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# Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute Treatment Center

## Sitemaps
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## Posts
- [Repression vs Suppression: The Psychoanalytic Difference](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/repression-vs-suppression/): Repression vs suppression: one is unconscious and automatic, the other deliberate. How to tell them apart, why it matters clinically, and what therapy changes.
- [The Oedipus Complex in Modern Psychoanalysis: Beyond the Cliche](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalysis/oedipus-complex/): The Oedipus complex explained beyond the cliche: what Freud actually proposed, how analysts understand it now, and why the three-person situation still matters.
- [Psychoanalytic Defense Mechanisms: From Primitive to Mature](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/psychoanalytic-defense-mechanisms/): Psychoanalytic defense mechanisms explained: how defenses work, the primitive to mature hierarchy, real examples of each, and what therapy actually changes.
- [Separation-Individuation: Mahler’s Stages and Why They Matter in Adulthood](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/separation-individuation/): Separation individuation explained: Mahler's four subphases, the rapprochement crisis, and why this early process still shapes adult closeness and autonomy.
- [Narcissistic Injury: What It Is and How People React (Freud to Kohut)](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/narcissistic-injury/): Narcissistic injury explained: what it is, why small slights provoke huge reactions, how it differs from narcissistic rage, and how therapy can help.
- [Moral Masochism and Freud’s Three Forms of Masochism](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/moral-masochism/): Moral masochism explained: Freud's three forms of masochism, why guilt seeks punishment, how the pattern shows up in ordinary life, and how therapy helps.
- [Object Constancy: Why It Matters in Adult Relationships (Mahler’s Theory)](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/object-constancy/): Object constancy explained: Mahler's developmental theory, why some adults cannot hold onto love during conflict, and how psychoanalytic therapy builds it.
- [Neuropsychoanalysis: Mark Solms and the Science of the Freudian Mind](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalysis/neuropsychoanalysis/): Neuropsychoanalysis explained: how Mark Solms and the field he founded connect Freud's theory of mind to modern neuroscience, and why it matters clinically.
- [Flight Into Health: Why Patients Suddenly Feel Better and Quit Too Soon](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/flight-into-health/): Flight into health explained: why symptoms vanish just as therapy deepens, what the sudden relief defends against, and how to tell real progress from flight.
- [Splitting in Psychoanalytic Theory: Klein, Kernberg, and Splitting in BPD](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/splitting-psychology/): Splitting in psychology explained: Klein's origins of all-good and all-bad, Kernberg on splitting in BPD, everyday examples, and how therapy builds integration.
- [Transference in Psychoanalysis: What It Is, Types, and Clinical Examples](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/transference-psychology/): Transference in psychology explained: Freud's discovery, the main types, clinical examples, and why the pattern that disrupts therapy is also what heals it.
- [True Self and False Self: Winnicott’s Theory, Signs, Origins, and Therapy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/true-self-false-self/): True self and false self explained: Winnicott's theory of how a compliant self forms, the signs of living behind one, and how therapy restores what is real.
- [The Paranoid-Schizoid Position: Melanie Klein’s Theory Explained](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/paranoid-schizoid-position/): The paranoid-schizoid position explained: Melanie Klein's theory of the earliest mental organization, its defenses, and how adults return to it under stress.
- [Psychodynamic vs Psychoanalytic Therapy: What’s Actually Different?](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/psychodynamic-vs-psychoanalytic-therapy/): Psychodynamic vs psychoanalytic therapy: what actually differs in frequency, depth, and use of the couch, what they share, and how to choose between the two.
- [The Holding Environment: Winnicott’s Concept in Therapy and Parenting](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/holding-environment/): The holding environment explained: Winnicott's concept of being held in infancy, what it becomes in therapy, and why reliability matters more than warmth.
- [Container and Contained: Bion’s Theory of Emotional Containment](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/container-and-contained/): Container and contained explained: Bion's theory of emotional containment, how raw feeling becomes thinkable, and why it matters in therapy and in parenting.
- [The Depressive Position: Klein’s Theory of Emotional Maturity](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/depressive-position/): The depressive position explained: why Klein saw guilt, sadness, and concern as emotional maturity, how it differs from depression, and what reparation means.
- [Eros and Thanatos: Freud’s Life and Death Drives Explained](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalysis/eros-and-thanatos/): Eros and Thanatos explained: Freud's theory of the life and death drives, how they shape love, aggression, and repetition, and why the idea still matters today.
- [Projective Identification: Klein’s Concept in Relationships and Therapy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/projective-identification/): Projective identification explained: Melanie Klein's concept, how it differs from projection, its role in relationships and BPD, and how therapy works with it.
- [Emotional Masochism: Signs You Confuse Love With Suffering](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/emotional-masochism/): Emotional masochism explained: the signs you confuse love with suffering, the psychoanalytic causes beneath self-defeating patterns, and how therapy helps.
- [Is Narcissism a Spectrum? From Healthy Self-Regard to NPD](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/narcissism-spectrum/): Is narcissism a spectrum? How narcissism ranges from healthy self-regard to NPD, what shapes it, and how a psychoanalytic view helps make sense of it.
- [Psychoanalytic Therapy Techniques: The Core Methods Explained](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/psychoanalytic-therapy/): Psychoanalytic therapy techniques explained: the core methods, from free association to transference and interpretation, and how they create lasting change.
- [Anaclitic vs Introjective Depression: Blatt’s Two Types of Depression](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/anaclitic-vs-introjective/): Anaclitic vs introjective depression: Blatt's two types explained, one rooted in loss and dependency, the other in self-criticism, and how therapy helps.
- [The Interpretation of Dreams: Summary of Freud’s Landmark Book](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalysis/the-interpretation-of-dreams/): The Interpretation of Dreams summary: Freud's landmark book explained, wish fulfillment, manifest and latent content, dream-work, and its lasting legacy.
- [Borderline Personality Organization: Kernberg’s Model Explained](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/borderline-personality-3/): Borderline personality organization explained: Kernberg's model, how it differs from BPD, the roles of splitting and identity diffusion, and how therapy helps.
- [Donald Winnicott: His Life, Theory, and Key Concepts](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/donald-winnicott/): Donald Winnicott explained: the life, theory, and key concepts of the pediatrician-psychoanalyst, from the good enough mother to the true self and holding.
- [The Double Bind in Relationships: Manipulation, Examples, and How to Respond](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/double-bind-2/): The double bind in relationships explained: what it is, real examples of no-win communication, how it damages, and how to respond and step outside it.
- [Helping a Grieving Child: A Parent’s Guide to Childhood Loss](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/uncategorized/helping-a-grieving-child/): At the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, and through our Barr-Harris Children's Grief Center, we have spent decades helping families navigate exactly this. Helping a grieving child begins with understanding that children grieve differently than adults do.
- [Talking to Children About Death: An Age-by-Age Grief Guide](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/chicago-therapy/talking-to-children-about-death/): Few conversations feel harder for a parent than explaining that someone the family loves has died. Yet talking to children about death, honestly and in language they can hold, is one of the most protective things an adult can offer a grieving child. Children sense loss long before they can name it, and the way the truth is shared shapes how safely they can begin to mourn.
- [Transitional Objects: Why Your Child’s Blanket Matters](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/transitional-objects/): A transitional object is a physical item, often a blanket or soft toy, that a young child uses for comfort and security as they begin to separate emotionally from their primary caregiver. Winnicott introduced the term in 1953 to describe these first cherished possessions and the important developmental role they play.
- [Does My Child Need Therapy? Signs Parents Shouldn’t Ignore](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/does-my-child-need-therapy/): Every child struggles sometimes. Tears, defiance, worry, and withdrawal are part of growing up, and most of the time they pass. So how do you know when a child's difficulty is ordinary and when it signals something that deserves professional attention? If you have found yourself asking does my child need therapy, that question usually reflects careful, loving attention, not overreaction.
- [Good Enough Parenting: Winnicott’s Guide for Anxious Parents](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/good-enough-parenting/): If you have ever lain awake replaying a moment when you felt you fell short as a parent, you are in good company, and you may be reassured to know that one of the most respected thinkers in child development believed your imperfection is not a problem to solve. It is part of how children grow. The idea of good enough parenting, introduced by the pediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, offers anxious parents a gentler and more accurate picture of what children actually need.
- [Object Relations Theory Explained: Klein, Winnicott & Beyond](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/uncategorized/object-relations-theory/): Some of the most influential ideas in modern psychology began with a simple shift in attention: from what drives us to whom we long for. Object relations theory turned psychoanalysis toward relationships, arguing that the human mind is shaped less by raw instinct than by the earliest bonds we form and the images of self and other we carry inside as a result. It is one of the richest frameworks psychoanalysis has produced, and it quietly underlies a great deal of contemporary therapy.
- [Mourning and Melancholia: Freud on Grief vs. Depression](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalysis/mourning-and-melancholia/): More than a century after it was written, Freud's essay on mourning and melancholia still shapes how clinicians understand the difference between healthy grief and the kind of depression that seems to hollow a person out from within. Written in 1917, in the middle of a war that filled Europe with loss, it asked a question that remains strikingly relevant: why do some people grieve and eventually heal, while others sink into a depression that turns their pain against themselves?
- [Malignant Narcissism: Signs, Causes & How It Differs from NPD](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/malignant-narcissism/): Few terms in psychology carry as much weight, or as much confusion, as malignant narcissism. It sits at the far end of the narcissistic spectrum, where grandiosity fuses with aggression, suspicion, and a striking absence of remorse. The concept did not begin as a diagnostic label. It began as a clinical observation about how the mind organizes itself around cruelty, and it remains one of the most useful lenses psychoanalysis offers for understanding personalities that damage others while feeling entirely justified.
- [Repetition Compulsion: Why Freud Says We Repeat the Past](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/repetition-compulsion/): Almost everyone has noticed it in someone, or in themselves: the same painful relationship arriving in a new disguise, the same argument with a different partner, the same self-defeating turn taken at the same crossroads. Freud gave this pattern a name. The repetition compulsion is the unconscious tendency to re-create, again and again, the emotional situations of our earliest life, even when those situations caused us suffering. Understanding why we repeat the past is one of the most illuminating contributions of psychoanalytic thought, and it sits at the center of how depth-oriented treatment actually works.
- [Self-Defeating Personality Disorder: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/self-defeating-personality-disorder/): Some people seem, again and again, to arrive at the doorstep of success or closeness only to turn away from it. They decline the promotion, sabotage the steady relationship, or convert a kindness into an occasion for guilt. Self-defeating personality disorder is the name once given to this enduring pattern of turning against one's own interests, and while the label no longer appears in current diagnostic manuals, the human predicament it describes remains very real. At the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, we understand these patterns not as stubbornness or a wish to suffer for its own sake, but as the visible surface of an inner life shaped long ago.
- [Powerful Strategies for Understanding Compulsive Personalities](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/compulsive-personalities/): Understanding compulsive personalities offers valuable insights into patterns of emotional constriction and rigid behavioral control. This comprehensive guide explores the nature, origins, and effective treatment approaches for these complex psychological patterns.
- [Decoding Mania: Powerful Insights for Understanding Elevated Mood States](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/understanding-mania/): The phenomenon of mania presents one of psychology's most fascinating and challenging conditions. Understanding its origins, manifestations, and psychological meaning provides crucial insights for both clinical work and personal understanding.
- [Understanding Maternal Affective Disorders: Guide for Emotional Wellbeing During Motherhood](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/maternal-affective-disorder/): The transition to motherhood brings profound physical and emotional changes that can affect mental health. Understanding maternal affective disorders provides crucial knowledge for supporting women during this vulnerable period.
- [Mastering Bipolar Disorder: Transformative Strategies for Stability and Wellbeing](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/bipolar-disorder/): Understanding the multifaceted nature of mood fluctuations in bipolar disorder provides crucial insights for effective management and treatment. This comprehensive guide explores the condition's manifestations, challenges, and pathways to stability.
- [Overcoming Major Depressive Disorder: Empowering Guide to Recovery and Healing](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/major-depressive-disorder/): Major depressive disorder manifests in distinct patterns that reflect different psychological dynamics and origins. The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute Treatment Center specializes in identifying these nuanced presentations to guide effective treatment. Researchers have identified two primary categories—anaclitic and introjective depression—that help explain the diverse emotional experiences of those with this common condition. While sharing core features of persistent low mood, each type presents with distinctive emotional patterns and relationship challenges that require tailored therapeutic approaches.
- [Illuminating the Shadows: Transformative Approaches to Persistent Depressive Disorder](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/depressive-disorder/): Living with ongoing low mood that rarely lifts creates unique challenges that differ from episodic depression. Understanding persistent depressive disorder offers valuable insights for both those experiencing it and their support networks.
- [Breaking Through the Fog: Essential Roadmap for Schizophrenia Recovery](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/understanding-schizophrenia/): Schizophrenia represents one of the most extensively studied and complex conditions in the field of mental health. Understanding its nature, symptoms, and treatment approaches provides crucial information for individuals and families affected by this challenging condition.
- [Decoding Schizotypal Disorder: Guide to Compassionate Understanding](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/schizotypal-disorder/): Schizotypal disorder represents a complex psychological condition characterized by unusual thought patterns, perceptual experiences, and social difficulties. Understanding its nature, origins, and appropriate support approaches provides crucial knowledge for affected individuals and their support networks.
- [Understanding Phobic Personalities: Transformative Approaches to Anxiety Management](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/phobic-personalities/): Understanding phobic personalities offers valuable insights into anxiety management and emotional regulation. This comprehensive guide explores the nature, origins, and treatment of these complex psychological patterns.
- [Understanding Dependent Personalities: Transformative Pathways to Independence](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/dependent-personalities/): Understanding dependent personalities offers important insights into relationship patterns and psychological wellbeing. This complex trait affects many individuals and influences their most significant relationships.
- [Understanding Schizoid Personalities: Transformative Pathways to Connection](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/schizoid-personalities/): Understanding schizoid personalities requires looking beyond surface presentations to recognize the rich inner world these individuals often possess. This comprehensive guide explores the nature, misconceptions, and effective treatment approaches for these complex psychological patterns.
- [Spectrum of Narcissistic Personalities: Powerful Strategies for Authentic Connections](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/narcissistic-personalities/): Narcissistic personalities exist on a complex spectrum that ranges from healthy self-confidence to destructive patterns. Understanding these nuances helps both individuals and their loved ones navigate challenging relationship dynamics.
- [Unlocking the Mystery of Paranoid Personalities: Effective Strategies for Building Trust](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/paranoid-personalities/): Understanding paranoid personalities requires looking beyond surface behaviors to recognize the underlying fears and defenses that drive these complex patterns. This comprehensive guide explores the nature, origins, and effective approaches for addressing paranoid personality traits.
- [Understanding Delusional Disorder: Powerful Insights for Effective Support](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/delusional-disorder/): Delusional disorder represents a complex psychological condition characterized by fixed false beliefs that persist despite contradictory evidence. Understanding its nature, subtypes, and appropriate responses provides crucial knowledge for supporting affected individuals and their families.
- [Conquering Insomnia: Powerful Strategies for Restful Sleep](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/insomnia-solutions/): Persistent sleep difficulties affect millions of Americans, impacting mental health, physical wellbeing, and daily functioning. Understanding the psychological dimensions of insomnia offers valuable pathways to more effective treatment.
- [Demystifying Psychopathic Personalities: Valuable Insights for Recognition and Response](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/psychopathic-personalities/): Understanding psychopathic personalities requires looking beyond popular misconceptions to recognize the core psychological patterns that define this complex condition. This comprehensive guide explores the nature, origins, and effective approaches for addressing psychopathic personality traits.
- [Understanding Sadistic Personalities: Critical Insights for Professional Assessment](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/sadistic-personalities/): Professional understanding of sadistic personalities requires specialized knowledge beyond common misconceptions. This comprehensive guide explores the nature, manifestations, and professional approaches to these complex and challenging psychological patterns.
- [Decoding Hallucinations: Guide to Understanding Sensory Experiences](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/hallucinations/): Hallucinations represent complex sensory experiences that occur without external stimuli. Understanding these phenomena helps both individuals experiencing them and their loved ones navigate these challenging perceptions with greater knowledge and compassion.
- [Recognizing Suicidal Ideation: Guide to Understanding Warning Signs](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/suicidal-ideation/): Thoughts of suicide can affect individuals across all demographics and life circumstances. Understanding the nature, warning signs, and appropriate responses to suicidal ideation provides crucial knowledge that may help save lives and support those experiencing these distressing thoughts.
- [Navigating Delusions: Guide to Understanding False Beliefs](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/understanding-delusions/): Delusions represent fixed false beliefs that persist despite contradictory evidence. Understanding these complex psychological phenomena helps both individuals experiencing them and their support networks respond more effectively with knowledge and compassion.
- [Understanding Masochistic Personality: Essential Guide to Recognizing Patterns & Finding Freedom](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/masochistic-personality/): The complex nature of masochistic personality patterns presents unique challenges for both individuals and clinicians. Understanding these self-defeating behaviors opens pathways to more fulfilling and balanced emotional lives. At the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute Treatment Center, we provide specialized care for those struggling with these complex patterns.
- [Guide to Understanding Hypomanic Personality: Discovering Emotional Balance](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/hypomanic-personality/): The complex nature of hypomanic personality traits offers important insights into psychological defenses and emotional regulation. These distinctive behavioral patterns help individuals recognize their behaviors and find effective support. At the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, our clinical team specializes in identifying and treating these complex psychological presentations.
- [Understanding Depressive Personalities: Pathways to Emotional Freedom](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/depressive-personalities/): Depressive personalities represent one of the most common psychological patterns encountered in clinical settings. These complex traits affect how individuals experience emotions, form relationships, and perceive themselves. Understanding these complex traits helps individuals recognize their patterns and find effective support.
- [Understanding Therapeutic Neutrality: Balancing Compassion and Objectivity](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/therapeutic-neutrality/): The concept of therapeutic neutrality has been widely misunderstood since the early days of psychoanalysis. This fundamental psychoanalytic principle represents a nuanced approach to patient care rather than the cold detachment often portrayed in popular media. At the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, we understand that effective therapy requires both professional objectivity and genuine compassion.
- [Free Association: Unlocking Insights Through Unfiltered Expression](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/free-association-therapy/): Free association, often referred to as the "fundamental rule" of psychoanalysis, is a cornerstone of the therapeutic process introduced by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century. It involves encouraging patients to speak freely, without censoring or filtering their thoughts. This unstructured approach allows hidden emotions, ideas, and connections to surface, offering a pathway to uncovering unconscious conflicts and understanding deep-seated issues.
- [Flight into Illness: Understanding Psychological Avoidance and Healing Through Psychoanalysis](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/flight-into-illness/): Flight into illness is a psychoanalytic concept that describes the tendency of individuals to unconsciously use physical or psychological symptoms as a means of avoiding deeper emotional conflicts. Sigmund Freud observed this phenomenon and described how patients might use their distress or illness to shield themselves from confronting painful truths. By focusing on the illness itself, individuals can divert attention from the conflicts that triggered the distress in the first place.
- [Flight from Insight: Understanding Resistance to Self-Awareness in Psychoanalytic Therapy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/flight-from-insight/): Flight from insight describes a phenomenon where patients resist confronting new self-knowledge during therapy. This resistance can occur when the insights shared by a therapist are introduced prematurely, before addressing the patient’s underlying resistance. This concept, rooted in psychoanalysis, highlights the delicate balance required in timing therapeutic interventions.
- [Enactment: A Transformative Pathway to Healing in Psychoanalysis](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/enactment/): The concept of enactment plays a critical role in psychoanalysis, offering profound insights into the dynamics between patients and therapists. While it may not have one universally agreed-upon definition, enactment generally describes unconscious behaviors or interactions that reveal underlying emotional material. It bridges the gap between thought and action, providing a unique lens to understand unconscious processes.
- [Empathy: The Heart of Healing and Connection in Psychoanalytic Therapy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/empathy/): Empathy is the cornerstone of meaningful human connection and a vital element in therapeutic relationships. It is the ability to deeply understand and share another person’s emotional experience while setting aside one’s own agenda. In psychoanalysis and modern therapy, emotional congruence fosters trust and safety, allowing patients to explore their inner world without fear of judgment.
- [Double Bind: Understanding Its Impact and Finding Solutions](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/double-bind/): The double bind is a communication pattern that creates confusion and emotional paralysis. This phenomenon occurs when a person receives contradictory messages, leaving them unable to resolve the conflict or respond effectively. Originating as a concept in family dynamics, particularly in studies related to schizophrenia, the double bind can deeply affect relationships and mental health.
- [Depression: Understanding Its Roots and Finding Healing](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/depression-treatment/): Depression is a complex and often debilitating mental health condition that affects millions of people. Characterized by persistent sadness, lethargy, and difficulty experiencing joy, depression can impact every aspect of life. While it may feel overwhelming, understanding its origins and exploring effective treatment options can pave the way to recovery.
- [Cumulative Trauma: Understanding Its Impact and Healing](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/cumulative-trauma/): Cumulative trauma refers to the lasting emotional effects of repeated, minor failures in caregiving during a child’s development. Coined by psychoanalyst Masud Khan in the 1960s, the term highlights how small, consistent disruptions in a caregiver’s ability to provide emotional protection can significantly affect a person’s psychological well-being over time. This concept underscores the importance of a stable and supportive environment in childhood to promote emotional resilience.
- [Corrective Emotional Experience: A Pathway to Emotional Healing](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/corrective-emotional-experience/): The corrective emotional experience is a transformative concept in psychoanalysis, first introduced by Franz Alexander, the founder of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute in 1932. This concept highlights the healing that occurs when patients experience a different, more nurturing dynamic with their analyst compared to past relationships. It helps patients resolve emotional wounds, fostering resilience and personal growth.
- [Understanding Nameless Dread: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Inner Peace](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/nameless-dread/): The concept of nameless dread represents one of the most profound and challenging experiences in human psychology. First introduced by psychoanalyst Karin Stephen in 1941, this phenomenon describes an intense form of anxiety that emerges in early childhood—characterized by an overwhelming sense of helplessness when faced with conflicting internal experiences that cannot be processed or articulated.
- [Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Metapsychology: From Freudian Origins to Modern Practice](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/metapsychology/): The evolution of psychological understanding has been profoundly shaped by theoretical frameworks that help us comprehend mental processes. Among these, metapsychology stands as a foundational approach to understanding the human mind—offering clinicians and patients alike a powerful lens through which to view psychological functioning.
- [Demystifying Mental Health Diagnostic Classifications: A Comprehensive Guide for Modern Understanding](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/mental-health-diagnostic-classifications/): Mental health diagnostic classifications began in the late 19th century with the fundamental distinction between neurosis and psychosis. These pioneering categories, while simplistic by today's standards, established the foundation for modern psychiatric diagnosis. At our Chicago Treatment Center, we recognize how these historical perspectives continue to inform contemporary approaches while acknowledging how far the field has progressed.
- [Embracing the Powerful Concept of Good Enough Mother: A Modern Guide to Balanced Parenting](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/good-enough-mother/): In today's world of perfectionist parenting ideals, the concept of the "good enough mother" offers a refreshing and evidence-based alternative. Introduced by pioneering psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott in 1960, this approach continues to provide valuable insights for modern parents navigating the complex challenges of raising children in Chicago and beyond.
- [Essential Guide to Understanding Narcissism: Insights from Professional Analysis](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/narcissism/): The concept of narcissism has evolved significantly since its introduction to psychoanalysis over a century ago. While popular culture often simplifies this complex psychological trait, understanding its true nature requires deeper exploration.
- [Empowering Guide to Understanding Introjects: Unlocking Mental Self-Representation](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/introjects/): The concept of introjects plays a crucial role in our psychological makeup and emotional well-being. Understanding how these internal mental representations shape our relationships and behaviors can lead to profound personal growth and improved mental health outcomes.
- [Understanding the Need-Fear Dilemma: Essential Guide to Recovery and Growth](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/need-fear-dilemma/): The need-fear dilemma represents a profound psychological challenge that affects many individuals seeking therapy. First identified in the 1960s through pioneering research on interpersonal dynamics, this pattern creates a painful contradiction in relationships that can significantly impact emotional wellbeing and personal growth.
- [Developing the Capacity to Be Alone: Building Emotional Strength](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/chicago-therapy/capacity-to-be-alone/): The capacity to be alone is an essential component of emotional resilience and mental well-being. British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott introduced this concept, explaining that individuals develop the ability to be alone as children through the internalization of a supportive and non-intrusive caregiver, usually the mother. This internalized presence gives individuals the confidence to be alone without experiencing distress. Learning to embrace solitude can lead to greater self-awareness, emotional independence, and inner peace.
- [Essential Guide to Understanding Narcissistic Rage: Mastering Emotional Balance](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/guide-narcissistic-rage/): The complex nature of narcissistic rage often manifests as an intense defensive reaction to perceived threats. Understanding this powerful emotional response requires careful examination of its underlying causes and manifestations.
- [Countertransference Hatred: Navigating Complex Emotions in Psychoanalysis](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/countertransference-hatred/): Countertransference hatred is a complex phenomenon in psychoanalysis, describing the intense negative emotions therapists may experience toward certain patients. While it can feel uncomfortable, these reactions provide a powerful window into the patient’s unconscious mind and relational dynamics. When managed effectively, countertransference hatred fosters deeper understanding and more meaningful therapeutic progress.
- [Countertransference: Transforming Therapist-Patient Dynamics](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/countertransference-therapy/): Countertransference is a core concept in psychoanalysis, introduced by Sigmund Freud to describe the emotional reactions therapists have toward their patients. Initially viewed as a potential hindrance to effective treatment, this concept has since evolved into a vital tool for gaining insight into the patient’s emotions and relational dynamics.
- [Essential Guide to Understanding Masochistic Character: From Origins to Modern Treatment](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalytic-principles/masochistic-character/): The concept of masochistic character represents a complex psychological pattern that extends far beyond its commonly understood definition. Rather than simply seeking pain for pleasure, masochistic character involves deeply ingrained patterns of self-defeating behaviors, relationship difficulties, and unconscious psychological dynamics. At the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute's Treatment Center, we recognize how these patterns develop and significantly impact daily functioning.
- [Essential Guide to Mentalization: Building Stronger Emotional Intelligence and Relationships](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/mentalization/): Mentalization represents a crucial psychological skill that shapes how we understand ourselves and others. At its core, mentalization is the ability to recognize that all behaviors—both our own and others'—stem from underlying mental states, including thoughts, feelings, intentions, and desires. This fundamental capacity develops during childhood and continues to influence our relationships and emotional well-being throughout life. At our Treatment Center, we see how this capacity develops under supportive guidance. The team at Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute specializes in helping individuals strengthen these vital skills.
- [Mastering Emotional Regulation: Essential Guide to Naming and Containing Feelings](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/naming-and-containing/): What is the process of naming and containing emotions?
- [Powerful Strategies for Naming and Taming Your Emotions: A Guide to Emotional Mastery](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/elements-of-psychoanalytic-technique/naming-and-taming-emotions/): The process of naming and taming emotions offers a scientifically-backed approach to managing emotional distress. This therapeutic technique, developed through decades of clinical research, provides practical tools for emotional regulation and self-control that can transform how we experience and respond to our feelings.
- [Unlocking Emotional Healing: The Power of Abreaction](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/abreaction-therapy/): In the early years of psychoanalysis, abreaction was a central goal of therapy, as Sigmund Freud and his followers sought to help patients bring repressed emotions to the surface. This type of therapy involves the release of these powerful emotions, often connected to repressed memories, allowing patients to process and discharge them. Freud likened this process to cleaning out an abscess, emphasizing its cathartic and purgative nature. Although it is no longer the primary focus of modern therapy, it remains an important tool, particularly in short-term treatments like those for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 
- [Essential Guide to Understanding Negative Therapeutic Reaction](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/negative-therapeutic-reaction/): The puzzling phenomenon of negative therapeutic reaction has challenged clinicians since the early days of psychoanalysis. This counter-intuitive process, where patients experience setbacks after therapeutic progress, affects many individuals seeking psychological growth. Understanding this complex response offers valuable insights for therapeutic progress and personal growth.
- [The Positive Power of Abstinence in Therapy: Guiding Recovery](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/chicago-therapy/abstinence-in-therapy/): Abstinence in the context of psychoanalysis is a principle introduced by Sigmund Freud to enhance the effectiveness of therapy. Freud advised both analysts and patients to practice abstinence in therapy, not just from physical actions like sexual behavior, but also from making significant life decisions during treatment. This approach was designed to help patients develop the inner strength needed to address their underlying issues and move toward recovery. While the rule of abstinence has evolved over time, its core message remains relevant: by resisting immediate gratification, patients can focus on achieving long-term well-being.
- [Personality Organization: Understanding Psychotic Levels](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/personality-organization/): Personality organization refers to the structure of an individual's personality, particularly how they manage relationships, reality, and emotions. At psychotic levels of personality organization, individuals struggle with a break from reality, distorted thinking, and inappropriate behaviors. These challenges can profoundly affect their ability to engage with others and manage daily life. Understanding personality organization at these levels is crucial for mental health professionals to provide effective treatment and support.
- [Trauma](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/treatment-center/trauma-response-blog/): Much of the work that goes on in psychoanalysis focuses on modifying the behaviors that arise in some patients in response to traumatic experience. Writing about his experiences treating sexually abused boys, Massachusetts analyst Stephen Prior notes how “neglect and abuse distort fundamental needs and psychic structures in the child.” He writes that “the psychological response to trauma the repetition of abusive patterns of relationship, identification with the aggressor, self-blame, and the seeking of object contact through sexuality or violence.”
- [The Relationship Between Traumatic Experiences and Childhood Grief](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/treatment-center/the-relationship-between-traumatic-experiences-and-childhood-grief/): In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of mental health professionals writing about childhood grief and trauma gradually came to an agreement about how the relationship between them had long been overlooked by their fellow clinicians. They agreed as well that the loss of a parent constitutes a psychic trauma in children, with the type of loss determining the severity of the trauma, such that a child who loses a parent to suicide, murder or a tragic accident will suffer a more severe trauma than the child whose parent dies following a chronic illness.
- [The Connection Between Depression and Anger](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/treatment-center/the-connection-between-depression-and-anger/): Clinicians with a psychodynamic orientation have long recognized the role of suppressed anger in the onset of depression. One body of research has found that releasing anger in therapy sessions can help allay some of the symptoms of depression, particularly for patients whose condition has not improved using other therapeutic methods. A group of European researchers writing in 2021 found that some patients suffering from depression improved in treatment by expressing anger. This group of patients experienced relief from symptoms if they were able to form an alliance with their therapists or if they were able to achieve insight into the factors contributing to their depression.
- [Anxiety and Depression as a Result of Conflict](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/treatment-center/anxiety-and-depression-as-a-result-of-conflict/): Depression and anxiety are closely related because each feeling is a reaction to stressful events. Patients who have endured such events in the past or present will often feel depressed about it, while they will feel anxiety because they are worried about such events happening in the future.
- [Building Resilience: Understanding Neurotic Personality](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/neurotic-personality/): A neurotic personality refers to a set of emotional traits and coping mechanisms where individuals struggle with internal conflicts but are generally able to function well in their daily lives. Neurotic individuals often experience distress related to rigid thought patterns and emotional responses, but they usually have the capacity to form constructive working relationships, including with therapists. By understanding neurotic personality traits, both patients and therapists can work together to build healthier ways of managing emotions and developing resilience.
- [Cyclothymia: Understanding and Managing Mood Fluctuations](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/cyclothymia-treatment/): Cyclothymia, also known as cyclothymic disorder, is a mood condition characterized by alternating periods of mild elation and depression. While these mood swings are less severe than those in bipolar disorder, they can still disrupt daily life and relationships. Understanding cyclothymia and seeking appropriate treatment can help individuals achieve emotional stability and live a fulfilling life. Therapy options are available to help individuals manage cyclothymia effectively. With the right support, it is possible to regulate mood fluctuations, enhance self-awareness, and improve overall quality of life.
- [Dissociation: Understanding Its Complexities and Healing](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/dissociation-treatment/): Dissociation is a psychological phenomenon that describes a disconnection between thoughts, feelings, memories, or identity. Originally coined by French psychotherapist Pierre Janet, dissociation serves as a defense mechanism, helping individuals cope with overwhelming emotions or trauma. While this separation may provide temporary relief, it can interfere with daily functioning and emotional well-being if left unaddressed. By understanding its origins and working toward integration, individuals can move toward healthier, more connected lives.
- [Taking Positive Action: Empowering Growth and Well-Being](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/therapeutic-approaches/positive-action-therapy/): In psychoanalysis, the concepts of positive action play a crucial role in understanding human behavior. These terms refer to behaviors aimed at reducing distress or achieving specific goals. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, introduced the idea of "specific action," which highlights the actions taken to meet essential needs, particularly in early development. For infants, when their needs go unmet, they may hallucinate that their needs have been met, but reality soon overrides this fantasy. This early experience spurs individuals into action, teaching them to pursue goals and fulfill needs through tangible efforts.
- [Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder: Pathways to Healing](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/conditions-and-diagnoses/borderline-personality-2/): Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition that affects how individuals perceive themselves and relate to others. First formally recognized by analyst Adolph Stern in 1938, the term “borderline” was used to describe patients who exhibited a mix of neurosis and psychotic tendencies, traits that didn’t fully fit into any one category of mental illness. Over time, research by clinicians like Roy Grinker, Sr., John Gunderson, and Margaret Singer further legitimized the term, and borderline personality disorder became widely accepted in the mental health field, particularly after its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III (DSM-III) in 1980.
- [Death Instinct: Understanding Freud’s Profound Theory and Its Modern Relevance](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalysis/death-instinct-therapy/): Sigmund Freud introduced the concept of the death instinct to explain the inherent drive toward self-destruction and aggression present in all living beings. This theory, while controversial, offers profound insights into human behavior, including the repetitive reliving of painful experiences, self-sabotaging tendencies, and destructive relational patterns.
- [Dream Interpretation: Unlocking Insights for Emotional Growth](https://chicagoanalysis.org/blog/psychoanalysis/dream-interpretation/): Dream interpretation is a fascinating and therapeutic process that offers a deeper understanding of the unconscious mind. While its prominence in psychoanalysis has fluctuated, dreams remain a powerful tool for self-discovery and healing. Sigmund Freud famously referred to dreams as the “royal road to the unconscious,” highlighting their importance in understanding hidden desires, conflicts, and emotions.

## Pages
- [Psychotherapy Clinical Fellowship Application](https://chicagoanalysis.org/pcf-application/): Direct Link: https://pci.jotform.com/form/262876362456064
- [Psychoanalytic Grief Training Program](https://chicagoanalysis.org/psychoanalytic-grief-training-program/): Psychoanalytic Grief Training Program Coming Soon.
- [Home new](https://chicagoanalysis.org/): WHAT
- [Admissions Criteria](https://chicagoanalysis.org/admissions-criteria/): This program is open to mental health clinicians, professionals from allied disciplines, college graduates, and others interested in psychoanalysis.
- [Barr Harris 50th- Individual Sponsorships](https://chicagoanalysis.org/bh50-individual-sponsorships/): Honor Barr-Harris’s life-trajectory-changing grief and loss program, its groundbreaking research that documented the long-term impact of early intervention, the community partnerships that make care directly accessible to those who need it most, and the individuals key to Barr-Harris’s success.
- [Barr-Harris 50th- Corporate Sponsorships](https://chicagoanalysis.org/bh50-corporate-sponsorships/): The example below is for a $5,000 Lead Partner. The other levels scale accordingly. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated and make such a difference!
- [Application Portal](https://chicagoanalysis.org/apply/): Applications for the 2026–2027 academic year are now closed. Please check back in the fall for information on the 2027–2028 admissions cycle.Note: Open Classes, and Exploring Psychoanalysis applications remain available until August 14th, 2026.
- [Faculty and Student Highlight](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty-and-student-highlight/): How do systemic immigration policies impact the human psyche?
- [Donate](https://chicagoanalysis.org/donate/): Every day, adults, adolescents, and children struggle with mental health challenges that affect their relationships, families, and lives. With your support, we can train the next generation of psychotherapists and psychoanalysts to provide skilled, compassionate care for those who need it most.
- [No Surprise Act](https://chicagoanalysis.org/no-surprise-act/): Holdings include more than 20,000 volumes and 14 current print and online journal subscriptions in the fields of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and psychiatry. Students and faculty enjoy full access to the Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing (PEP-Web) database, a collection of more than 200 books, journals and videos specializing in psychoanalytic topics. We supplement these subscriptions with article and monograph files, as well as complete print runs of many journals no longer in print.
- [Faculty](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/): Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute
- [BlueCross Blue Shield PPO Insurance Coverage](https://chicagoanalysis.org/bluecross-blue-shield-ppo-insurance-coverage/): Looking for a therapist who accepts BlueCross Blue Shield PPO insurance in Chicago? Many clinicians at Chicago Psychoanalytic Treatment Center are in-network providers with BlueCross Blue Shield PPO plans. We offer psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy for:
- [Cigna Insurance Coverage](https://chicagoanalysis.org/cigna-insurance-coverage/): Looking for a therapist who accepts Cigna insurance in Chicago? Many clinicians at Chicago Psychoanalytic Treatment Center are in-network providers with Cigna PPO plans. We offer psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy for:
- [Aetna Insurance Coverage](https://chicagoanalysis.org/aetna-insurance-coverage/): Looking for a therapist who accepts Aetna insurance in Chicago? Many clinicians at Chicago Psychoanalytic Treatment Center are in-network providers with Aetna PPO plans. We offer psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy for:
- [Canvas of the Mind Gala 2025 – Tickets](https://chicagoanalysis.org/2025tickets/): Canvas of the Mind Gala 2025 - Ticket Purchase Thank you! The ticket purchase deadline was Sunday, April 20th 2025. If you have any questions, please reach out to Bayley White bwhite@chicagoanalysis.org Thank you, and we are looking forward to seeing you on May 1st!
- [Canvas of the Mind Gala 2025 – Individual Sponsorships](https://chicagoanalysis.org/cotm-gala-2025-individual-sponsorships/): **To be included on the Host Committee list on the printed invitations, the deadline is March 14th**
- [Canvas of the Mind Gala 2025 – Corporate Sponsorships](https://chicagoanalysis.org/2025corporatesponsorship/): **To be included on the printed invitations, the deadline is March 14th**
- [Insurance Page Template](https://chicagoanalysis.org/insurance-page-template/): For patients using insurance, we determine fees through collaboration with these providers. Your specific out-of-pocket costs will depend on your plan's coverage for mental health services, including deductibles, copayments, and any coverage limits.
- [Therapists](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapists/): Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute
- [Internship Program](https://chicagoanalysis.org/internship-program/): treatment center
- [Trauma](https://chicagoanalysis.org/trauma/): Experiencing trauma can leave a lasting impact, affecting how you feel, think, and connect with others. Our therapists provide a compassionate space to help you process what happened, understand its effects, and begin to heal at your own pace.
- [Grief](https://chicagoanalysis.org/grief/): Losing someone you love is a deeply personal and life-altering experience that can leave you feeling lost and overwhelmed. Our therapists provide compassionate support to help you understand your grief and its impact, creating space for healing and growth.
- [Depression](https://chicagoanalysis.org/depression/): Depression can feel overwhelming, affecting your energy, relationships, and ability to enjoy life. Our experienced therapists provide a caring and supportive space to help you understand the deeper reasons behind your struggles and work toward meaningful change.
- [Anxiety](https://chicagoanalysis.org/anxiety/): Anxiety can feel overwhelming, disrupting your ability to live fully and connect meaningfully with others. Our therapists take a thoughtful, psychoanalytic approach to uncover the deeper emotional patterns underlying your distress, providing expert care rooted in understanding and empathy.
- [Adult Clinical Services](https://chicagoanalysis.org/adult-clinical-services/): Expert therapists ready to help you regain control and improve your mental well-being. Discover how we can support you on your journey toward emotional health.
- [CPI Child and Adolescent Gathering 2024](https://chicagoanalysis.org/cpi-child-and-adolescent-gathering-2024/): In the quiet of the twilightWhere dreams and stars alignWhispers dance on moonlit beamsIn a space with one less star
- [Academic Calendar](https://chicagoanalysis.org/academic-calendar/): Academic Calendar Academic Calendar 2024-25Download
- [Child & Adolescent Analysis](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/child-and-adolescent-analysis/): The Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Education Program (CAPEP) is an integral part of the Institute's training mission and is well integrated into the core program. It provides a unique opportunity to pursue analytic experience with individuals of several levels of development. The primary purpose of the program is to train and educate selected candidates to work analytically with children and adolescents. Secondarily, the program provides candidates in the Adult Program the opportunity to gain a thorough knowledge of each stage of development and its attendant pathology.
- [Thank you](https://chicagoanalysis.org/thank-you/): Thank You for Booking with Us! You'll receive a welcome email shortly, but if you're ready to take the next step, you can schedule your initial consultation now by choosing a date and time HERE.
- [Call for Papers](https://chicagoanalysis.org/call-for-papers/): First Prize $5,000.00Second Prize $1,500.00
- [Member Center](https://chicagoanalysis.org/member-center/): Member Center Log In Please log in to access the Member Center!.
- [Restricted Content](https://chicagoanalysis.org/restricted-content/): Memberships includes many benefits including event registration, CE/CME certificate tracking, member resources, and more!
- [Treatment Center News](https://chicagoanalysis.org/treatment-center-news/): Treatment Center News
- [Treatment Center](https://chicagoanalysis.org/treatment-center/): Treatment Center therapists specialize in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, the first and most established form of talk therapy. These are unique forms of psychotherapy that foster personal development and liberation from dissatisfying or painful patterns of living. Together, you and your therapist will work to understand the meaning of your emotional experiences, thoughts, dreams, memories, fantasies, and sensations with the objective of cultivating a more robust sense of self. By applying complementary therapy approaches and techniques, we will unearth long-standing behavioral patterns or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
- [Community Initiatives](https://chicagoanalysis.org/community-initiatives/): The Treatment Center is dedicated to providing no to low cost services to the community. For years, the Treatment Center therapists have served students in schools across the Chicago area where access to therapeutic services may be difficult. The Treatment Center looks to partner with schools and community organizations that could use additional support in meeting the mental health needs of those they serve. Clinicians can provide individual and group services to students and staff as well as workshops and presentations to staff and families. In addition, training and consultation are available for teachers, clergy, mental health workers, social workers, and other community members.
- [Reference Guidelines](https://chicagoanalysis.org/reference-guidelines/): Thank you very much for providing this information.
- [Class Schedules](https://chicagoanalysis.org/class-schedules/): Class Schedules Academic Calendar w Course Dates 2026-2027Download
- [Book an Appointment](https://chicagoanalysis.org/book-an-appointment/): The first step for new clients is a complimentary phone consultation to determine which services are best suited to your needs. The client will be matched with a therapist who will conduct a comprehensive assessment and work with the client to create a corresponding treatment plan.
- [Integrative Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/integrative-psychoanalytic-couple-therapy/): This specialized training certificate program initially developed by The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and The Institute for Clinical Social Work to make high-quality psychoanalytically-oriented couple therapy more widely available is now sponsored solely by ICSW. More information can be found here.
- [Psychotherapy Clinical Fellowship](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/psychotherapy-clinical-fellowship/): The Fellowship offers early and mid-career clinicians an opportunity to study and improve their skills in the psychotherapy of adults using psychoanalytic principles. In this two-year program, Fellows will treat adults in ongoing psychotherapy, some at multiple times a week, under the supervision of a psychoanalyst, and participate in an educational program designed to enhance clinical learning.
- [Exploring Psychoanalysis](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/exploring-psychoanalysis/): Designed as an introduction to psychoanalytic thought for graduate students, therapists, advanced trainees, academics, professionals and artists. This nine-month-long program offers a monthly seminar with a senior analyst, monthly access to mentorship with an Institute Faculty member, and four opportunities to participate in a case conference.
- [Psychoanalysis for Scholars](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/psychoanalysis-for-scholars/): Scholars in the humanities and social sciences have for decades been attracted to psychoanalysis as a hermeneutic field that allows for a unique interpretive perspective on a vast array of human problems. Professionals such as lawyers, judges and physicians have also found that psychoanalytic understanding profoundly enhances their ability to address critical issues in their fields.
- [Child & Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/ca-psychoanalytic-psychotherapy/): The Child & Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program is a program designed to meet the needs of clinicians in the contemporary mental health environment.
- [Open Classes](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/open-classes/): The Open Classes program is part of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute’s commitment to building a life-long learning community. Open Classes are offered on an at-large basis to those with a serious interest in psychoanalysis. Once a student applies and is accepted as an Open Classes student, they can register for available classes on an ad hoc basis.
- [Psychoanalytic Education](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/psychoanalytic-education/): The Psychoanalytic Education Program trains mental health clinicians interested in deep immersion in psychoanalytic thought and practice. This intensive, in-depth course of study follows the traditional three-part model of psychoanalytic education including didactic coursework, supervised psychoanalytic cases and a personal analysis.
- [Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Thought](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/fundamentals-of-psychoanalytic-thought/): Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Thought is a year-long program of study that provides a foundational education in the essentials of psychoanalytic thought, theory and practice as it has evolved over the years. Students from varied backgrounds come together in a vibrant learning community. The students engage in a deepening psychoanalytic learning process that gives them the tools to shape the psychoanalysis of the future.
- [Integrative Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy Adjunct Clinical Supervisors](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/integrative-psychoanalytic-couple-therapy/adjunct-clinical-supervisors/): Integrative Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy Ajunct Clinical Supervisors Freda (Freddi) Friedman Heather MacIntosh Peter Reiner David Shaddock Sara Schwartzbaum Ken Tortoriello Mark Winitsky
- [Integrative Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy Guest Lecturers](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/integrative-psychoanalytic-couple-therapy/guest-lecturers/): The following people have presented one or more lectures in the program in the past and all are expected to present again during the 2023-24 academic year:
- [Fellowship Flyer](https://chicagoanalysis.org/fellowship-flyer/): Fellowship Flyer
- [Fellowship Flyer](https://chicagoanalysis.org/fellowship-flyer-1/)
- [Open Classes Catalog](https://chicagoanalysis.org/open-classes-catalog/): Open Classes Catalog Open Classes Course Catalog Fall 26Download
- [Harassment Report](https://chicagoanalysis.org/harassment-report/): Harassment Report
- [Evolution of the Frontline Program](https://chicagoanalysis.org/evolution-of-the-frontline-program/): Phil Lebovitz, MD, Coordinator
- [Alumni](https://chicagoanalysis.org/alumni/): Virtually return to the Institute for a complimentary event exclusive to alumni. Come together to celebrate your accomplishments, connect with friends and rediscover the Institute.
- [Terms of Use](https://chicagoanalysis.org/terms-of-use/): All textual, graphical and other content appearing on the "www.10a12b5634.nxcli.io" Web host (the "website") are the property of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute (“Institute”). By accessing content on the website, a user agrees to be bound by all of the terms of this User Agreement. The Institute reserves the right to change the terms of the User Agreement or to modify its features at any time. The website will post changes to the terms of this User Agreement on this page, and by accessing the website after modifications to this User Agreement have been posted, the user agrees to be bound by all the modified terms. The user should review the User Agreement periodically to ensure that he or she is familiar with its terms.
- [Privacy Policy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/privacy-policy/): This Privacy Policy discloses the privacy practices for www.chicagoanalysis.org, the main Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute website. By using this website, you are consenting to the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute’s collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
- [Consultation Services](https://chicagoanalysis.org/consultation-services/): The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute offers flexible and targeted consulting to businesses, organizations, schools and leaders designed to help them understand and manage the psychological forces that underlie and effect decision making, leader performance, employee functioning, group and team success and school or organizational environments.
- [Institute Symposiums](https://chicagoanalysis.org/continuing-education/institute-dialogue-wednesday-symposium/): Welcome to the Institute Symposiums, a premier series of virtual educational events hosted by the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. Designed to make high-level psychoanalytic thought accessible to a broader audience, these symposiums feature presentations by distinguished faculty, guest scholars, and clinicians discussing clinical theory, history, and practice.
- [Franz Alexander Society Member Stories](https://chicagoanalysis.org/franz-alexander-society-members-stories/): Psychoanalysts and psychotherapists may gather in other places, but for psychiatrist Robert Fajardo nowhere else is quite like the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute.
- [COVID-19](https://chicagoanalysis.org/covid-19/): Since mid-March 2020, the Institute has worked remotely. Faculty have taught classes and held meetings using Zoom technology, therapy has been offered online and business administration by the board and staff have been conducted off-site.
- [Tell Us Your Story](https://chicagoanalysis.org/tell-us-your-story/): Tell Us Your Story
- [Training](https://chicagoanalysis.org/training/): The Treatment Center at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute offers a two-year full-time and part-time clinical Fellowship for early and mid-career clinicians an opportunity to study and improve their skills in the psychotherapy of adults using psychoanalytic principles. In this two-year program, Fellows will treat adults in ongoing psychotherapy, some at multiple times a week, under the supervision of a psychoanalyst, and participate in an educational program designed to enhance clinical learning.
- [Adult Clinical Services](https://chicagoanalysis.org/adult-clinical-services-old/): Our approach to adult clinical services for mental health is grounded in the principles of psychoanalytic therapy and evidence-based practices. At the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute Treatment Center, we emphasize a deep understanding of each individual’s unique experiences and psychological makeup. This allows us to create customized treatment plans that not only address immediate concerns but also foster long-term emotional growth and resilience. 
- [Child & Adolescent Clinical Services](https://chicagoanalysis.org/child-adolescent-clinical-services/): Compassionate care for children and teens navigating emotional challenges. Our specialized therapists provide a safe space for young minds to express, heal, and grow.
- [The Institute](https://chicagoanalysis.org/the-institute/): About the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute
- [Workshops](https://chicagoanalysis.org/continuing-education/workshops/): Stay tuned for our upcoming 2025-26 schedule of workshops.
- [Conferences](https://chicagoanalysis.org/continuing-education/conferences/): Conferences for the 2021-22 academic year were successful and productive. Thank you to all who attended and participated. Stay tuned for our upcoming 2022-23 schedule of conferences.
- [Barr Harris Children and Family Grief & Loss Center](https://chicagoanalysis.org/barr-harris-program/): Barr Harris Children and Family Grief & Loss Center will have a new website coming soon!
- [What is Psychoanalysis?](https://chicagoanalysis.org/what-is-psychoanalysis/): Psychoanalysis is both a theory of the mind and a method of therapy.
- [Policies](https://chicagoanalysis.org/policies/): Policies Our Sexual Harassment Policy Report Sexual Harassment at the Institute
- [Board & Staff](https://chicagoanalysis.org/board-staff/): The Board of Directors guides the mission and future of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. Their responsibilities include appointing the president, overseeing the Institute’s budget, approving faculty and staff appointments, and ensuring the quality of our programs and curriculum. We are deeply grateful for their leadership and commitment to advancing psychoanalysis. If you are interested in becoming involved with our board, please email admin@chicagoanalysis.org.
- [Partnerships](https://chicagoanalysis.org/partnerships/): The Institute has a vast network of established relationships. Through their generosity and benevolence our sponsors enable continuing education, support therapy and clinical services, contribute to the scholarship fund, broaden communications and outreach, enhance education programming and more. Below, you'll find links for a number of these resources.
- [Cost & Fees](https://chicagoanalysis.org/cost-fees/): At Chicago Psychoanalytic Treatment Center, we’re committed to making mental health care accessible and affordable.Our commitment to making mental health care accessible in Chicago is reflected in our flexible payment options. We work directly with several major insurance providers, including:
- [News](https://chicagoanalysis.org/news/): News
- [Degree Pathway](https://chicagoanalysis.org/degree-pathway/): The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute has established a collaboration with the Institute for Clinical Social Work (ICSW) called the Psychoanalytic Partnership. Together, the organizations are committed to expanding flexible pathways so that students in both institutes can create individualized educational programs that meet their professional goals. It is designed to take advantage of the strengths of each institute to the benefit of students. With the Partnership in place, students can access coursework at the other institution that helps them achieve their educational goals. Typically, Institute students can look to ICSW for license-eligible degrees and ICSW students can look to the Institute for coursework in psychoanalytic theory and child and adolescent psychotherapy.
- [Distance Learning](https://chicagoanalysis.org/distance-learning/): Remote Learning is available to those enrolled in Institute programming who are not taking classes in person.
- [Tuition & Fees](https://chicagoanalysis.org/tuition-fees/): Tuition & Fees GeneralSupervision & Training Expenses Tuition/Fees for Academic Year 2026-2027 2026-2027 Tuition and FeesDownload Supervision & Training Expenses Website Tuition_Fees_SupervisionDownload
- [Continuing Education](https://chicagoanalysis.org/continuing-education/): The Institute offers cutting-edge continuing education programs, providing a foundation for the professional advancement of attendees while earning continuing education credits.
- [Support CPI](https://chicagoanalysis.org/support/): Every day, adults, adolescents, and children struggle with mental health challenges that affect their relationships, families, and lives. With your support, we can train the next generation of psychotherapists and psychoanalysts to provide skilled, compassionate care for those who need it most.
- [Programs of Study](https://chicagoanalysis.org/programs-of-study/): The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute is dedicated to advancing the knowledge of human beings – their feelings, thoughts and behaviors – and to improving people’s lives. Since its founding in 1932, the Institute has contributed to the field of psychoanalysis through education and scholarship. Today, the Institute offers a contemporary model of psychoanalytic thought relevant to individual and community life that is represented in all its education programs. Graduates belong to the Institute’s life-long learning community where they join with colleagues who share an interest in psychoanalysis and its values.
- [Contact](https://chicagoanalysis.org/contact/): 8 South Michigan AvenueFloor 7Chicago, Illinois 60603
- [Library](https://chicagoanalysis.org/library/): The McLean Library, named for Institute co-founder and library founder Helen McLean, contains one of the largest collections of psychoanalytic literature in the world. It has occupied a central position in the educational programs of the Institute since its founding in 1932. 

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## Faculty Members
- [J. Dakota Cimo, Ph.D.](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/j-dakota-cimo-ph-d/): Dakota Cimo has been in private practice since 2006 and is President of CoCreate Psychotherapy and Analysis. I am interested in the many ways the body mind works to expand or restrict peoples place and position in the world and how relational experiences can potentially unlock or broaden that experience. . My interests are in creativity, trauma, and body mind connection. I have an avid interest in the arts as well as my early training is in fine art where I earned a BFA. My theoretical orientation is built on the work of Freud, Winnicott, Kohut and Bion.
- [Ying Ban](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/ying-ban/): Ban Ying is Faculty at Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. She lives and works in Beijing, China. Treating adults and adolescent. She is in private full practice and teaches at Supervision Program of CAPA in China.
- [Sepideh Firouzi](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/sepideh-firouzi/): Dr. Sepideh Firouzi is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst whose work bridges clinical practice, teaching, and psychoanalytic research across cultures. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychotherapy Science in Vienna and completed doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. She also holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
- [Margaret Laracy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/margaret-laracy/)
- [Sidney Weissman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/sidney-weissman/): I am a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Northwesern Universicy/Feinberg School of Medicne. Previously I have seved a a pofess or Psychiatry at Loyola University, Associae professor at the University of Chicaog and Assistant Professor at the Univesity f Illinois.I have dited and conributed to five books Includidnt the Role of Psychoanalysis in Psychiatric Ediucation and written varied diverse articles.
- [Michael Bader](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/michael-bader/): Dr. Bader has written and spoken extensively about issues at the intersection of psychology, culture, and politics. He has written 4 book and published many dozens of articles about these issues (see michaelbader.com). 2 of his books involve his research about the meanings of sexual fantasy and 2 are focused on issues arising from his work with progressive political leaders. He also has a podcast and a webcast that can be found on his website.
- [Arthur Nielsen, MD](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/arthur-nielsen-md/): Dr. Nielsen has treated distressed couples for nearly 50 years. He is the author of two textbooks--A Roadmap for Couple Therapy: Integrating Systemic, Psychodynamic, and Behavioral Approaches, and Integrative Couple Therapy in Action: A Practical Guide for Handling Common Relationship Problems and Crises--and more than 40 articles in the field of couple therapy. He originated the popular Northwestern undergraduate course, “Marriage 101,” now in its 25th year, and has taught courses and lectured nationally and internationally on couple therapy and intimate relationships. For many years, he has supervised students in psychotherapy, currently including Northwestern Psychiatry Residents and students in the China American Psychoanalytic Aliance. He has taught year-long course in Couple Therapy in China and Iran and has lectured internationally on various topic, esp. those related to marriage and couples including in Spain, Ireland, France, China, and Iran. In the United States, he has given lectures and run workshops for the following mental health organization: The Am. Psychoanalytic Association, The Association of Marital and Family Therapy, The Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration, The American Family Therapy Academy, and many other regional educational institutions.
- [Lisa Karaitis](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/lisa-karaitis/): I am particularly interested in how psychoanalysis works and how it can help us understand ourselves in everyday life. I enjoy teaching case conference seminars and classes on how to provide psychoanalytic treatment. 
- [Cerelia Sifan Chen](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/cerelia-sifan-chen/): Chen Sifan/Cerelia is currently engaged in psychoanalytic-oriented counseling and psychoanalysis in Chengdu, China. She is a registered supervisor and registered psychologist with the Chinese Psychological Society. Previously, she served as a mental health teacher in one university, conducting psychological crisis assessment and intervention, providing psychological counseling, and teaching mental health knowledge for many years. Currently, she is practicing privately. 
- [Marielle Mershart](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/marielle-mershart/): Marielle Mershart MSW, LCSW is a psychotherapist practicing both in-person and virtually in Oak Park, IL and Madison, WI, offering treatment for children and adolescents, as well as adults, couples & families seeking psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy for a range of issues. She received a Masters of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago in 2004 and worked in a number of clinical settings in the Chicago area including clinics, agencies and hospitals, and began a private practice in 2007. She obtained a certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PPP) from the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute with a specialization in child and adolescent psychotherapy and subsequently joined the CPI PPP faculty in 2023. She also serves as a clinical supervisor for CPI Treatment Center's student intern program.
- [Sara Menna](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/sara-menna/)
- [Charlotte Mallon](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/charlotte-mallon/): LCSW
- [Hao Chung Hsu](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/hao-chung-hsu/)
- [Eric Jiang](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/eric-jiang/)
- [Christopher Rigling](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/christopher-rigling/): My education and career are grounded in the practice of clinical psychology, in which I work to facilitate positive change in the lives of individuals of all ages. Through the development of a therapeutic relationship, my patients consistently come to experience their lives in richer, deeper, more satisfying ways that serve as a basis for ongoing personal growth. I bring to my private practice a broad range of clinical experience in hospitals, community-based clinics, and private practice. along with this, I have post-doctoral training in family and couples treatment, as well as formal training in psychoanalysis completed at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. Over the course of my career, I have taught at three universities and have held leadership positions in the business of behavioral healthcare and in a variety of professional guild organizations. In addition to my clinical work, I am the proprietor of a consulting firm, C. Sloan Consulting, which consults with businesses and executives in organizational assessment, strategic planning, and executive coaching.
- [Timothy Sawyier](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/timothy-sawyier/): Tim Sawyier LCPC is a psychoanalyst in private practice, working with adults in his downtown Chicago office. He was appointed to the Institute's faculty in 2023 following his graduation from CPI's Psychoanalytic Education Program, in which he now teaches Freud and advanced theory courses. Tim is currently an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA), and his writing has appeared in the JAPA Review of Books and American Imago. He attended graduate school at the University of Chicago (History) and the Institute for Clinical Social Work (Counseling), following a career as an orchestral oboist, for which he studied at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music. Tim is also a longtime contributor to the Chicago Classical Review.
- [Aldona Marchese](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/aldona-marchese/): Aldona, MSEd, MS, is Associate Dean, Faculty Member, Supervisor and graduate of the Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program. Aldona specializes in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with children, adolescents and adults. She also supervises psychiatry residents in psychodynamic psychotherapy and serves on committees at the American Psychoanalytic Association. Aldona teaches in the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program.
- [Peter Reiner](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/peter-reiner/): Peter A. Reiner, PhD, LMFT is a clinical psychologist and a marriage and family therapist who received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed his psychology residency at Northwestern University Medical School. He has been faculty at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine for 30 years, teaching in the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Seminar for clinical psychology and social work interns. Peter was trained as a systemic therapist at the Family Institute of Chicago, where he later served as Coordinator of Clinical Training and longtime group supervisor. He has taught graduate courses at DePaul, UIC, Loyola, The Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and Michael Reese Hospital. He continues to teach for the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance (CAPA) and is an Adjunct Clinical Consultant for the Integrative Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy Program of the Institute for Clinical Social Work and the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, as well.
- [Leslie Keith](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/leslie-keith/)
- [Gloriana Bartoli](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/gloriana-bartoli/)
- [Ramya B. Iyer](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/ramya-iyer/): Ramya B. Iyer, LCSW, is an adult psychoanalyst in private practice who specializes in working with grief and loss and the emergence of racialization in clinical process. She teaches and writes on the psychological determinants of racialization and introduced the concept of societal racial introjects in a 2024 paper.
- [Sarah Ping Hu](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/sarah-ping-hu/)
- [Jane Reid](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/jane-reid/): Classes taught include Core Models in Psychoanalysis -- Self Psychology, Fundamentals and PPP years; Introduction to Self Psychology, PEP; Seminar on Narcissistic Rage PEP; Seminar on the Work of Paul and Anna Ornstein, PEP; Writing II, PEP. Clinical interests include queer and gender-affirming practice, specifically work around typical trans and nonbinary development. And work in both psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
- [David M Brooks](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/david-brooks/)
- [M. Theo Pintzuk](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/theo-pintzuk-lcsw/)
- [Maranda Yee Tak Sze, PHD](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/maranda-sze/): Maranda is a member of the International Relations Committee and co-hosts the China part of Bridging Minds.
- [Sidney Miller](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/sidney-miller/): Dr Miller's interests include Critical Theory, Clinical Process, and Psychoanalytic Group Psychotherapy from Adlerian and Balint orientations. Her private practice for adults includes Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy and Consultation. She is a founding member of the Advanced Practice Nursing committee, and group work consultant for The American Association of Psychoanalysis. She teaches Clinical Conference for Candidates
- [Elizabeth Levey](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/elizabeth-levey-md/): Elizabeth Levey is a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. She completed residency and fellowship training at the Harvard Medical School combined program at Massachusetts General and McLean Hospitals. She began psychoanalytic training at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, and she is currently a candidate in the Child and Adult Psychoanalysis Program at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. She has a private practice in Chicago where she sees children and adults. Elizabeth is also a global health researcher. She has a K23 award through the NIMH to study a family-based home visiting intervention for adolescent mothers in Peru.
- [Gretchen Schmutz](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/gretchen-a-schmutz-psyd/): Gretchen A. Schmutz PsyD practices in Chicago treating children, adolescents and adults. She is a member of the Contemporary Freudian Society and teaches at the Institute for Clinical Social Work. 
- [Wendy (Cuiqin) Wen](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/wendy-cuiqin-wen/): Wendy (Cuiqin) Wen is a psychoanalyst, who has been doing private practice since 2009 in Shanghai, China. She graduated from the ChicagoPsychoanalytic Institute’s Adult Psychoanalytic Education Program in May, 2021.Before that, she had accomplished four years’ psychoanalytic oriented therapy and one year supervision training programs provided by CAPA, short for China American Psychoanalytic Alliance.She is the founder of Xinxun Psychology, which providing education in psychodynamic therapy and clinical services. Wendy has devoted and dedicated to facilitating the development of psychoanalysis in China. Wendy enjoys writing and doing art.
- [Noel Blackburn](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/noel-blackburn/)
- [Kathleen O’Connor](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/kathleen-oconnor/)
- [Lauren Kern](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/lauren-kern-md/): I have maintained a private practice in psychiatry and psychoanalytic psychotherapy since 1989. I treat adults from age 18 to 70. I have supervised students in the psychotherapy program at the Institute and also residents at Northwestern. My clinical interests include mood and anxiety disorders. My preference is in person treatment but can also provide zoom sessions.
- [Gregory Rizzolo](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/gregory-rizzolo/): Dr. Rizzolo was appointed to the Insitute's Psychoanalytic Education Program faculty in 2020. Areas of interest include anxiety, depression, self-confidence, anger, parenting, grief/loss, trauma/PTSD, relationship conflict, couple therapy and premarital counseling.
- [Scott Pytluk](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/scott-pytluk/): Scott Pytluk PhD, ABPP offers individual and relationship psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and clinical consultation in his independent practice. Interests include contemporary psychoanalytic theory and treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and transgender individuals, psychosomatics, the creative process and treatment with individuals in music and other arts, contemporary object relations and relational theory and treatment. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Institute in the Evolution of Psychoanalytic Thought program.
- [Karen Bloomberg](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/karen-bloomberg/): Karen Bloomberg PhD’s areas of clinical expertise are with adults, children, adolescents and couples experiencing relationship issues. Dr. Bloomberg is most interested in studying relationships in transition, and she volunteers at divorce support groups and informational sessions and helps with developmental disabilities of children in families.
- [Judith Schiffman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/judith-schiffman/): Judith Schiffman LCSW has been Director of the Institute’s Barr-Harris Children’s Grief Center since 2008. She has also served as the Assistant Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Program. She has worked with children and their families for more than 25 years, with a special interest in parent and sibling loss.
- [Gavin Mullen](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/gavin-mullen/): Gavin Mullen PsyD is a full-time practicing psychoanalyst. She is a Training and Supervising Analyst and teaches clinical and theoretical courses to psychoanalytic students, faculty and candidates.
- [Judith Newman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/judith-newman/): Judith Newman MSW is a training and supervising psychoanalyst. Her areas of specialization include individual psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, consultation to professional clinicians, as well as comprehensive evaluation and referral for individuals who are considering beginning a psychological treatment but are unsure about what they need. She serves as the Director of the Institute’s Psychotherapy Clinic Fellowship Program.
- [Heather Patay](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/heather-patay/): Affiliations:Heather Patay MA is a program consultant with the Math and Science Teacher Quality Enhancement program at Northeastern Illinois University.
- [Colin Pereira-Webber](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/colin-pereira-webber/): Colin Pereira-Webber AM, LCSW is a child, adolescent and adult psychoanalyst. His area of specialty is in childhood bereavement. 
- [Evelina Pereira-Webber](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/evelina-pereira-webber/): Evelina Pereira-Webber MA, LCPC is a member of the faculty of the Institute’s Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program and specializes in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with children, adolescents and adults. She has taught the "Working with Parents" course and has led a number of workshops and short courses for the Institute, such as “Maintaining the Working Alliance with Parents.” Evelina speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese.
- [Caryle Perlman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/caryle-perlman/): Caryle Perlman LCSW specializes in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, couples therapy, sexual dysfunction and misbehavior in her clinical practice.
- [Katharine Porter](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/katharine-porter/): Affiliations:Dr. Porter was previously on the faculty of the Emory Psychoanalytic Institute and a visiting teacher at the Milwaukee Psychoanalytic Institute. She was also a faculty member at the Emory University School of Medicine, where she served as medical director of the Adult Psychiatric Day Treatment Program at Grady Memorial Hospital. Before training as a psychiatrist, she spent ten years as a board certified pediatrician. She served on the clinical faculty of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and worked at the Khao-I-Dang Holding Center for Kampucheans in Aranyaprathet, Thailand and at the Rincon Rural Health Initiative Project in Rincon, Puerto Rico.
- [Gail Richman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/gail-richman/): Gail Richman, LCPC joined the faculty at the Chicago Institute after receiving her certificate from the Psychoanalytic Education program, and is a member of the Admissions Committee. She maintains a private practice in the loop, offering psychoanalysis and psychotherapy to adults, and clinical case consultation and supervision to mental health professionals.
- [Jennifer Robin](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/jennifer-robin/): Jennifer Robin MA, LCPC is a child and adolescent psychotherapist specializing in ADHD, learning disorders and childhood trauma. In addition to psychotherapy, in her practice she offers supervision and training for clinicians. Jennifer works with schools and treats adolescents in transition from outpatient programs using CBT and DBT strategies in addition to psychodynamic principles.
- [Suzanne Rosenfeld](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/suzanne-rosenfeld/): Dr. Rosenfeld grew up in Canada and lived as an adult in the U.S., Israel, and France. She trained as a medical doctor at Tel Aviv University and as a psychiatrist at the University of Chicago. Following on at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute she became a psychoanalyst and faculty member. As a postgraduate she spent three years in Paris, France to develop her interests in French psychoanalysis, psychosomatics, language and culture. She received a "Competent and Talented" award for a project disseminating analytic ideas in France and in the US. Living abroad she learned how different cultures shape the internal experiences of a person and how learning from “the analytic Other” can create new "forms of perceptions" or theories in the analyst. Using this knowledge from abroad and in Chicago during multiple trainings, she developed a way of working with patients who suffer from bodily ills that impact the mind. This "somato-psychic logic," reveals and studies the free associative process and develops the work of Christopher Bollas whose ideas are original and have on the ground use for all practitioners of mental health. This field has wider application for those interested in freeing the body from strangulated feelings or disabled perceptions. Throughout her career she dedicated her clinical practice to introducing patients to their unconscious minds and creativity: "The analytic space holds potential for generating more meaning, truth, and freedom in a person's life through unity of psyche-soma and tranformation of the life of the mind." In her practice she sees mental health practitioners and persons in the arts, politics, entrepreneurship, law, medicine and education. Her research and teaching interests include psychoanalytic assessment, psychosomatics and free association. For the last several years she runs a clinical group and teaches “Assessment: How to help a person enter a psychoanalysis with oneself.”
- [Donald McDevitt](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/donald-mcdevitt/): Donald McDevitt LCPC is a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst with over 30 years of experience. He has taught classes in Object Relations Theory, Winnicott, Paul Gray, and Perversions. He has an interest in clinical process and teaches on the technique of close process attention. He has administered and been the clinical director of a variety of mental health clinics and counseling centers. He also has taught many classes on a variety of theoretical approaches to psychotherapy at Northwestern University's Family Institute.
- [Joanne Marengo](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/joanne-marengo/): I conducted the First Year Psychoanalytic Case Conference in the Psychoanalytic Education Program for a number of years. I also supervised trainee cases in the Adult Psychotherapy Program. As a faculty representative to the Chicago Institute's Board of Trustees and subsequently a Board appointed member of the Board of Trustees, I have served on the Board's Finance and Nomination Committees.
- [Mark Levey](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/mark-levey/): Mark teaches Advanced Technique in the Psychoanalytic Education Program. He also teaches dynamic psychotherapy to the Psychiatry Residents at Rush University Medical Center. He has written about technique and about therapeutic action. In the past he has taught psychiatric residents at Michael Reese Hospital and at the University of Illinois courses in comparative psychotherapeutic approaches. He has been a visiting lecturer at the Pittsburg Psychoanalytic Institute. He currently supervises both psychoanalytic candidates and psychiatric residents. He is in private practice with two days in the Loop, and one day in Northbrook and two days virtually from home. He is not taking new patients.
- [Elizabeth Lennihan](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/elizabeth-lennihan/): Elizabeth Lennihan LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in the psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis of adults. She has over thirty years of experience as a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst. She maintains private practice offices in Chicago and Milwaukee.
- [Phil Lebovitz](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/phil-lebovitz/): Dr. Lebovitz teaches a course titled Assessment of Change in the Psychoanalytic Process, is interested in clinical research on the process of change, maintains a focus on artistic creativity as well as on the integration of psychopharmacology and psychoanalysis. He also values supervising psychoanalytic candidates while participating a variety of study groups and seminars. Dr. Lebovitz is an active member of the Center for Psychoanalytic Study which meets twice yearly. He maintains an ongoing interest in the consultative activity that psychoanalytic Institutes occasionally request.
- [Nancy Lawrenz](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/nancy-lawrenz/): Dr. Lawrenz has regularly enjoyed teaching the Advanced Case Conference in the Core Program. She is currently on the Faculty Affairs Committee and in the past has served on the Admissions Committee and the Evaluation of Learning Committee. She has supervised in the Adult Psychotherapy Program and also was Director of the Exploring Psychoanalysis Program where she enjoyed enhancing and expanding young professionals interest in Psychoanalysis.
- [Marshall Kordon](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/marshall-kordon/): Marshall Kordon PsyD is a Training and Supervising Analyst who specializes in child, adolescent and adult psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. Dr. Kordon has taught a number of courses including Clinical Approach to the Patient”, Psychoanalytic Writing , Colloquium Class and Child and Adolescent Case Seminar.
- [Norman Kohn](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/norman-kohn/): Dr. Kohn’s practice includes psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. He draws as needed on a deep background in the related fields of medicine, neurology, pharmacology, group relations and systems theory. Additionally, he provides consultation to businesses and organizations, and medicolegal consultation to parties in litigation. He considers it in the best analytic tradition to approach each situation as new and unique.
- [David Solomon](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/david-solomon/): David Solomon MD practices psychiatry and psychoanalysis and is a supervising analyst at the Institute. As a solution-focused therapist, Dr. Solomon’s goal is to help patients uncover their true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. He has taught the Institute's Self Psychology course and has chaired the Self Psychology seminar.
- [Brenda Rae Clorfene Solomon](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/brenda-rae-clorfene-solomon/): 1996 -Training and Supervising Analyst Taught Ethics and Psychoanalysis: a required course for 20 years. Served as Head of Admissions as well as Head of Ethics Committee Frequent analyst teaching case conferences. Currently, co-chair of Admissions Committee and supervising candidates Consultant on Retirement Instructor in: a required course: Self Psychology
- [Mark Solms](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/mark-solms/): Mark Solms PhD is a psychoanalyst and neuropsychologist.
- [Ruth Hedvat Shorr](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/ruth-hedvat-shorr/): Ruth is a psychoanalyst and psychotherapist working with adults, older adults and couples. Ruth works with the LGBTQ community, people in academia, writers and people in the arts. Ruth’s areas of interest include cross-culture, cross-generational trauma, conflicts, creativity blocks, performance and achievement anxiety as well as midlife crisis, loss, separation and attachment difficulties. She focuses on self-esteem and enhancing relationships. Ruth is fluent in English and Hebrew and holds a degree in Judaic Studies.
- [R. Dennis Shelby](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/r-dennis-shelby/): Dennis has a long instrest in psychoanalysis and gay men, gender and sexuality, the history of psychoanalytic ideas and psychoanaytic understanding of war trauma. He has a deep interest in distance education and the develpment of psychoanalysis in China and the Middle East. Dennis is co-chair of the APSA Distance Education Study Group and the Distance Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Discussion Group. As a past member of the APSA Board of Directors he has long advocated for international distance candidates and graduates.
- [Peter Shabad](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/peter-shabad/): Peter Shabad, PhD is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern University Medical School. He is on the Teaching and Supervising Faculty of the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis and he is on the Faculty of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. He is also Supervising and Training Analyst at the Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis. He is an Associate Editor on the Editorial Board of Psychoanalytic Dialogues. Dr. Shabad is co-editor of The Problem of Loss and Mourning: Psychoanalytic Perspectives (IUP, 1989) and is the author of Despair and the Return of Hope: Echoes of Mourning in Psychotherapy (Aronson, 2001). He is the author of numerous papers and book chapters on diverse topics such as the psychological implications of death, loss and mourning, giving and receiving, shame, parental envy, resentment, spite, and regret. Dr. Shabad’s new book Passion, Shame, and The Freedom To Become: Seizing The Vital Moment In Psychoanalysis (2025) has just been published by Routledge.
- [Wendy Selene](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/wendy-selene/): Wendy Selene PhD, LCSW is the Dean of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. She has served as the Institute’s Director of Conferences and Continuing Education and is a member of the Institute’s Psychoanalytic Education faculty. Dr. Selene maintains a private practice in Evanston, IL where she offers psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Special interests include early and young adult parent loss, trauma and blocked mourning. 
- [Jorge Schneider](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/jorge-schneider/): Dean Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute 1990-1996 - Board Certifications: Psychiatry 1970 - Psychoanalysis: 1976. Past President Chicago Psychoanalytic Society - Past President Chicago Society for Adolescent Psychiatry- APSA Site Visits: Seattle, Denver, San Diego, Boston, Baltimore - IPA: Bogota, Colombia, Monterrey, Mexico - APSA Fellow Board of Professional Standards IPA Chairman Committee on Elections-Psychoanalytic Training Experience and Postgraduate Professional Development INT.J. Psychoanal. (2014)
- [Anne Schlachter](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/anne-schlachter/): Taught core courses on British Object Relations Theory with a special focus on Melanie Klein and the post- Kleinians with a particular interest in Bion. Served on the Curriculum committee over an extended period and on the Progression committee. Supervision of trainee therapists In the clinic Mentoring of Institute interns.
- [Kate Schechter](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/kate-schechter/): Kate Schechter, Ph.D., is a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Chicago Institute. She is a psychoanalyst, psychotherapist and medical anthropologist with over twenty five years of clinical, research, and teaching experience in the Chicago community and internationally. Dr. Schechter has a private psychotherapy and consultation practice in Chicago, Northampton MA, and NYC, where she works with individuals, couples, and families.
- [Laurie Kenfield](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/laurie-kenfield/): Laurie Kenfield MD offers psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, medication management and consultation with mental health professionals in her clinical practice. She works with adults and adolescents.
- [Adele Kaufman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/adele-kaufman/): Adele Kaufman LCSW, BCD is a Training and Supervising Analyst and Child Supervising Analyst. She maintains a practice for child, adolescent and adult psychoanalysis and psychotherapy and parent consultation.
- [Ann Kaplan](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/ann-kaplan/): Ann teaches primarily on the Object Relations courses, with special focus on Melanie Klein and the Contemporary Kleinians of London plus some lectures on Development, on Freud, and Clinical Child and Adolescent Analysis and Infant Observation.
- [Gary Kamen](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/gary-kamen/): Gary Kamen,Ph.D. has taught courses on Freud, and termination in psychoanalysis. He has also taught courses in psychoanalytic couples and family therapy and is interested in self-psychology and its application in psychoanalysis. He has also supervised individuals and groups in both The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and The Family Institute at Northwestern.
- [Holly Johnston](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/mary-hollis-holly-johnston/): Holly's clinical practice has included parent-infant psychotherapy, floortime (DIR) therapy with young neurodivergent children and their parents, psycnological testing of children and adults, consultation to Head Start and preschool programs, along with analytic treatment of children and adults. She has taught writing of clinical reports, child analytic technique, and object relations theory with a specific focus on Donald Winnicott and the Independents. Research and clinical interests have been in severe developmental disturbances, including schizophrenia, bipolar, and autistic disorders.
- [Neal Spira](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/neal-spira/): Neal Spira has been on the faculty of CPI since his graduation in 2000. He has taught widely across programs including Exploring Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy and the PEP program. Along with colleagues Leo Weinstein and Eric Schmidt he developed the Fundamentals Program, where he taught introductory technique and essential psychoanalytic concepts. Dr. Spira has published on a number of applied psychoanalytic topics including child maltreatment, social justice and the interface between psychoanalysis and politics. His current interests are in psychosomatics and in integrating psychoanalysis with the ongoing work in psychedelic medicine.
- [Bhaskar Sripada](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/bhaskar-sripada/): Bhaskar Sripada MD has led a number of case conferences in the Institute’s educational programs over the years. He is also the Medical Director of the Beacon Therapeutic Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, which provides psychiatric consultations for several shelter programs for homeless mothers and children. Dr. Sripada serves as consultant to the Center’s intensive outpatient program for children between the ages of three and six and conducts clinical staff in-service and development programming.
- [Christine Sterkel](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/christine-sterkel/): I am interested in making meaning of life experience. I prioritize depth and curiosity, self awareness and reflective thinking. I particularly appreciate art, classics, poetry, and humor. I have experience in trauma, anxiety conditions, grief, loss, gender and sexuality. I am drawn to work with challeneges involving parenting and fertility. I welcome people intrested in creating an authentic and generative life for themselves and their community. I enjoy teaching, supervising, and mentorship. I recognize that in this field I am also lucky enough to be a lifelong student, too. My writing and teaching includes Freud, Winnicott, Ogden, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Plato, Art for the inside out, Films, dreams, and gender. It moves me to facilitate a more cogent and compassionate understanding of one's own story. I believe in accountability and kindness. I entered this field because I find humanities and medicine equally compelling. I am preoccupied with myth, storytelling, and metaphor.
- [Jeffrey Stern](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/jeffrey-stern/): Affiliations:Jeffrey Stern PhD has served as President of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Society, Associate Editor of the Annual of Psychoanalysis and Visiting Professor of Psychoanalysis at Wuhan University in China. He writes on psychoanalysis, literature and film. In 2017, he gave a talk entitled, ”Shakespearean Royal Road to Psychoanalysis,” as part of the Institute’s Psychoanalysis Today lecture series.
- [Frank Summers](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/frank-summers/): Frank Summers PhD, ABPP maintains a private practice in Chicago, Illinois. His practice consists of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy, consultation, supervision and study groups. Areas of specialization include depression, anxiety, identity confusion, relationship difficulties, problems of unfulfilled potential and the application of psychoanalytic therapy to severe emotional disturbance.
- [Rita Sussman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/rita-sussman/): Rita Sussman PhD is a psychologist who works with children, adolescents and adults of diverse ethnicities, nationalities and religion to lessen depression and anxiety, gain emotional strength and work through problems at home and at work.
- [David Terman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/david-terman/): David Terman MD began his practice in psychiatry and psychoanalysis in 1963 and has been a Training and Supervising Analyst since 1979. He is currently retired from clinical practice. Though he is emeritus, Dr. Terman continues to supervise and teach at the Institute. He is a Past President of the Institute.
- [Charles Jaffe](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/charles-jaffe/): Charles M. Jaffe MD is a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Institute. His areas of interest include couple therapy and adolescence in addition to psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy.
- [Christine Jacobek](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/christine-jacobek/): Christine Jacobek PsyD is a psychologist.
- [Paul Holinger, MD, MPH](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/paul-holinger/): Paul C. Holinger, MD, MPH
- [Dorothy Grunes](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/dorothy-grunes/): Dorothy Grunes MD practices psychiatry and psychoanalysis. She believes that, as a general theory of individual human behavior and experience, psychoanalytic ideas enrich and are enriched by the study of the biological and social sciences, group behavior, history, philosophy, art, and literature. As a developmental theory, psychoanalysis contributes to child psychology, education, law, and family studies. Through its examination of the complex relationship between body and mind, psychoanalysis also furthers our understanding of the role of emotions in health as well as in medical illness. 
- [Michael Grover](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/michael-grover/): After obtaining my medical degree at McGill University in 1982, I interned in Montreal in internal medicine before coming to the University of Chicago to complete my residency in general psychiatry and then a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry in 1990. I am boarded in both Child and Adult psychiatry by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry. I subsequently trained at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute in adult and child psychoanalysis, graduating in 2000. I have been on the faculty of both the adult psychoanalytic training program as well as the child psychotherapy training program ever since, joining the child psychoanalytic faculty in 2009. In the past few years I became a supervising analyst. I have taught courses in Fantasy and Dreams, Winnicott, Transference-Countertransference and Clinical Case Conferences, during my time as a faculty member. I have a particular interest in studying films from a psychoanalytic perspective and was a regular contributor to Cinema on the Couch.
- [Jesse Viner](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/jesse-viner/): Dr. Viner is active Faculty at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute contributing in the following ways:
- [Leo S. Weinstein](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/leo-s-weinstein/): Dr. Weinstein teaches courses on Freud, Ego Psychology and Modern Conflict Theory. In addition to serving on multiple committees, he has previously served as Associate Dean and as Director of Clinical Services. He is also on the the Board of Trustees, where he is a member of the Executive Committee.
- [Neurine Wiggin](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/neurine-wiggin/): I supervise candidates in both the United States and China. My clinical interests are in treating creative patients and understanding narcissistic and dissociative patient presentations. I am also interested in cross-cultural learning and treatments. I have written papers on the Irreducible Self-Object in the treatment of artists, and the Non-human self-object.
- [James Wilson](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/james-wilson/): James Wilson MD teaches the Institute’s Second-Year Technique course along with Laurie Kenfield MD. He has also taught a 3-quarter course: “The Opening Phase of the Psychoanalytic Process: Basic Concepts and Fundamental Principles from 1996 to the present.”
- [Molly Witten](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/molly-witten/): As a practicing psychoanalyst my activities include Adult & Child Psychoanalysis, Psychoanalytic psychotherapy, Infant Mental Health supervision, psychoanalytic supervision, associate editorship for the Journal of Psychoanalysis Self and Context and teaching courses on development generally and development of the self throughout the lifespan. I have provided consultation to both the legal and criminal justice systems regarding the needs of infants and young children.
- [Ruth Yanagi](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/ruth-yanagi/): Ruth Yanagi MD is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst and serves as a Training and Supervising Analyst and Chair of the Institute's Training Analyst Committee.
- [James Grabowski](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/james-grabowski/): James Grabowsi MA, LCPC is an Instructor and Supervisor for Child Psychotherapy students. He is particularly interested in the areas of parenting support, early child development and adults’ difficulties achieving their potential in areas of business and the arts.
- [Prudence Gourguechon](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/prudence-gourguechon/): Now fully retired after a long clinical and organizational career, Prudy has pursued an interest in applying psychoanalytic thinking to problems people experience outside the clinical setting. As part of her work as a business consultant, she has written two books for the public, one on psychological aspects of investing and one on essential psychological capacities for competent leadership. Her model of leadership competencies combined psychoanalytic principles with the U.S.Army's leadership guidelines, creating a unique model of leadership assessment and development. She has also enjoyed working as an expert witness in civil litigation. Her own leadership positions included Dean of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, Secretary of the American Psychoanalytic Association and President of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA). She established and led numerous APsA committees and programs including the 10,000 minds initiative, the Service Members and veterans Initiative and the Social Issues Department. She also served as the editor of The American Psychoanalyst, the newsletter of APsA.
- [Diana Goldman de Zocchi](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/diana-goldman-de-zocchi/): Diana Goldman de Zocchi MA, LCPC has over 30 years of clinical experience in both individual and couple therapy/counseling in three different countries: Argentina, Spain and the United States and more than 10 years of experience in teaching and supervision of postgraduate trainees. She currently supervises fellow colleagues in private practice. Areas of special interest include trauma and immigration. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
- [Edward Goldfarb](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/edward-goldfarb/): Edward Goldfarb MD is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. In his clinical work and teaching, he tailors his approach to the individual patient and their needs. He believes that a person needs to be able to talk things over in a safe and private atmosphere, and that understanding yourself can help you unlock your creative potential. Dr. Goldfarb is a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Institute.
- [Dale Gody](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/dale-gody/): Relational psychoanalysis and advanced relational theory, case report writing, supervision and psychoanalysis with candidates. Special interests include two person models of mind, feminism, enactment, relationship problems, mother daughter relationships, gender and sexualities, intersection of the arts, politics, and psychoanalysis, poetry and case writing. Invested in the growth of patients, helping people to understand themselves and become the people they want to become.
- [William Gieseke](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/william-gieseke/): William Gieseke, LCPC, is a member of the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program who has taught development courses, including the development course in the Fundamentals Year. I have taught child, adolescent, and adult development courses. In addition, I have taught classes in clinical process and clinical supervision while on the faculty. My clinical interests are children of divorced parents and children with neurocognitive challenges.
- [Robert Galatzer-Levy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/robert-galatzer-levy/): Robert Galatzer-Levy MD sees children, adolescents and adults in his psychoanalysis an psychotherapy practice.
- [Lucy Freund](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/lucy-freund/): Lucy Freund PhD has been in private practice since 1976.
- [Candace Fleischmann](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/candace-fleischmann/): Candace Fleischmann LCSW is a Training and Supervising Analyst in private practice in Highland Park. She sees adults for both psychoanalysis and psychotherapy and works psychoanalytically with couples. Formerly Associate Dean and Chair of the Faculty Appointment Committee, she currently teaches in the Psychoanalytic Education Program.
- [Steven Flagel](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/steven-flagel/): Steven Flagel MD has a practice in psychiatry and psychoanalysis in Chicago. At the Institute, he served for many years as Chair of the Admissions Committee and was a member of the Psychoanalytic Education Council.  He is currently an elected member of the Faculty Senate.
- [Elizabeth Feldman](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/elizabeth-feldman/): Elizabeth Feldman, Ph.D is a psychologist and psychoanalyst with a private practice in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy for adults and consultation to therapists in Northfield, IL. She serves as Co-Director of the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program. Dr. Feldman teaches courses on Self Psychology and co-teaches the Writing I Seminar for Case Report Writing. Interests include clinical applications of Self Psychological theory and photography. Dr. Feldman is a Training and Supervising Analyst.
- [Stephanie Fariss](https://chicagoanalysis.org/faculty/stephanie-fariss/): Stephanie Fariss JD, LCSW joined the Institute faculty, following her graduation from the Psychoanalytic Education Program. She previously served as President of the Candidates’ Association and Candidate Representative to the Institute’s Education Council and Board of Trustees.

## Therapists
- [Seth Alexander](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/seth-alexander/): We share a need to make meaning of our lives, yet at times our attempts to do so break down. You may feel stuck or lost—like things don’t make sense. You may find yourself living at odds with what you value, or feel that your experience is pervaded by a profound sense of absence. In these moments, it is natural to feel adrift—to feel as if you were a stranger in your own life.
- [Alyssa Masline, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/alyssa-masline-lcsw/): I believe that, at its core, therapy is about feeling truly seen and understood. It’s a space to slow down, be curious about yourself, and explore the experiences that have shaped you. My hope is that through this process, you can develop a deeper understanding of yourself and feel more able to move through life with greater clarity and freedom.
- [Adam Rothbarth](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/adam-rothbarth/): Developing a sense of the kind of life you want to lead is one of the great tasks of being human. Psychotherapy can help us explore that question for ourselves, giving us the opportunity to overcome the obstacles preventing us from truly leading our own lives. Through discussing current challenges, past experiences, and the powerful emotions that can arise from simply living in the world today, we’ll work to understand the patterns shaping your life with the goal of making real, meaningful changes where you can—and learning to cope better with what you can’t.
- [Kenzie Godinez, LSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/kenzie-godinez-lsw/): I offer a steady, gentle, and curious presence, supporting the exploration of your singular experience. Together, we can give language to what has remained hidden, uncovering the patterns that shape your inner life and relationships. I believe that by experiencing more of yourself, suffering can lessen, and something new can emerge. Through this practice a fuller, richer experience of life and connection becomes possible.
- [Laura Mulcahy](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/laura-mulcahy/): I work with children, adolescents, and adults. I enjoy play therapy and working with families. I have a background in education and child development, and appreciate the unique therapeutic experience of working with children.
- [Bridget Kingston](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/bridget-kingston/): Many people seek therapy because they have a desire to change or liberate something in their lives. Psychoanalytic therapy invites exploration of unconscious processes in conversation with present-day suffering and stress. My approach is warm, curious, and attentive to the intersecting and sometimes contradictory realities that shape our sense of self and the world. My background as a dancer lends a somatically attuned perspective to the psychoanalytic process.
- [Ana Porta, MA](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/ana-porta-ma/): My approach is rooted first and foremost in curiosity. Life is a series of beginnings, endings, transitions, and losses. Some of these experiences have likely been quite painful and inhibited growth. My interest lies in psychic and bodily expressions of conflict and suffering. With a background in the arts, I work creatively and collaboratively with my clients to find dynamic movement through free-play of ideas.
- [Dennis Clotworthy MA, MBA, CGMA, ALMFT](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/dennis-clotworthy-ma-mba-cgma-almft/): If you are reading this, something has likely been weighing on you for some time. You may feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure why certain patterns in your life or relationships keep repeating. You may come with a clear concern, something harder to articulate, or simply a sense that something does not feel right, even when life appears fine on the surface.
- [Sinem Camlica](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/sinem-camlica/): The first step in overcoming problems is to understand their causes. I believe therapy provides a space for us to work through thoughts and struggles that are overlooked by the intense demands of everyday life tasks. It might feel strange to think about going to an office to meet a stranger and talk through thoughts or experiences you might not have shared with anyone, even yourself. I believe we all need someone to listen to our raw, unfiltered thoughts. In a noisy, chaotic world where hearing your own voice seems impossible, we can create a space together where your stories will be heard and curiously explored.
- [Jake Rohde, LSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/jake-rohde-lsw/): I practice using a psychodynamic approach because I believe everyone deserves the opportunity for self-discovery, empowerment, and transformation. This work begins when a person follows the quiet inner voice that longs for something different from the patterns they find themselves in. I am honored to walk alongside people as they courageously pursue this uncertain path.
- [East (Peiyu) Li](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/east-peiyu-li/): Our hearts hold many emotions, and sometimes they can feel too heavy to carry alone. You don’t have to go through those moments by yourself — if you’re willing, let me walk alongside you as we gently explore what lies within and make sense of your inner world together.
- [Talia Reo](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/talia-reo/): Psychoanalytically informed practice privileges the consideration of unconscious mechanisms and the legacies of lived experiences. Through the use of psychodynamic psychotherapy, we are tasked with collaborating in working to realize that which lays latent, offering relief to suffering. Deep understanding of desire and patterns, such as through the study of dreams, fantasies, memories, helps to elucidate the meaning of our symptoms, with respect to relational and interpersonal contexts. Ultimately, we shall achieve greater acceptance of our existential condition, thereby changing one’s relationship to suffering.
- [Sandy Davidson](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/sandy-davidson/): I am now doing the work I have always wanted to: I have re-entered the workforce as a psychotherapist to help you during a difficult period in your life. This is achieved by providing a period of supportive and empathic psychotherapy to share things you may otherwise not be comfortable disclosing. Therapy will provide a physical and emotional space where you are listened to carefully, seen, and heard in a safe, confidential, non-judgmental way. Together, we will begin to construct your unique history and story to gain a deeper understanding of your current situation. This understanding can help to relieve mental pain, anxiety, and depression. Psychotherapy can also serve as a space to gain new insights through sensitive, thoughtful conversations about your emotional, psychological, or relational problems that cause suffering. This provides an opportunity to review, reflect, and begin to understand why you feel the way you do. My life experiences have given me a unique perspective on various types of relationships and challenges. I have learned how to navigate conflicts, competing obligations, career changes, transitional periods when personal goals or ambitions shift, and how to manage and work through grief. If my approach resonates with you, please reach out to schedule an appointment or consultation.
- [José Antonio Hernández Zeind, LCPC](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/jose-antonio-hernandez-zeind/): I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, a graduate of the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, and I am currently pursuing a doctorate in Psychoanalysis. My background includes work in diverse schools, hospitals, and universities across Mexico and the U.S., where I have evaluated and supported children, adolescents, and adults through both clinical care and psychosocial research. I work from a place of curiosity, authenticity, and respect, offering a warm, thoughtful, and collaborative space where we can explore what’s happening beneath the surface. My therapeutic approach is psychodynamic, with a strong focus on the therapeutic relationship as a key part of the process. Together, we will explore your emotions, relationships, and life experiences in meaningful ways that support growth, insight, and deeper self-understanding. I am currently accepting new clients. If you are considering therapy, I warmly welcome you to submit an inquiry to get in touch with the Treatment Center team.
- [Joseph Anderson, MA, ABD](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/joseph-anderson/): Psychological distress and symptoms are meaningful and rooted in one's distinctive experience and situation. I offer a space where you can speak freely in order to examine, explore, and better understand yourself and the ways in which things have gone awry. By working through your underlying issues and conflicts in a collaborative therapeutic relationship, new possibilities of relating to yourself and others might emerge. Psychotherapy aims for lasting change that decreases distress and increases one's capacity to love, work, and live more fully.
- [Alexander Bleiberg](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/alexander-bleiberg/): Many people enter therapy because they have noticed patterns in their life that they would like to change. I believe we can change the patterns that keep us stuck when we develop a more compassionate understanding of where they came from. In our work together, I am committed to building a safe, collaborative, and caring space where we can explore current experiences and their connection to past events, family history, and important early relationships. Therapy works by helping us encounter ourselves with curiosity and kindness: it is by learning about ourselves that we grow. I come to therapy with a background in qualitative research and an interest in working with people to help them tell their stories. I believe that self-discovery takes place most powerfully in the context of empathic and non-judgmental relationships, and that the therapeutic partnership can be an especially important avenue for this work. I am currently accepting new patients.
- [Yesha Shukla, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/yesha-shukla/): I specialize in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, a form of talk therapy that aims at understanding long-standing patterns and facilitating deep change. In our work, we will create a unique language for your struggles and, over time, learn together about the parts of you that may have been foreclosed in order to navigate life’s challenges. We will work to bridge the gap between how you see yourself and who you would like to be; this is a rich, dynamic process that promotes a sense of inner vibrancy, freedom, and relief from emotional pain.
- [Jason B. Rosenthal, JD, LSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/jason-rosenthal/): My concentration is in the area of grief and loss. I work with children, adolescents and adults to guide them through the complexities of grief and loss. I support patients with their grief as they navigate the complex feelings associated with the loss in a safe and supportive space. My goal is to help my clients adjust to life without their loved one or the loss they have endured in their life. I utilize grief interventions to encourage patients to move towards re-engagement into life while maintaining a lasting connection with their missing loved one or absence from their loss. My goal is to help others find meaning, healing and resilience. Included in my practice is coping with loss and grief in parents, spouses, children and adolescents; grief and loss in the context of relationships (e.g., romantic relationships, friendships, family relationships); and grief and loss in the context of major life transitions (e.g., divorce, job loss, retirement, pet loss, business and personal losses).
- [Alyssa Masline, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/alyssa-masline-mswacs-cgs-cacs/): I completed a fellowship in psychodynamic therapy at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and bring this depth-oriented perspective into my sessions. In addition to insight oriented therapy, I have an educational background in development, psychology, and social work. 
- [Sharon Williams, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/sharon-williams-lcswacs/): I have been a psychotherapist with Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute for the past 35 years and the Barr Harris Children’s Grief Center for the past 29 years. I work with Adults experiencing a wide range of issues; helping them explore their emotions, relationships, working through challenging, complex experiences, and achieving greater self understanding. I have treated children from age 3 through young adult as well as their parents or caretakers. I have worked with children experiencing a variety of types of loss such as death of a family member (or friend, teacher, other significant person), children who have experienced traumatic loss such as homicide or suicide, children whose parents are divorcing, children who have been placed in the foster care system or have been adopted, children who have been separated from a parent who was incarcerated, children who have been separated from a parent who was deported and children who are experiencing the terminal illness of a family member. My approach with children is to utilize play therapy as a means for the child to express their many complicated feelings. I help facilitate the mourning process with the child at their own pace and as they are able to tolerate and express their difficult feelings. I developed an intern program for students in Clinical graduate programs 20 years ago. Additionally, I provide workshops and seminars on trauma and loss in a variety of professional settings.
- [Maria Springer, LPC](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/maria-springer-lpc-acs/): I work with individuals working through experiences of trauma, with individuals dealing with anxiety, with struggles around parenting, and with career difficulties.  I believe in the power of listening to those experiences and struggles, and to ensuring that individuals are empowered to find the solutions that will work best for them.  For me, psychotherapy is at best a collaborative enterprise, as I am not an expert on anyone.  Psychotherapy is the process of each person getting to know themselves and to make decisions on the basis of that self-knowledge.  I work with people of all ages and backgrounds and have a special interest in working with people from different countries and cultures, as I myself grew up in the Middle East.  I am the daughter of am American Foreign Service officer.  Being a psychotherapist is a second career for me, as I worked as an international economist in Washington, D.C. in the past.  
- [Johanna Sonnenfeld, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/johanna-sonnenfeld-lcsw-cgs/): I am an LCSW, graduate of the University of Chicago Masters Program in clinical social work. I also attended the four year program at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, "Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Program." In addition, I completed the University of Chicago's "The Social Work with Older Adults Program." I have extensive experience in treating both children and adults who have suffered a loss. My focus now is on adults. Adults who are having difficulty with the loss of a loved one; having trouble accepting the aging process; and may find life depressing and/or anxiety provoking. There may be difficulties from your past that are affecting the present, patterns you may want to stop repeating with yourself or in relationships. Understanding how your past affects the now can be very helpful to resolve current problems. I offer a safe and nurturing space for you to explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Together, we will work to gain and understanding of the underlying patterns and dynamics that have shaped your life. I am currently accepting a limited number of new clients. I can work on line and some in-person.
- [Aileen Schloerb, PhD, MSW, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/aileen-schloerb-lcsw-si-cacs/): Aileen Schloerb PhD LCSW has worked with the Schools Initiative of CPI since 2008 serving at various times as director of the Englewood Project, clinician, and clinical consultant to this project mandated to work with children, families, and communities exposed to structural violence in urban neighborhoods. She also serves as a clinician and supervisor for work done in CPI’s Treatment Center with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Having previously worked abroad with humanitarian and human rights organizations serving international populations, she is interested in the applications and renewal of psychoanalysis to meet the current challenges facing the human condition.
- [Tina Louie, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/tina-louie-lcsw-si/): After completing my MSW and MPH degrees at Tulane University in New Orleans, I began my social work career as a social worker specializing in maternal and child health. Working at the height of pediatric HIV, I supported families in the New Orleans and Boston areas who were dealing with the impact of living with HIV/AIDS. Over the years, my professional focus shifted to another public health concern, the impact of community violence. Working within the School Initiatives (formerly known as the Englewood Project), I began to work in multiple schools supporting elementary school age children who had been exposed to community violence. Over the past 10 years, I have provide growth groups for those who are living with this trauma on a day to day basis. Trauma and experiences of grief and loss remain the focus of our groups. Supporting children as they continue to explore their growth within this turbulent community within the school environment, remains my focus.
- [Kaitlin Carrig, LCSW](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/kaitlin-carrig-lsw-cacs/): For some, the idea of therapy can be intimidating. I strive to create an environment that is safe and welcoming where those I see feel empowered to express and explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences which can give insight into behaviors and patterns. For most children, this is done through play therapy, utilizing the natural medium of play as a way for children to express themselves. I meet each individual where they are and adjust my approach to meet the needs that they express, whether verbally or nonverbally. Therapy is collaborative and I find engaging with the family to support the child to be an important part of the process as well when possible.I work with individuals who are experiencing or looking for support with anxiety, depression, grief, loss, life-transitions, relationships, mood, identity, trauma, self-esteem and parenting. I am also passionate about bringing services into the community and help to coordinate the Treatment Center’s partnerships with schools and organizations across Chicago.
- [Nina Bednarz, LPC](https://chicagoanalysis.org/therapist/nina-bednarz-lpc-acs/): I'm a psychodynamic based therapist and work with adults who find themselves suffering from anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, and relational difficulties. I find that the process of learning to accept all parts of oneself, including parts that we may hold shame towards, is key in achieving liberation from maladaptive ways of coping and relating to others. I have a specific clinical focus in earlier complex childhood experiences and familial distress; although our survival strategies may have helped us through extremely overwhelming and difficult situations, those same patterns can manifest in unhealthy ways that are no longer serving us well. Trust is not only an essential experience of the human condition, but an essential part of existing in relationships, including the relationship with oneself. The ultimate goal is to grow your sense of self and trust in your identity, intuition, and internal sense of security. I look forward to hearing from you.

## Events
- [Institute Symposium – When the Analytic Field Becomes a Minefield: Analyzing in the Post-9/11 Era](https://chicagoanalysis.org/event/institute-symposium-when-the-analytic-field-becomes-a-minefield-analyzing-in-the-post-9-11-era/): Wednesday, October 28th, 2026 @ 1:00pm - 2:14pm CT
- [War, Immortality, and the Idea of Home in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey](https://chicagoanalysis.org/event/war-immortality-and-the-idea-of-home/): Friday, November 6, 2026 @ 5:00pm - 8:00pm CT
- [Emotion in Jung’s Clinical Perceptions and Contemporary Neurosciences](https://chicagoanalysis.org/event/emotion-in-jungs-clinical-perceptions-and-contemporary-neurosciences/): Saturday November 7, 2026 @ 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CT
- [Panic Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training](https://chicagoanalysis.org/event/panic-focused-psychodynamic-psychotherapy-training/): Monday, November 9, 2026, 9:00am to 4:30pm
Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 8:30am to 3:30pm
- [Unlocking Minds: Dive Into The Racial Unconscious](https://chicagoanalysis.org/event/unlocking-minds-dive-into-the-racial-unconscious/): Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 9:00am - 1:00pm CT
- [Bridging Minds: The Life and Legacy of Rostam](https://chicagoanalysis.org/event/bridging-minds-the-life-and-legacy-of-rostam/): Friday, January 15, 2027 @ 11:30 am CT
- [Canvas of the Mind 2027 Gala](https://chicagoanalysis.org/event/canvas-of-the-mind-2027/): Canvas of the Mind returns for our 2027 Gala! Please mark your calendars for an evening of art, conversation, and community in support of CPI. More details coming soon!

## Listing Items/Components
- [Faculty Card](https://chicagoanalysis.org/?jet-engine=faculty-card): View Profile
- [Therapists Card](https://chicagoanalysis.org/?jet-engine=therapists-card): ma, mss Visit Profile