Welcome to CAPS

ABOUT US

The Center for Advanced Psychoanalytic Studies (CAPS) is a non-profit organization  established in 1960. Founded by Muriel Gardiner, our organization started with one group of psychoanalysts, and is now comprised of some two hundred members from around the country which are organized into 14 groups.  Groups come together twice each year in scenic Princeton, New Jersey. CAPS offers a summer conference experience for members and non members  every other even year in Aspen, Colorado.

mission

The purpose of the Center For Advanced Psychoanalytic Studies is to further the development of psychoanalysis as a theoretical discipline, a clinical therapeutic process and a method of research. Discussion of detailed clinical work is the main focus of attention at the twice-yearly meetings of small CAPS groups composed of seasoned clinicians who share a welcoming openness to inquiry and a personal commitment to the respectful exchange of diverse ideas. Small groups may also explore the contributions and influences of psychoanalysis in the natural and social sciences, the humanities and the arts. CAPS discourages discussion of administrative matters and professional politics at group meetings.

As part of its mission CAPS strives to encourage and support talented and promising mid-career psychoanalytic clinicians and selected leaders in related fields in their development as psychoanalysts and scholars. CAPS is a non-profit organization that takes pride in its independence within the wide community of professional organizations.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in CAPS is by application, invitation, and appointment. Applicants are selected on the basis of their credentials and experience, the support of knowledgeable psychoanalytic colleagues, their compatibility with the spirit of CAPS, and their interest in participating in CAPS activities. Certification in psychoanalysis is required. The CAPS Board of Directors reviews and evaluates each application and determines qualification for membership. The CVs of qualified applicants are distributed among the small CAPS groups that have openings for membership. A small group may request the applicant’s appointment to permanent membership in the group. If several groups request an applicant for membership, final appointment to a particular group is decided by the Board. Continuity of membership is considered essential to the optimal functioning of the small groups. Consequently, transferring membership between groups is not
possible.

VISION

It is the vision and aspiration of The Center for Psychoanalytic Studies to provide a regularly scheduled venue for experienced clinicians where the vitality of contemporary psychoanalytic thinking and clinical work can flourish in an administratively unencumbered atmosphere over an extended period of time. It is hoped that the continuity of meetings will draw on the best work from the past of psychoanalysis, contribute meaningfully to its present relevance and growth and will inspire leadership, innovation and creativity in its future.