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About
the
Foundation . . .
The Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Foundation is a
not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting and supporting
psychoanalytic education and training and to encouraging the application
of psychoanalytic knowledge to a
broad array of educational, research, and therapeutic programs that
support community goals and enhance public awareness of psychoanalysis
and its value.
Psychoanalysis has been one of the great intellectual
and therapeutic forces of the twentieth century. Psychoanalytic theory
has influenced almost every area of our society from politics and
business to popular culture and literature. As a tool for healing,
psychoanalysis has revolutionized the treatment of mental illness,
becoming the basis for the psychodynamic psychotherapies used in nearly
all clinical settings, and helping to relieve the suffering of millions
of people.
Psychoanalytic treatment results in improved
interpersonal relationships and more effective and productive lives.
Because it is a therapeutic technique for exploring the unconscious
forces in the human mind, psychoanalysis provides a framework for a
comprehensive understanding of human psychology and for mastering the
inner forces that guide human behavior.
Psychoanalytic theory has contributed to society’s
efforts to confront issues such as violence, group conflict and
prejudice. Psychoanalytic insight has benefited parents in understanding
and raising children, teachers in managing classes and improving teaching
techniques, business leaders in building strong and effective
organizations, and the judicial system in deliberating and making optimal
decisions.
As we enter the 21st century, remarkable
advances in psychobiology and psychopharmacology have enhanced our
ability to treat psychiatric disorders. But these same advances have
posed a threat both to psychoanalysis and to the entire field of mental
health. Managed care companies have tried to promulgate the view that
almost no one needs more than medication and brief psychotherapy. This
economically motivated position has proved frustrating, unsatisfactory
and even dangerous to many who suffer. While drugs have much to offer, it
has become increasingly clear to doctors and patients that medicine alone
cannot replace the benefits of psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis remains
unparalleled in its ability to offer a rich and nuanced view of the human
condition, as well as a respect for the complexity and uniqueness of each
individual. Yet the funding for psychoanalytic treatment, research and
training has been seriously reduced.
The Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Foundation is dedicated
to reversing this trend by supporting the efforts of the Psychoanalytic
Center of Philadelphia in providing high quality education and training
in psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, by promoting research
and interdisciplinary study, and by promoting the application of
psychoanalytic knowledge in service to the community. There are numerous
ways in which the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Foundation and the
Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia are attempting to address the many
needs of the greater Philadelphia
community. To achieve these goals, a stable financial resource is
necessary.
The cost of psychoanalytic training and treatment can
deter many from using this valuable resource. The Philadelphia
Psychoanalytic Foundation has established an endowment fund to allow the
Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia to continue to offer low-fee
evaluation and treatment, as well as to provide scholarships to young
clinicians-in-training. The endowment fund will also enable the
Foundation to support and encourage innovative programs bringing the
insights of psychoanalysis to address important social and cultural
problems and moving the field of psychoanalysis forward.
The
Foundation Board . . .
The Foundation is governed by a board of directors
consisting of psychoanalysts and non-analysts, who believe that
psychoanalytic theory speaks to a broad spectrum of social and cultural
issues, and that psychoanalysis can provide a unique foundation to assist
individuals, organizations, and communities reach their fullest
potential. Board members have the opportunity to support individual
programs and to actively participate in their development.
Officers:
Dr. Mary Etezady, Chair
Dr. Bernard Friedberg, President
Dr. Barbara Young, Secretary
Dr. Stephen Shapiro, Treasurer
Board Members:
Cameron Etezady, Esq.
Ms. Elaine Freeman, MA
Dr. Edward Hicks
Dr. Walter Lauterbach
Dr. Leo Madow
Dr. Mark Moore
Dr. Ralph Fishkin
Current
Foundation Funds and Projects . . .
The Harry
L. Friedberg Fund encourages the use
of film to further public understanding of psychoanalysis. This fund has
provided seed money for the development of From Einstein to Freud: Why War?, a feature length
documentary film analyzing war from a psychoanalytic perspective.
The
Patricia Claffie Scholarship Fund provides
scholarships for social work students who wish to improve their clinical
skills through training in psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic
psychotherapy.
The
Rockland Restoration Fund supported
the restoration of Rockland Mansion in Fairmount Park
to serve as the new home for the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia.
In its new home the Center will be able to collaboratively develop new
community service programs for neighborhood residents, as it continues to
provide education and training for mental health professionals.
The General
Endowment supports projects of the
Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. Supported projects include:
1. The Margaret Mahler Symposium on Child Development.
This is an annual program in Philadelphia
which brings together mental health professionals and students from
across the United
States to discuss the latest
developments in the field.
2. The Parent-Child Center. The Parent-Child Center
offers a variety of services for families, parents, and children and for
professionals who work with families or children. A Pre-School and Day Care Consultation Program offers
professional consultation to a number of pre-schools and day care
centers, as well as child advocacy and welfare workers, in the greater Philadelphia area. Parenting Education projects
include Parent-Child groups, in
which infants or toddlers play while the mothers talk with professionals
about the children’s development, and a Violence Prevention program, in which parent-child groups and
staff consultations are provided to programs developed to intervene with
high-risk families
3. Schools in the City. This program has been
designed so that educators and psychoanalytic clinicians can come
together to discuss the ways in which emotional problems interfere with
learning in city schools.
4. The
Child Care Colloquium. This annual colloquium with six
educational follow-up workshops is designed as a continuing education
program for licensed child-care workers and Philadelphia Elementary
School staff. A noted psychoanalytic
speaker addresses issues relevant to child-care workers.
Future
Goals of the Foundation . . .
Scholarship Fund
Though psychoanalysis is an important modality of
treatment, training in psychoanalysis is very expensive and beyond the
reach of many qualified students. The Foundation would like to provide
scholarships for individuals who cannot afford this training and
especially to individuals whose backgrounds are not well represented in
the profession. Students interested in research and neuroscience
particularly need assistance to fund an analytic education.
Community Services Fund
The high quality mental health and consultative
services provided by psychoanalysts are not widely available to many
sectors of the community. The Foundation would like to provide grants to
fund the administrative costs of programs which make these kinds of
services available to schools, nurseries, day-care centers, and social
agencies in the wider community.
Low-Fee Treatment Fund
Psychoanalytic treatment is expensive and therefore
not within reach of many who need it most. The Foundation would like to
establish a fund which would support the analytic treatment of selected
children and parents.
Contributions
. . .
Contributions are tax-deductible. Checks may be made
payable to:
“The Philadelphia
Psychoanalytic Foundation”
Mail to the Foundation at:
Rockland - East Fairmount Park
3810 Mt.
Pleasant Drive
Philadelphia, PA
19121
For Further Information . . .
Contact Bernard Friedberg, President, through the
Center administrative office:
Phone
215.235.2345
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