American Psychiatric Association 2025 Annual Meeting

, will be presenting and the Austen Riggs Center will be exhibiting at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2025 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA. 

; and Director of the Therapeutic Community Program 

Join Riggs clinical staff members for a Psychiatric Professionals' Mixer on 

 (Lower La Casita). Hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served. 

Psychodynamic Psychopharmacology: Using Practical Psychodynamics to Understand and Address Pharmacologic Treatment-Resistance


Location: Room 153 B, Los Angeles Convention Center


Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Pacific) 

The Role of Photography in Promoting Mental Health Through Lifestyle and Patient Therapy


Chair: Josepha Cheong, MD
Presenters: Carlyle Hung-Lun Chan, MD; Mara Pheister, MD; 


Location: Room 402 A, Los Angeles Convention Center

Don’t Ask How - Ask Y! The Y model as an Integrated Framework for Teaching Psychotherapy Competencies


Chair: Matthew Robert Kelly, MD
Presenters: Alena Balasanova, MD, FAPA; Anne Ruble, MD, MPH; 


Location: Room 406 A, Los Angeles Convention Center

APA Psychotherapy Caucus and the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry 2nd Annual Meet and Greet Mixer
f

1100 South Hope Street Los Angeles, CA 90015

Psychiatric Chronification: When the Patient’s Use of Medications Does not Promote Mental Health


Location: Room 409 AB, Los Angeles Convention Center

Responding to the Impact of Suicide on Clinicians


Location: Room 403 B, Los Angeles Convention Center

Psychopharmacology Master Class: The Art of Psychopharmacology


Presenter: Carl Salzman, MD
Location: Room 502 A, Los Angeles Convention Center

Beyond the Impasse: A Psychodynamic Perspective on the "Difficult" Patient


Location: Room 515 A, Los Angeles Convention Center

Dynamic Therapy with Self-Destructive Borderline Patients: An Alliance Based Intervention for Suicide


Location: Room 405, Los Angeles Convention Center

Visit the Austen Riggs Center (Booth #1000) during exhibit hall hours:

The Austen Riggs Center booth at the APA Annual Meeting.

Austen Riggs at the APA

Conferences

American Psychiatric Association's 2025 Annual Meeting Logo

2025 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting

Riggs staff members Marina Bayeva, MD, PhD; Samar Habl, MD; David Mintz, MD; Eric Plakun, MD; Erin Seery, MD; and Jane Tillman, PhD, ABPP, will be presenting at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2025 Annual Meeting.

This workshop is designed to strengthen participants’ ability to exercise leadership in a broad range of work roles through taking up a consultative stance. Participants learn to recognize the value of their inner experience - thoughts, feelings, associations, fantasies, daydreams, pre-occupations - and to articulate them to further the group’s purpose and task.

Educational Events

Leading From Experience: Developing the Consultative Stance

Riggs clinical staff Donna Elmendorf, PhD; Heather Forouhar, MD; Megan Kolano, PsyD, ABPP; and Vivian Chan, DO, MS, serve as faculty and administration for this upcoming workshop. 

Association for Psychosocial Studies (APS) logo

, present at the APS annual conference at St. Mary's University in London. 

 will present "Severance: A Capitalistic Tale of Technology Promoting Traumatic Splits and the Healing Power of Office Romance and Unions" on the panel: 

Severed Selves: Romance in the Gothic and Digital Ages

. She also will present "Age Against the Machine: Abject Revelation of the Feminine Midlife Crises in The Substance and Babygirl" on the panel: 

 will present "Crisis and Opportunity: The Death Drive Reformulated through Aulagnier’s Primal Layer of Experience" on the panel: 

. She will also present "Tales from the Dark Continent: Romance in the Gothic and Digital Ages" on the panel: 

. In addition, she is chair and presenter on the roundtable: 

Women in Leadership: Oxymoron or Redemption?

Annual Conference of the Association for Psychosocial Studies - Hope and Despair: Crisis and Opportunity logo.

Annual Conference of the Association for Psychosocial Studies - Hope and Despair: Crisis and Opportunity

Vivian Chan, DO, MS; and Marilyn Charles, PhD, ABPP, present at the APS annual conference at St. Mary's University in London. 

This presentation first explores key concepts from Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory of psychosis, highlighting its role as one of several ways humans navigate existential dilemmas such as sexuality and love. According to Lacan’s 1950s theory, psychosis arises when conventional frameworks for making sense of reality collapse due to the absence of the so-called Name-of-the-Father, the central organizing element of symbolically structured mental life. When life events bring existential dilemmas to the forefront, psychotic episodes may be triggered.

Building on this foundation, the talk examines how Lacan’s later works from the 1960s and 1970s—particularly his ideas on the fundamental non-rapport structuring mental life—further refine our understanding of psychotic experiences. Particular attention will be given to the role of creativity and invention in overcoming psychotic crises.

Finally, the implications of the Lacanian model of psychosis for clinical practice will be discussed, with a focus on ethical positioning, addressing the unconscious, handling transference, and navigating crisis and stability in psychosis.

Stijn Vanheule, PhD

Treating Psychosis Today: A Lacanian Perspective 

Stijn Vanheule, PhD, discusses the implications of the Lacanian model of psychosis for clinical practice, with a focus on ethical positioning, addressing the unconscious, handling transference, and navigating crisis and stability in psychosis.

The claim that Strachey ‘falsely scientized’ Freud, mainly through the translation of his technical vocabulary, is the red thread that runs through all the major criticisms of the Standard Edition (e.g. Bettelheim, Ornston, Laplanche). In this lecture, professor Solms argues against this criticism on three grounds. (1) It fails to take account of the differing conventions employed in German and English scientific writing. (2) It fails to take account of Freud’s personal involvement in Strachey’s choices. (3) It fails to consider continuities between Freud’s neuroscientific and psychoanalytic writings. These points will be illustrated by way of representative examples. Professor Solms will also take the opportunity to describe and defend other editorial policy decisions that he took, and will provide a general introduction to the form and content of the Revised Standard Edition.

Mark Solms

A Rapaport-Klein Study Group Presentation: Did Strachey Falsely Scientize Freud?

Professor Solms argues against the claim that Strachey ‘falsely scientized’ Freud.

Gould Farm & Ellenhorn roundtable retreat main image

Hosted by Ellenhorn & Gould Farm | With presentations from Ellenhorn, Gould Farm, The Austen Riggs Center, and Windhorse Integrative Mental Health

Join us for an enriching retreat focused on humanistic approaches to psychosis care, bringing together leaders in clinical treatment, advocates, and individuals with lived experience. Building on the momentum from last year's retreat, this gathering will offer a collaborative, intimate setting to explore innovative, person-centered approaches to psychosis treatment within both residential and community environments.​

This retreat is dedicated to professionals, clinicians, and advocates passionate about supporting recovery through approaches that go beyond symptom management, helping individuals discover purpose, identity, and connection. Through small-group discussions, presentations, and community-building activities, participants will engage in thought-provoking conversations about best practices in psychosis care, the impact of community-based treatment models, and how to navigate fragmented systems of care in the U.S.​

Set against the backdrop of the Berkshire Mountains, Gould Farm offers a unique, restorative setting for our discussions, having served as a sanctuary for healing since its founding in 1913. We invite you to connect with peers and leaders in the field, share insights, and contribute to shaping the future of psychosis care.​

If you have any questions about this event, please reach out to Ellenhorn's Director of Brand & Identity Development, Gabe Dunn at 

Special Events

Psychosis Care and Connection: A Retreat on Humanistic Approaches - June 26-28, 2025

Psychosis Care and Connection: A Retreat on Humanistic Approaches

Psychosis Care and Connection:  A Retreat on Humanistic Approaches

A roundtable retreat hosted by Ellenhorn & Gould Farm with presentations from Ellenhorn, Gould Farm, the Austen Riggs Center, and Windhorse Integrative Mental Health.

Seating is limited for this in-person event. You must 

Please join us at the Austen Riggs Center for a screening of a work in progress, the filmed stage performance of the new play 

, with music by Ben Moore and stars Juliana Sass and Antoinette LaVecchia. The story follows Christiane, a young woman drawn to Heidelberg by a cryptic message from her dying mother. As she uncovers hidden truths about her German father, the play delves into intergenerational trauma, Jewish identity, and the enduring bonds between mothers and daughters. The play features musicians Jack Kessler on viola, Ben Moore on piano, and Todd Palmer on clarinet.

After the screening, there will be a discussion with Shira Nayman, PsyD; lead actress Juliana Sass; and 

, Medical Director/CEO of the Austen Riggs Center.

“An emotion-drenched stunner” – Jon Sobel, Chief Critic, 

“Delivers a pungent and powerful punch.” – David Walters, 

“Antoinette LaVecchia . . . brilliantly convey a gamut of feeling.” – Jon Sobel, Chief Critic, 

Awake in the Dark screening of a work in progress.

Awake in the Dark

Please join us at the Austen Riggs Center for a screening of a work in progress, the filmed stage performance of the new play by Shira Nayman, PsyD, 

It is widely accepted that psychiatric medications exert their effects through a broad range of mechanisms, some mediated biologically through their actions at various receptor sites, and others mediated symbolically, through the meanings they carry. While most clinicians are aware of the potential benefits of meaning-based placebo effects, the field of psychiatry is considerably less focused on its harmful counterparts. It is only recently that the phenomenon of the nocebo response has begun to enter into the psychiatric literature. As the mirror image of the placebo response, nocebo responses occur when expectations of harm result in physical or psychiatric symptoms.

The nocebo response is only one of many ways that medications cause meaning-based harm. Other forms of harm may not be as straightforward as nocebo side-effects and may not be limited to the period of time that is contemporaneous with the administration of the medication. Medications, for example, may become a concrete symbol of defect that is incorporated into a patient’s personal identity in ways that prove harmful. The prescription of a medication can be assigned a range of destructive interpersonal meanings (e.g., “I am intolerable”) that may prove developmentally problematic. Medications and associated diagnoses can be used defensively in a range of ways that can interfere with self-knowledge, agency, or growth. Medications can also substitute for the development of important affect management skills and other ego functions in ways that leave lasting deficits.

This presentation will review the evidence base for harmful meaning effects in psychiatry and some of the common dynamics by which the meanings of medication cause harm. We will explore some of the ethical dilemmas posed by mechanisms of harm and efforts to avoid harm. We will also consider the role of an empowering, patient-centered alliance and of basic psychotherapeutic skills in ameliorating harm that is mediated by meanings assigned to medications.

David Mintz, MD

Meaning-Based Harm from Medications: Clinical and Ethical Implications

Approved for AMA PRA Credit™ risk management study

David Mintz, MD, reviews the evidence base for harmful meaning effects in psychiatry and some of the common dynamics by which the meanings of medication cause harm.

Join us for a meaningful weekend of reconnection, inspiration, and celebration.

Engaging Presentation Panel with Alumni (hybrid)

Discussion Groups (including a Zoom group)

Making Meaning: Exploring Art and Expression in the Activities Program - A special exhibition featuring artwork by former and current patients, along with a historical perspective of 100+ years of the Activities Program and the 75th Anniversary of the Nursery School.

3-5 pm Open Registration and Light Refreshments

4-5 pm Transitions Meeting in CCLR (former patients only)

6-9 pm Fellows Reception at Prospect House

6-8 pm Alumni Reception on Riggs Campus (former patients only)

8:30 am Check-in w/ coffee and pastries/bagels (for those alumni who didn’t already check in on Friday.)

9-9:45 am Opening Remarks 
     Welcome by Alum, Nina Gutin, PhD
     State of Riggs Presentation, Dr. Ed Shapiro, Medical Director/CEO

10-11:30 am Choice of patient-led tour or Riggs history tour

11 am Art & Activities Program Exhibition Opening

1-3 pm Panel Presentations (with Zoom for virtual attendees)

3:15-4:15 pm Small Group Discussions (with Zoom for virtual attendees)

4:15-5:45 pm Screening of Alumni Michele Beck’s film, 

, in which she explores her life before, during, and after treatment at Riggs. Film (50min) with Q&A discussion (40min) (streaming on Zoom for virtual attendees)

6:30-8:30 pm Dinner for Former Patients & Current and Former Staff

For alumni artists wishing to display a piece of your artwork, please contact Jodi ASAP to discuss details on how this will work.

For questions, contact Jodi Shafiroff at 

 or 413-931-5333. We can't wait to see you here.

Alumni Events

Looking back and moving forward is the theme of the 20205 Austen Riggs Alumni Reunion.

2025 Austen Riggs Alumni Reunion

Former patients, staff, and Board members should save the date for the 2025 Austen Riggs Alumni Reunion to reconnect with old friends, make new connections, and celebrate the impact of our shared experiences.

2025 -26 Friday Night Guest Lecture Series

The role of the father, both flesh-and-blood and symbolic, is explored in a subset of families of patients with anorexia nervosa. In these families the mother’s narcissistic investment in her child makes separation-individuation difficult. A factor potentially influencing whether the child goes on to develop anorexia nervosa is the strength of the paternal function, which optimally helps the child learn how to appropriately deploy his aggression in the service of separation-individuation and as a means of developing “the experience of agency”: the phenomenological experience of oneself as having an intentional impact. The role of the paternal function in developing the experience of agency is illuminated by the metaphor of rough-and-tumble play, which encapsulates the kind of experience with early objects that facilitates or forecloses the child’s capacity for experiencing agency. In the families of these patients, the father is frequently described as passive or absent and the paternal function as compromised, which arguably leads the anorexic-to-be to relegate his experience of agency to his body, which he subjugates through omnipotent control.

Tom Wooldridge, PsyD

The Paternal Function in Anorexia Nervosa

Tom Wooldridge, PsyD, ABPP, FIPA, CEDS-C, explores the role of the father, both flesh-and-blood and symbolic, in a subset of families of patients with anorexia nervosa. 

Erikson Institute of the Austen Riggs Center Conference.

Save the Date! Registration info coming soon.

The Austen Riggs Center invites you to join an interdisciplinary conference, "Rebuilding Trust in Institutions: Bridging Generational Insights.” This gathering expands Erik Erikson’s foundational insights on basic trust and mistrust, extending them into today's complex social and institutional landscapes.

We are living through a moment where institutions responsible for our social wellbeing—education, government, and healthcare—face unprecedented scrutiny and skepticism. At the Austen Riggs Center we are invested in the study of relationships between individuals, families, groups, and social institutions; many of our patients grapple profoundly with intergenerational mistrust across these different domains and communities. Understanding these multidetermined dynamics requires an approach that integrates individual psychology with historical, cultural, and social dimensions.

This conference convenes clinicians, scholars, and community leaders to explore critical questions about trust and mistrust, particularly as experienced differently across generations. Through a thoughtful blend of panels, interactive breakout sessions, and a reflective plenary, participants will delve deeply into the psychological, historical, ethical, and social factors influencing institutional credibility.

Friday, September 19, 2025 | 6:30-8:00 p.m. (Eastern)

Roundtable: Trust, Betrayal, and Epistemic Vigilance

Chloe Campbell, PhD | Deputy Director, Psychoanalysis Unit, University College London

Carly Lingenfelter, PhD | Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University

Angela Coombs Mumuni, MD | Associate Medical Director, Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services; Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine

Moderators: Daniel Knauss, PsyD, and Katie Lewis, PhD

Saturday, September 20, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Eastern)

Roundtable: The Perspective of the Senior Generation

Medria Connolly, PhD | Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice

Retired Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson | U.S. Air Force

Michael Roth, PhD | President, Wesleyan University

Moderators: Jane Tillman, PhD and Edward Shapiro, MD

Roundtable: The Perspective of the Younger Generation

Steven Rathje, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow, NYU; Incoming Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

Nic Westrate, PhD | Associate Professor, University of Illinois, Chicago

Christina Wusinich, MS | Doctoral Student, Counseling Psychology, NYU

Moderators: Katie Lewis, PhD, and Dan Knauss, PsyD

Roundtable: Intergenerational Discussion - Legacy, Change, and the Future

Includes all panelists from the Saturday morning generational roundtables

Moderators: Dan Knauss, PsyD and Jane Tillman, PhD

 (for all participants, grouped by generation)

Moderators: Katie Lewis, PhD and Edward Shapiro, MD

Austen Riggs Center Centennial Conference attendees watching Dr. Eric Plakun's presentation.

Education and Training at Austen Riggs

Rebuilding Trust in Institutions: Bridging Intergenerational Insights

2025 Fall Conference on Rebuilding Trust in Institutions.

Explore a wide range of psychotherapy conferences, lectures, workshops, and educational events with Riggs clinicians, as well as online CE/CME courses. 

Therapy Conferences & Educational Events | Austen Riggs Center

For answers to any questions about events, conferences, or CME courses, please feel free to contact us.

In addition to wide ranges of published articles, interviews, and other materials featuring the work of Riggs clinicians, our Resource Center houses video excerpts and select full presentations from past academic conferences and educational events.

Educational conference given by the Erikson Institute of the Austen Riggs Center.

The Erikson Institute for Education, Research, and Advocacy of the Austen Riggs Center provides extensive psychoanalytic education and clinical training for professionals in all stages of their careers.

Educational Conference for Mental Health Professionals

An important part of the Erikson Institute's educational mission is providing online continuing education and continuing medical education courses with an emphasis on psychodynamic psychotherapy. Certificates and CE/CME credits are availabile for those with an MD, PhD, or PsyD, and for social workers.

Austen Riggs offers free CE/CME courses for mental health professionals.

Events

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Alumni Events

2025 Austen Riggs Alumni Reunion

Past Presentations

CE/CME Courses

Contact Us for More

For answers to any questions about events, conferences, or CME courses, please feel free to contact us.

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