Since 1989, the Mary S. Sigourney Award Trust has been presenting psychoanalysis' most prestigious award worldwide, The Sigourney Award, to individuals and institutions that have made significant contributions to the field. Over the course of a three-year cycle, the awards are granted to psychoanalysts in North America, Western Europe, and the remainder of the world.
The four honorees are APsaA members Howard Shevrin, Ph.D., Ann Arbor, Michigan; Stanley Greenspan, M.D., Bethesda, Maryland; and Marvin Margolis, M.D.,Ph.D., Franklin, Michigan; and The William Alanson White Institute, New York City. Each honoree received a cash prize of $35,000.
At a ceremony in January in New York, the accomplishments of the four U.S. winners were celebrated. APsaA member Howard Shevrin was introduced by noted psychoanalyst and1991 Sigourney Award recipient Robert Wallerstein who described Shevrin as a "pioneering member of an all too small cadre of empirical researchers" in psychoanalysis. Shevrin is a forerunner among psychoanalysts in the burgeoning field of neuro-psychoanalysis. Shevrin has studied the links between neuroscience and psychoanalysis for 40 years, looking for evidence that Freudian concepts, such as the unconscious, can be documented through physical measures of brain activity. As an example of his work in this area, Shevrin demonstrated in one of his neuro- psychoanalytic experiments that there is a response in the brain response indicative of unconscious contents.
Stanley Greenspan was recognized for the ways in which he has helped the psychoanalytic world better understand early developmental pathways as well as new avenues of early developmental assessment. He is the author of the forthcoming book (May 2004) The Secure Child: Helping Our Children Feel Safe And Confident In An Insecure World
Dr. Greenspan included in his remarks of acceptance this call to arms: "Psychoanalysis must come together and represent the deepest levels of the human mind in all areas of human endeavor, from individual psychopathology and treatment to understanding complex social phenomena. As a perspective on the human mind and a method of inquiry, psychoanalysis needs to understand the complex social patterns that are denying human depth and complexity. It must look at its own defensive reactions to the mounting challenges it has been facing. Ultimately, it must embrace nothing short of the responsibility of guiding the world back to an appreciation of the qualities of human beings that have contributed to its creation and may determine its future. "
Marvin Margolis was recognized for his contributions as a teacher, a leader, and a healer graced with the ability to heal individuals, e.g. colleagues with ethical problems as well as organizations. Dr. Margolis teaches relentlessly and has served as mentor to many other leaders. "He spreads the psychoanalytic gospel with missionary zeal, and created about 70 committees within APsaA, most of them for outreach efforts. Margolis always encouraged baby steps as the path to change, but, Marvin's baby steps are those of a giant", remarked Richard Fox, M.D. who nominated Dr. Margolis for the prize. In his acceptance remarks, Margolis stressed the need to for the psychoanalytic community in the United States to unify and the need to nourish and develop its psychoanalytic institutions.
Marylou Lionells, past president of the William Alanson White Institute, was the nominator and introducer for this award winner. Since its founding in 1946, the White has been a premier training site for psychologists in psychoanalytic education. The Institute has always emphasized responsiveness to the needs of the outside community with specialized clinical services that include programs oriented towards eating problems, addictions, HIV and chronic disease, and organizational consultation. The institute then and now provides low cost supervision to mental health practitioners and candidates (i.e., students in training) finance their training through clinical work The Sigourney Award Trust bestowed the award to the White for its pioneering work in psychoanalytic education and for its exemplary outreach in clinical services. Joerg Bose, current director of the Institute, accepted the award on the Institute's behalf.
For more information, contact Dottie Jeffries, djeffries@apsa.org; 212-752-0450, ext. 29. Founded in 1911, APsaA is a professional organization of psychoanalysts throughout the United States. The Association is composed of Affiliate Societies and Training Institutes in many cities and has approximately 3,500 individual members.
APsaA is a Regional Association of the International Psychoanalytical Association.