Dear Friends of the Institute and Psychoanalytic Community,

We are extremely grateful for the swift action and coming together of our community to do all that we can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and continue to provide the programs and services that meet our mission to transform lives. As we all face isolation and uncertainty of the near future, we can be comforted by the activities in our lives that can continue with some adjustments and without disruption.

During this pandemic, the Institute has taken steps to ensure we are staying true to our mission:

• The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute Faculty is  teaching all 35   scheduled classes online to our student body without disruption
• Patients in our Treatment Center have online access to mental health support and new patients are being assessed online
• Institute staff is working from home, full-time and remain available to ensure the needs of faculty, students and clinic therapists are met

Thank you to all who have come together to make this possible. I am honored to be a member of this community. 

We have made the decision to protect our constituents and cancel the Annual Spring Benefit. Doing so creates an anticipated financial burden in lost benefit revenue. In addition, the reserve fund that the Institute has relied on to bridge the gap is negatively affected by the stock market performance. This situation is not unique to the Institute and most likely describes the personal financial concerns of all of us. It is with this recognition that I ask all of you to do what you can during this difficult time to participate “in spirit” in this year’s benefit through the purchase of a sponsorship, a ticket, a virtual paddle raise or a donation.

There has never been a more potent illustration of the need for quality mental health education and clinical services. Your support will help our community answer this need today, after COVID-19 and in the future.

 Erika