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Mission

The American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work (AAPCSW) promotes psychoanalytic education, advances clinical social work, facilitates the production and dissemination of knowledge, and advocates for high standards of practice.

Review our position statements.

Portrait photo of Janice Berry-Edwards, AAPCSW President.
AAPCSW President: Janice Berry-Edwards, MSW, PhD, LICSW, LCSW-C, ACSW, BCD

Core Values

  1. Recognize the dignity and worth of each human being.
  2. Acknowledge the intersection of each individual's inner and outer worlds.
  3. Convey a psychoanalytic sensibility in our work with all populations and in all settings.
  4. Integrate concerns for social justice with clinical practice.
  5. Promote inclusivity and affirm the diverse identities of our colleagues and of those with whom we work.
  6. Cultivate a community of professionals that advocates for open inquiry and respect for difference.

Aims and Purposes

  • To represent and protect the standing and advancement of psychoanalytic social work practitioners and educators.
  • To provide an organizational identity for social work professionals engaged in psychoanalytically informed practice.
  • To promote and disseminate the understanding of psychoanalytic theory and knowledge within the social work profession and the public.
  • To affect liaisons with other organizations and professions who share common objectives for social work and the advancement of psychoanalytic theory and practice.
  • To advocate for the highest standards of practice and for quality mental health care for the public.
  • To bridge social work and psychoanalytic discourses by integrating concerns for social justice with clinical practice, and to conceptualize psychoanalytic theory and practice within its broader social-political context.