Conference: Psychoanalysis on Ice

We invite psychoanalysts of all theoretical orientations to meet in Reykjavik and discuss foundational psychoanalytic concepts as well as the challenges of psychoanalysis today. The history of psychoanalysis has been fraught with divisions, separations, excommunications, and seemingly unbridgeable rifts. That historical divisions are often transmitted makes for a markedly chilly present. We hope to potentiate deeper engagement among psychoanalysts, revisiting and revivifying fundamental concepts, and to consider together the challenges that face us all, from the abstract to the practical.

Psychoanalysis on Ice is not sponsored by, nor does it have an affiliation with, a particular school or group of psychoanalysts. We hope that by extending an open invitation, we can establish a comfortable atmosphere that encourages freer exchange of ideas and the development of new bonds. Over several days, attendees will participate in panels, discussions, and paper presentations that concern the practical, theoretical, and clinical aspects of psychoanalysis.

The conference will take place in Iceland, where the North American and Eurasian Plates meet, where the world’s oldest extant parliament exists, a venue historically detached from global conflict. A landscape ridden with volcanoes and glacial fields, steeped in a mythology and folklore that finds hidden people and elves in unexpected places; in Iceland, engagement with the invisible is omnipresent. In October, as the Aurora Borealis becomes visible overhead, hundreds of psychoanalysts will convene in Iceland, the island in the middle, an ideal venue to discuss junction and disjunction, with the goal of creating new ground. Over four days, attendees will hear panel discussions, participate in break-out sessions with panelists, hear papers presented and discussed, and get to know peers from all over the world (program).

The preconference program will offer participants the chance to consult in hospitals, clinics, schools, organizations, and with families throughout the country, as well as to make public lectures.

In addition, attendees will be able to enjoy lectures from local experts on Icelandic folklore, history, and geology. Excursions will be offered to explore the countryside, from late-night voyages on the Greenland Sea, to hiking trips on glaciers, to guided bus tours of other parts of the country.

Sincerely,

Michael Garfinkle, PhD (New York, USA)
Manya Steinkoler, PhD (New York, USA)

Organizers