History of IPSO

The International Psychoanalytical Studies Organization (IPSO) was established in 1971. In the late sixties, echoing the worldwide dissatisfaction of a younger generation with authority, a group of candidates planned a demonstration during the 1969 Congress of the International Psychoanalytical Association in Rome. The threat of such a confrontation mobilized the training analysts attending the Congress to consider the possibility of candidate representation, but at a later date. The candidates did not actually stage a demonstration yet held their own meetings at the same time as the IPA, near the official site of the IPA meeting. This group of candidates discussed issues related to training, the lack of candidate representation on committees, and the overall limited inclusion within their communities.

Leo Rangell, the new President of the IPA back then, requested that a student conference be organized for the upcoming Conference on Training to be held in Vienna in 1971. A candidate committee was organized and led by two students, one from Great Britain and another one from the United States. Both analyst and candidate groups were reported to hold a lot of hostility and resentment. The analysts regarded the student meetings as "subversive,” while candidates expressed their discontent after a long-standing tradition of exclusion. In the end, the meetings were fruitful as they provided an avenue for discussion and for the expression of the needs of analysts-in-training. It was at this meeting that the proposal for a candidate organization was formulated and the birth of IPSO was announced.

IPSO currently enjoys a collaborative and productive relationship with the IPA and holds joint Congresses with the IPA every two years. IPSO governs in accordance with its constitution and bylaws, publishes its own journal, manages a budget, and elects members to its Executive Committee who, in turn, represent the interests of candidates in local and international committees and institutions.

Member Benefits

IPSO invites and encourages all psychoanalysts-in-training at IPA-affiliated societies and study groups to become members. We encourage you to contact your regional representative, who can advise you on the specifics of how to join IPSO.

Most new members comment on the intellectual excitement and social liveliness of IPSO.

Benefits of membership include the opportunity to:

Participate in International Congresses and Scientific meetings

Present clinical and theoretical papers at IPSO Congresses

Present clinical material to senior analysts and colleagues

Participate in the Visiting Candidate Program

Subscribe to PEPWEB at a discounted rate for IPSO members

Submit original papers for consideration for the IPSO Writing Award, the Tyson Award, and the Sacerdoti Award

Receive the IPSO Newsletter with up-to-date activities and happenings in your community and the world

Receive a copy of the IPSO Journal, which is published every two years

Subscribe to the IPSO Electronic Mailing Lists and have lively discussions with colleagues around the world

Become part of the IPSO Editorial Board, an exciting opportunity to create editorial policy and review manuscripts

Voice your opinions on psychoanalytic training standards, raise issues about training in your society or region, and represent your group at a local and international level

Enjoy the diversity of the international psychoanalytic community

Attend social functions at the IPA and IPSO Congresses

Form lifelong personal and professional relationships around the world