On Being and Becoming a Psychoanalyst Director

Bibliographic Data

ID7982848
AuthorsCatherine Rising Kimble (corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume45
Issue2
Pages188-201
Publication date2025-02-07
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychoanalytic Inquiry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0735-1690 • E-ISSN: 1940-9133
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/07351690.2025.2463833
OpenAlexW4409313575
LanguageEN
References cited11

A new position of Psychoanalyst Director was created at The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (BPSI), at a time of turmoil that catalyzed a period of organizational growth and change. I describe aspects of being a Director through the lens of my experience as the first psychoanalyst to hold the position at BPSI. I focus on a formative time before the role was created, where I learned the foundations of a Director role and ways of helping a psychoanalytic group change, move through polarizations to develop consensus, and work creatively. I then describe aspects of being a Director, including working as part of a leadership team, learning to be a transference figure, and serving the work of psychoanalytic education as an internal consultant. I highlight ways of leading that helped create an effective psychoanalytic organization focused on rigorous education, new initiatives, and a culture of psychoanalytic generativity

Psychoanalysis · Psychoanalytic theory · Psychotherapist · Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications · Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy

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