Paul C. Holinger, MD, MPH
I am a Training and Supervising Analyst and former Dean at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, and Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at Rush University Medical Center. Board certified in psychiatry and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, I’ve dedicated my career to exploring affect theory, child development, and suicide prevention. I’ve authored numerous publications, including What Babies Say Before They Can Talk, and co-founded the Institute’s Center for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy.
I’ve written several books that reflect my lifelong interest in emotional development and mental health. What Babies Say Before They Can Talk introduces the nine innate emotional signals infants use to communicate, and has been translated into multiple languages. My upcoming book, Affects, Cognition, and Language as Foundations of Human Development, explores how emotional signals shape early development. I’ve also written or co-authored works such as Suicide and Homicide Among Adolescents, Violent Deaths in the United States, and Pastoral Care of Severe Emotional Disorders, which combine perspectives from psychiatry, public health, and theology.
Over the course of my career, I’ve served as Dean and faculty member at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, where I co-founded the Center for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. I’m Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. My work has focused on affect theory, child development, suicide prevention, and integrating psychoanalytic thinking with public health and education.