ticho Award will have their materials kept on file for 3 years. They may update their CV and nomination letter if they wish each year.  Updates, while optional, will ensure that the selection committee has the most updated information. Nominees will be asked to confirm their availability to present at the Meeting.

• Please send your materials to Carolyn Gatto, [email protected]

Deadline: The next submission cycle will open in Fall of  2020.

View past prize winners.