IPSO stands for the International Psychoanalytical Studies Organization.
It was founded in 1975, and is the only global candidates’ organization of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA).
As of September, 2021, IPSO has:
- 2673 members
- from 83 IPA Institutes
- who are in 50 countries
- and speak 32 languages
IPSO was established to provide IPA candidates with an opportunity to come together to discuss issues of training, theory, and practice, as well as to offer a social context for candidates’ cross-cultural engagement.
IPSO is committed to the belief that exposure to the pluralism and diversity of psychoanalytic traditions is an important part of a candidate’s well-rounded education.
By offering opportunities to recognize and explore both their similarities and differences, IPSO helps candidates to bridge and appreciate the complexity and richness of the many psychoanalytic cultures.
It provides international width to complement local depth.
IPSO embodies a spirit that marries an intense intellectual interest for psychoanalysis with an enthusiastic attitude towards sharing good times with colleagues. Most members comment on this friendly, stimulating atmosphere.
IPSO is governed in accordance with its Constitution and Bylaws, and holds democratic elections every two years to elect new members to its Executive Committee which is composed of Presidents, regional Vice-Presidents, Editors and Treasurers. They are responsible for IPSO’s general functioning, and represent the interests of candidates in local and international committees and institutions. IPSO Representatives are the bridge between the Executive Committee and the candidates of an Institute; they are involved in the dissemination of information and organization of local events.
Operational governance in IPSO is distributed into three geographic Regions: Europe, North America and Latin America. The creation of a fourth, Asia-Pacific Region, is under consideration (Israel, South Africa, India and Australia currently belong to the Europe Region; Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea currently belong to the North America Region)
IPSO shares an administrative and legal structure with the IPA at the offices in the Lexicon building in London, but is independent in its functioning, organization and planning of events. The IPA/IPSO Relations Committee (IIRC) is the link between the two institutions.
All psychoanalysts in training at IPA affiliated Societies and Study Groups are invited and encouraged to become IPSO members. See here for Member Benefits.
Every year IPSO holds several in-person and virtual events in its three Regions that take the form of Colloquiums, Study Days, Regional Meetings, Meet the Analyst, and theme-specific Webinars.
Every two years IPSO holds its 5-day Biannual Congress in conjunction with the IPA Congress. This rotates between the regions; the next ones will be in Latin America in 2023, Europe 2025, North America 2027, Latin America, 2030, Europe 2033, etc.
IPSO has specific programming at the large Regional Congresses: yearly at the European Psychoanalytic Federation Congress, yearly at the American Psychoanalytic Association Meeting, biannually at the Federación Psicoanalítica de América Latina, biannually at the Asia-Pacific Congress.
IPSO offers its members the unique opportunity of doing a Visiting Candidate Program. The VCP is IPSO’s most hands-on in-person program where a candidate experiences a 1 to 4-week immersion in another IPA Institute, participating in all its activities and supervising with two analysts.
IPSO members also have the chance of joining one of the popular Cross Regional Study Groups. The CRSGs are small online international peer consultation groups, where 4 to 5 colleagues from different Regions are introduced to each other to meet online monthly to discuss clinical material, and learn from each other’s training experiences.
IPSO has recently launched both the Delocalization Project, where members may apply for funding for the organizing of local events, and the Cross Regional Support Program that provides funds for members travelling to international events in which they will present a paper.
IPSO members may submit texts for the IPSO Writing Award, given during its Biannual Congress, and the IPSO-OCAL Award, given during the Biannual OCAL Congress.
We are currently considering opening Regional Writing Awards.
IPSO publishes its Newsletter twice a year and a Journal every two years.
Since its inception, IPSO has held merry, lively parties during all in-person events –– they have acquired a fame of their own.
