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International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy

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International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy
Organization details
TypeInternational association
Founded2001
Founder(s)Lewis Aron
Key figuresLewis Aron, Stephen Mitchell
OrientationRelational psychoanalysis
Institutional context
AffiliationIndependent
Relation to IPANone
Operations
HeadquartersInternational
Geographic scopeInternational
Training functionConferences, symposia, clinical discussions
PublicationsPsychoanalytic Dialogues
Websitehttp://www.iarpp.net/


The International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP) is an international psychoanalytic association founded in 2001 to advance relational psychoanalysis, a contemporary theoretical orientation emphasizing mutual influence, intersubjectivity, and the co-constructed nature of the therapeutic relationship.[1][2]

IARPP serves as a global community for clinicians, scholars, and researchers committed to relational perspectives, distinguishing itself from classical Freudian and ego-psychological traditions by prioritizing enactment, dissociation, and two-person psychology.[3] Unlike institutes affiliated with the International Psychoanalytical Association, IARPP operates as a non-training membership organization focused on dialogue, conferences, and scholarly exchange.[4]

History

Precursors

Relational psychoanalysis emerged in the 1980s and 1990s as a synthesis of self psychology, interpersonal psychoanalysis, and object relations theory, notably through the work of figures like Stephen Mitchell and Lewis Aron. Key texts such as Mitchell's Relational Concepts in Psychoanalysis (1988) and the co-edited Relational Psychoanalysis: The Emergence of a Tradition (1999) laid the groundwork for an organized movement.[4]

Informal networks of relational clinicians formed through journals like Psychoanalytic Dialogues, founded by Mitchell, Aron, and colleagues in the mid-1990s, fostering dialogue across North America and beyond.[4]

Founding (2001)

IARPP was established in 2001 with Lewis Aron as its founding president, responding to the need for a dedicated international forum amid the growing influence of relational ideas in contemporary psychoanalysis.[1][4][2] The organization quickly expanded, hosting symposia and developing regional chapters, such as IARPP Australia.[2]

Organizational Structure

IARPP functions as a membership-based association governed by a Board of Directors, emphasizing democratic participation and international representation rather than hierarchical training institutes.[5]

Governance

The Board of Directors oversees strategic direction, conference planning, and membership services. Regional coordinators support local activities, promoting a decentralized, collaborative model aligned with relational principles of mutuality.[2]

Membership

Membership is open to psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, and scholars interested in relational approaches, offering benefits such as conference discounts, online directories, and access to resources.[2]

Training and Formation

IARPP does not provide formal certification or training analysis but facilitates professional development through international conferences, symposia, and clinical workshops. Events like the 2021 symposium on working amid the COVID-19 crisis exemplify its focus on contemporary clinical challenges.[5]

The organization encourages participation in relational-oriented training programs worldwide, without mandating specific devices like the pass or cartels characteristic of Lacanian schools.

Key Concepts / Theoretical Orientation

IARPP prioritizes core relational concepts including:

  • Intersubjectivity: The mutual impact of analyst and analysand in co-creating meaning.[2]
  • Enactment: Unconscious relational patterns played out in the analytic dyad.
  • Dissociation and multiplicity: Recognition of non-integrated self-states, drawing from Mitchell and Aron.[4]

These ideas shape IARPP's institutional practices, favoring open dialogue over dogmatic transmission.

Notable Members

  • Lewis Aron: Founding president; authored seminal works like A Meeting of Minds (1996).[4]
  • Stephen Mitchell: Co-founder of Psychoanalytic Dialogues; key theorist of relational concepts.[4]
  • Other directors and symposium speakers have advanced relational psychoanalysis globally.[5]

Publications

IARPP members contribute to and draw from:

  • Psychoanalytic Dialogues: The flagship journal of relational perspectives, co-founded by Aron and Mitchell.[4]
  • Routledge’s Relational Perspectives Book Series, co-edited by Aron.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP)". Union of International Associations. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "What is Relational Psychoanalysis?". IARPP Australia. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  3. ↑ "International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy". EverybodyWiki. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "In Memorium – Lewis Aron". IARPP. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "IARPP Symposium - Working in the Midst of the Covid-19 Crisis". IARPP. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
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