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Director's Statement

by David M. Terman, MD

David Terman, MD, Director Welcome to the website of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. As you peruse our site, you will discover that we have an exciting array of professional training curricula, community programs, clinical services, and adult education activities. Founded in 1932 by Franz Alexander, the Chicago Institute has been and remains one of the most distinguished and innovative institutes in the country. Our long and illustrious history includes such leaders in psychoanalytic thought and education as Karl Menninger, Karen Horney, Therese Benedek, Roy Grinker, Maxwell Gitelson, Louis Shapiro, and Heinz Kohut. We have also trained leaders from allied social sciences: John and Virginia Demos, Robert Levine, and Waud Kracke (all from anthropology), Marvin Zonis (from sociology), and Charles Strozier (from history).

Throughout its history, analysts at the Chicago Institute have proposed creative analytic ideas and have tried different therapeutic models. Some of these ideas seemed revolutionary at the time of their conception but since then have become solid parts of the psychoanalytic corpus. Others have proven to be incorrect. We are proud of both, for only by being free to make mistakes can one be creative.

We are privileged to work in what some would term the human soul. We explore the depths of human experience with our unique tools, and we apply that knowledge to many forms of therapy in increasingly diverse social contexts. So please explore our world, and participate with us as student, patient, curious layman, or benefactor. We welcome all forms of participation, and if you have questions that our website has not answered, please call or email us. Someone will respond.