We feel it our sad duty to share this message with the community following the tragic events in Atlanta this week. As an institute, as a community, as colleagues, we stand with our Asian and Asian-American members and strongly condemn any and all acts of violence and aggression against anyone based on racial, ethnic, gender, or sexual identity. These events are a horrific reminder of our need for continued responsibility and sensitivity toward one another, both professionally and personally, as practitioners and as teachers, and in our community at large. We hope for better justice and understanding in the days ahead; in the meanwhile we grieve for all affected by this recent tragedy.
As we struggle with the profound sadness and outrage following these tragedies that have befallen the Black and Asian communities, we stand in solidarity with the victims and with those who are expressing protest. We also wish for the safety of all as they do so. During this precarious time in our country, we strive to find ways to heal and come together. Most of all, we hope that we will find better ways to take care of each other.
Although psychoanalysis is typically seen as a treatment focused on the individual - the inner psychic workings of the person - it is also inherently a discipline focused on life. Ultimately, psychoanalysis is a therapy about the potential of living and about change. Our task is to help our patients encounter and activate the best within themselves, so that they may move towards creating a better future. As psychoanalysts we must stand with life.
