Psychodynamic Psychiatrists to Meet in Toronto Alongside the APA

The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry (AAPDP), an affiliate group of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), will celebrate its 59th annual meeting on May14 to 16, 2015, at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto. The mission of the AAPDP is to maintain psychotherapy as a fundamental part of the psychiatric profession and to integrate psychodynamic theory, neuroscience, and the humanities into the daily practice of psychiatry.

This year’s meeting offers a rich and varied program. In the opening plenary, Richard Brockman, MD, will revisit William Shakespeare in “Othello: Shame, Rage and Neurobiology,” reminding psychiatrists that much can be learned and rediscovered from the works of literature and the arts, especially in view of the recent scientific advances that help to further integrate psychodynamic theory and neurobiology.

The first day of the meeting will include a series of symposia and workshops that focus on new approaches to the construction of psychodynamic assessments and formulations, treatment plans, the integration of psychodynamic concepts into psychopharmacology, and the therapeutic use of dreams. These interactive presentations are specifically designed to help clinicians address the practical, everyday realities faced by today’s psychiatrists.

They also aim at helping psychiatrists maintain their understanding of the patient as “a real person,” putting in place treatment plans that incorporate psychopharmacology and psychodynamics. The hope is that psychiatrists will develop stronger therapeutic alliances that help to improve treatment adherence and treatment outcomes and avoid the reductionistic approaches that are often imposed by third-party payers.

In the humanistic tradition that characterizes the meetings of the AAPDP, Chuck Joy, MD, will share his poetry in the interactive workshop titled, “A Psychiatrist-Poet Invites You to Explore What His Poetry Evokes in You.” Later, Gregory Mahr, MD and Dennis Kuo, MD will explore the relationship between “Music, Mind, and Brain.”

Other presentations will focus on the relationship between the therapeutic alliance and somatization; psychodermatology; the therapist’s capacity of self-regulation when treating severely regressed patients; and unique psychodynamic approaches to the treatment of trauma in diverse patient populations, such as war veterans, victims of torture, and AIDS patients.

Two plenary addresses will feature, Graeme Taylor, MD, who will discuss, “Patients With a Paucity of Inner Experiences: Insights from Neuroscience and Empirical Research,” and Andrew Gerber, MD, PhD, who will talk about “The Essential Role of Neuroscience Research and the Future of Psychoanalysis.”

The second day of the meeting will include presentations on dealing with the death of a parent as a college student; violations in the treatment alliance; how metaphor creates an environment for change in psychotherapy; the Superego seen from the point of view of neurobiology; memory reconsolidation in psychotherapy; and the contributions of the Babylonian Talmud to the understanding of dreams, among others.

The presidential address will be given by Elizabeth Auchincloss, MD, who will discuss “New Developments in the Therapeutic Alliance and Its Implications for the Future of Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis.” The meeting will include presentations; paper sessions; and a luncheon for residents and medical students, who are invited to attend the meeting free of charge upon presenting a valid ID.

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