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Tributes
Crayton E. Rowe Jr., MSW, BCD-P
(1931-2026)
Deceased July 6, 2026 | Posted July, 8 2026
It is with a heavy and sad heart that I inform you of Crayton Rowe’s passing on July 6, 2026. Crayton was the founder of AAPCSW (formerly National Membership Committee On Psychoanalysis - NMCOP). He was passionate about psychoanalysis and clinical social work. He was also a co-founder of New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology (NYIPSP), and he served on the boards of the Psychoanalytic Consortium [www.psaconsortium.org] and the Accreditation Council for Psychoanalytic Education Inc (ACPEinc).
Similarly, he was innovative in his writings about psychoanalytic self psychology, based on Kohut's theory. In addition to many articles, he co-authored Empathic Attunement: The "Technique" of Psychoanalytic Self Psychology and authored Treating the Basic Self: Understanding Addictive, Suicidal, Compulsive, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) Behavior.
Crayton was transformed by Kohut and created the concept of "undifferentiated selfobject." His articles appeared in Progress in Self Psychology (IAPSP's journal), Psychoanalytic Review, Psychoanalytic Social Work, and other journals. He presented at conferences of AAPCSW, IAPSP, and other groups.
Some of his writings can be found here: https://fixedearthenterprises.com/selfpsychpsycho/
Here are links on the AAPCSW website about Crayton: https://aapcsw.org/about_us/crayton_rowe.html https://aapcsw.org/about_us/conversations.html
Crayton was a graduate of Hunter College School of Social Work (MSW) and the New York Freudian Society (certificate in psychoanalysis). He was also on faculty of NYIPSP, the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis (NPAP) and other institutes.
His many contributions to the field will live on.
A memorial service will take place in a few weeks. To be announced.
Condolences to his wife Florence Rowe, children, family, friends, and colleagues.
I will be collecting tributes in his honor which will then be posted on the AAPCSW website. Please send them to me at: rosenpmsw@aol.com
May his memory be a blessing.
- Penny Rosen
Tributes
Crayton was a man to admire in so many ways. He was a great teacher, a dedicated clinician, with a persistent need to further the field of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapies. He was a true leader among clinical social workers. But, he was also a genuinely good-hearted person and a steadfast friend. I feel lucky to have known him, and I am certain he will be missed by many. May he rest in peace.
- Barbara Berger, Chicago, IL
We all know that Crayton was an excellent teacher, writer, and supervisor. His concern for the future of clinical social work and psychoanalysis led to his founding AAPCSW, then called NMCOP. He worked tirelessly for the parity of clinical social workers with other mental health clinicians. Crayton was also warm and supportive. I worked closely with him when I was the Treasurer and he was the Chair of NMCOP. One day I arrived in a rather distraught state, telling him that my husband wanted to take a job in Denver, Colorado. He remained calm, searching for names of members in Denver. He told me to call these members in order to learn the status of social workers and psychoanalysts in Colorado. This led not only to professional contacts but friendships that shaped my new life. I am grateful for his guidance and friendship. Condolences to Florence and their family.
- Cathy Krown Buirski, Denver, CO
So sorry to hear of the death of Crayton Rowe. I knew Crayton during the time when he was beginning to organize NMCOP (later becoming AAPCSW). I was a member of the Committee he formed to accomplish this task. Crayton was dedicated to the cause of equal representation and recognition of clinical social work psychoanalysts. He was passionate, and very hard-working. Those days were an exciting time for clinical social workers. Crayton was a pioneer and visionary leader. He will be much missed.
- Helen Goldberg, New York, NY
Crayton Rowe contributed much to psychoanalysis. For me, his work to ensure that social workers who were psychoanalysts and psychoanalytically informed should have equal professional standing with psychiatry and psychology stands out. He realized this conviction by bringing together a group of social workers to form what was then known as the National Membership Committee on Psychoanalysis in the 1980's. His continuing interest in advocating for social work was one of the conversations he and I would have when meeting at conferences or by chance on the Long Island Railroad. His presence at our annual conference will be missed. My condolences to his wife Florence Rowe.
- Cathy Siebold, Cambridge, MA
This is sad news, indeed. Crayton’s gentle nature and his gift for attunement always seemed to me the very embodiment of self psychology, which he wrote about and practiced over a long and distinguished career. I first got to know Crayton in 1991, when I was trying to launch the Journal of Analytic Social Work (now Psychoanalytic Social Work). Crayton was both enthusiastic and deeply supportive of our new journal and generously agreed to serve on our inaugural editorial board, a role he performed with distinction for over 30 years! We also welcomed his scholarly contributions to our journal. I feel truly fortunate to have counted Crayton as a colleague. He will long be remembered as a champion of psychoanalysis and clinical social work. My deepest condolences to Crayton’s family.
- Jerry Brandell, Ann Arbor, MI
There would be no American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work (AAPCSW) or its forerunner, the National Membership Committee on Psychoanalysis (NMCOP), without the visionary excellence of Crayton Rowe. A fighter by training, he advocated fiercely for psychoanalytic practitioners reared in the social work tradition and created a home for those who embraced both identities equally. Thank you, Crayton, for all you have done for the creation and continuance of our organization, and for making our professional community a much better place. With Deepest Respect and Admiration,
- Carol Tosone, New York, NY
Crayton Rowe was a giant within the field, within self psychology, and within the profession of psychoanalysis in clinical social work. He developed truly original ideas about the nature of selfobject transferences and continued to extend these concepts to improve our understanding of severe psychopathology. He was a determined advocate for Kohut's original ideas, even when the tide of orthodoxy turned to other formulations. He promoted and defended depth psychology in general and was a pioneer in ensuring the acceptance of psychoanalysis as a subspecialty of clinical social work. He was a devoted mentor, colleague, analyst, supervisor, teacher and friend.
- Edward Ross, New York, NY
Crayton Rowe, Jr., was steadfast in his beliefs. From his early years growing up in the South, he was deeply committed to equal rights. In his professional life, he fought for clinical social workers who were psychoanalysts to have equal standing with other mental health professionals. He also firmly upheld standards for psychoanalytic education (through ACPEinc.), and he believed that psychoanalysis is the umbrella for other psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy. Theoretically, through his writings and teaching, he promoted self psychology in Kohut’s tradition and introduced a new selfobject, the “undifferentiated.” His theories continued to evolve over time with a fresh twist. After a year as his student in a clinical class at the institute which he co-founded (NYIPSP), he approached me in the summer of 2002 about directing a national biennial conference for AAPCSW. Once again he showed his resolve and gave me no time to think it over. I credit him for shaping my professional career. Our paths crossed professionally, and for over a decade we were in a study group through NYIPSP. Most recently, he was embracing the importance of emphatic understanding over interpretation. As you can see, he leaves behind a legacy as a pioneer, trailblazer, and he will be deeply missed. May his memory be for a blessing. Respectfully,
- Penny Rosen, New York, NY
I extend my deepest condolences to Florence Rowe, her children, grandchildren, and family. My awareness of Crayton Rowe as a pioneer who fought for parity among analytically trained social workers and hence the founder of what is now called AAPCSW preceded me getting to know Crayton personally as an esteemed colleague. Not surprisingly, I met him at an AAPCSW conference. Our respective knowledge and appreciation of Kohut’s transformational impact on psychoanalytic theory and practice instantaneously sparked a “twinship” selfobject experience between us. For far too long the NY analytic community entrenched in Freudian and Object Relations Orthodoxy rejected Kohut’s methodology as psychoanalysis. To my recollection Crayton was one of the first NY analysts to embrace Kohut’s contributions in his own practice. Furthermore, he established NYIPSP as a self psychology training institute which over decades has provided inspiration, education and supervision to newly minted and seasoned analysts alike. NYIPSP also functioned as Crayton’s petri dish spawning insights and ways to expand and discover an additional type of selfobject – the undifferentiated selfobject. Crayton was a master clinician, and an erudite teacher. He possessed a curious and creative mind coupled with an empathetically attuned ability to understand his patients as well as his trainees. His professional legacy will endure among all the lives he touched as analyst, supervisor, mentor, colleague as well as through his impressive publications. Empathetic Attunement: The Technique of Self Psychology, co-authored with David MacIsaac, not only continues to be highly recommended as “essential” reading for new and seasoned analytic clinicians alike, but it has “crossed over” and hence fertilized yonder fields including non-analytic clinicians seeking an empathetic approach to the understanding of their severely traumatized clients. I feel honored and grateful to have benefited from Crayton’s wisdom, empathy, kindness and generosity. May his life be an inspiration for future generations of therapists and especially analytic social workers, for which he was proud to be called. With a heavy heart I say a final farewell to an esteemed colleague and dear friend.
- Theresa Albini, Chicago, IL
It’s hard to capture the tremendous impact that Crayton had on the field of psychoanalysis. Crayton was simply a genius. His reverence for Kohut’s ideas led to prolific writings about self psychology, greatly expanding our empathic understandings. Endlessly creative, he was always imagining new ways of thinking about the theory and practice of self psychology. He discovered a new selfobject, the undifferentiated selfobject, emanating from early trauma. He passionately cared about the future of self psychology and was determined to preserve Kohut’s classical vision, shedding light on the fact that Kohut’s original ideas were vulnerable to being misunderstood and misapplied. He was dedicated to ensuring that the psychoanalytic world understood that self psychology is distinct from object relations and aspects of some of the newer theories. He emphasized the importance of Kohut’s ideas of ongoing in-depth empathic attunement as well as Paul Ornstein’s idea of remaining in the patient’s experience rather than resorting to making interpretations. This empathic approach potentially makes it more likely for patients to make their own interpretations. Crayton understood patients’ experience in remarkable ways by his careful attunement, leaving them to feel deeply understood. He was a person with great kindness, generosity, and caring. He touched the hearts and minds and lives of numerous patients and analysts alike. Privileged and honored to be his supervisee, I cannot overestimate the astoundingly positive impact he has had on my work. He will be greatly missed.
- Sandy Rzetelny, Teaneck, NJ
Crayton was my analyst for seven years, while in training in psychoanalysis at NYIPSP. This followed a nine-year analysis in England that I credited as being a good one, but Crayton, with his theory of empathic attunement, went to a deeper part of my psyche than did the first. As we all know he was a strict follower of Kohut with a foundation of Freudian training. Although I felt that he generally hid himself behind his couch, every now and again, his own humanity would reveal itself – enough to know that he cared. A scholar, an energetic practitioner, he was also a major force in bringing together the field of clinical social work with that of psychoanalysis. He has our respect and appreciation. May he rest in peace.
- Beverly Kolsky, Bernardsville, NJ
Crayton Rowe was truly a gentle giant, and his dying leaves a void in our universe. His contributions to our profession are quite remarkable and can’t be overstated; fighting for and achieving parity for LCSW’s, founding the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, and the New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology are all quite impressive achievements. However, to me it was Crayton as a mentor and teacher that profoundly impacted me. He had a deep understanding of Heinz Kohut and Self Psychology. His ability to communicate the essence of Kohut’s work, not talking points, particularly the importance of Kohut’s Experience Near immersion and how to really listen, was his greatest gift to me. I shall be eternally grateful to have had the honor to study with and know Crayton Rowe. He was the embodiment of empathic attunement.
- Lance Stern, Wyckoff, NJ
My sincere condolences to Florence and to family and friends of Crayton. He was a hard worker - dedicated - and a very kind man. He did so much for self psychology even before it was on the map. In fact, he and Florence did so much to put it there. I admired Crayton’s perseverance, and, although I lost touch, I will miss knowing he’s around.
- Jane Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Crayton was a really important person to AAPCSW. He made valuable contributions to the field and to our organization. He will be missed,
- Samoan Barish, Santa Monica, CA
We have lost a giant of our profession and a very good man. Condolences to his family and all of us. Crayton was always available with his wisdom and experience. If not for Crayton, we could not have formed the New Jersey Society for Clinical Social Work back in 1976. May he rest in peace and his memory be a blessing.
- Judith Logue, Port St. Lucie, FL
Oh, this is very sad news. Crayton was such a unique thinker! I learned a lot from him, just at the AAPCSW conference workshops he did. My deep condolences to the family.
- Judy A. Levitz, Brooklyn, NY
Crayton was a profound contributor to the growth of psychoanalysis. His writings helped bring us into the 21st century. His work will live on in our work for many decades to come. With deepest appreciation to Crayton and his wife, Florence.
- Tamar Opler, New Paltz, NY
As a former chair of NYSSCSW's annual education conferences, I had the privilege of hosting Crayton Rowe as a presenter. He was gracious, brilliantly clear, and deeply committed to the advancement of our field. His contributions to self psychology and to clinical social work enriched our community and our presence in the field of psychoanalysis. I remain grateful for his generosity and the depth of his engagement. My deepest sympathy goes to his family, friends, and colleagues.
- Susan Klett, New York, NY
Crayton Rowe was a talented and dedicated psychoanalyst, writer, teacher, supervisor, and theoretician. His contributions to psychoanalysis and clinical social work were singular and extraordinary. He was always kind and approachable. I moderated a talk he gave during which he was thoughtful and generous. He will be greatly missed. May his memory be a blessing.
- Janet Burak, New York, NY
Crayton Rowe excelled in both the theory and practice of psychoanalytic self psychology. Crayton's use of his empathic instrument with respect to his mentorship was exemplified in his ideals both as an instructor and as a human being. I perceive empathy to be the key ingredient to good public character and good public leadership. My condolences to Florence Rowe, who serves as an instructor and a psychoanalytic self psychologist and continues to enlighten the minds of many.
- Melchiore Laucella, Smithtown, NY
My deep sympathies to family and friends of Crayton Rowe. While I only had a short time to get to hear and know his thinking, I respect his self psychology theories and beliefs as well as his efforts to teach them to us. Sincerely,
- Rita Landberg, Brooklyn, NY
Although I did not have the opportunity to meet Crayton Rowe, I am deeply saddened by his passing. I fully recognize his significance as the founder of the NMCOP—now the AAPCSW—a major and important association of clinical social workers of the USA. I extend my deepest condolences to his family, the members of the AAPCSW, and his friends. Sincerely,
- Sonia G. M. Seixas. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
I have used his co-authored book Empathic Attunement for years in my teaching of other clinicians about the basics of Self Psychology. I have found it to be an invaluable resource. I feel sad about his passing.
- Mary Jean Kane, Falls Church, VA
I learned of Crayton's death through David MacIsaac, my former analyst. I studied with both of them. Crayton was a wonderful teacher and really was able to translate Kohut’s work. I admired him as well as David’s work. I will always remember the impact he had on me and my work.
- John Caliso, Ramsey, NY
Thank you for letting us know about Crayton’s death. How sad. However, he gave me a thorough and wonderful introduction to Kohut’s Self Psychology. This remains the bedrock of my clinical work. Thank you, Crayton.
Sincerely,
- Georgia Sclafani, Brooklyn, NY
I first met Crayton when I was a student at New York Center for Psychoanalytic Training and he was teaching a course on empathy. I immediately recognized that he offered a unique perspective on understanding patients’ experiences. This led me to seek him out for supervision during my training, including my control case. My relationship with Crayton grew, and he was a key factor in my psychoanalytic training and professional growth. Subsequently, Crayton, Florence Rowe, Dave MacIssac, and myself started exploring the need for an institute that provided classes and study groups to many in the field seeking to enhance their understanding of the tenets of self psychology. We formed the New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology in 1994 with NYS accreditation. As a result of Crayton's unique abilities to understand human behavior at the deepest level, the Institute flourished. We have lost a true visionary in the field and a tenacious advocate for understanding complex psychoanalytic transferences.
- Joe Walsh, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Dear Crayton, It’s me, Rosemarie. I heard the sad news of your passing, but you are still so alive in my heart and mind. We have known each other since about 1980 when we met at your office on West End Avenue. I was in my early 30s and you were in your mid-to-late 40s. It was my first meeting of the Federation’s committee on psychoanalysis. You were chair at that time of this committee. In those days, the committee was spelled with a small “c” and was a minor and fairly new committee of the Federation. How precocious was your vision and plan for our profession! Less than 10 years later we separated from our parent organization, the Federation, and became our own independent corporate organization. You were a dynamo and visionary! Just before 1990, we formed The National Membership Committee on Psychoanalysis (later renamed the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work). I had the honor of being its First President. I thought you were some kind of magician to advance our profession, and we all referred to you as our Founder. My heart was bursting with pride! Thank you, Crayton! We all thank you. For now, I am only focusing on your major political historical contributions for which we are all indebted. Forgive my many omissions to your legacy. Crayton, you are one of a kind, a pioneer, and a giant in our profession. I appreciate you and hold you close to my heart. My condolences to your lovely wife Florence, an invaluable partner and most worthy clinical social worker and psychoanalyst in her own right. Fondly,
- Rosemarie Gaeta, Staten Island, NY
I have known Crayton from the ACPEinc since 2010 and from the early days of forming NMCOP/AAPCSW. He was a handsome, Southern gentleman, a Renaissance man with knowledge, curiosity, and wisdom. He was courteous, respectful, always helpful and caring. Founding NMCOP/AAPCSW brought psychoanalysis and social work together. We had many talks about the importance of building the organization as well as forming standards for psychoanalytic education. He worked to get parity for us. I also knew Crayton from NPAP where he was a master teacher. He was a guest lecturer in my course on supervision. He courageously brought Kohut and self psychology to us. He exemplified courage, a forceful voice, and empathy! My condolences to his wife, Florence. He will be missed. May his memory be a blessing.
- Judy Ann Kaplan, New York, NY
I worked with Crayton for six years in supervision and graduated from the institute he co-founded. Not only was he a tireless force for the betterment of psychoanalysis in clinical social work, he was an exquisitely sensitive analyst able to tune in to the subtlest experiences of the human condition. His work lives on exponentially through those of us he mentored and taught. I was quite fond of him and am grateful to have known him.
- Ashley Warner, Guilford, CT
I heard Crayton Rowe speak for the first time several conferences ago. What a stage presence! That transcendent voice! I was transfixed as he read a paper that described his compelling, moving long term treatment with a sex worker, from a self psychological lens. I realized not only was he an innovative thinker in the realm of self psychology, but a deeply gifted and powerful psychotherapist. When we last spoke, I told him about our shared geographic roots, as well as discussing how we both had a history in the performing arts. He has finally left the stage, but his performances, his work, are within all of us.
- Natalie Peacock-Corral, Durham, NC
Sorry for the loss of Crayton Rowe, a dynamic thinker and advocate for clinical social work who, along with Marsha Wineburgh, helped move clinical social work to the professional status that we enjoy today. Looking at some of the interviews with Crayton Rowe, I particularly enjoyed this conversation aptly entitled Long Day’s Journey from the Theater to Self-Psychology (2010), where Crayton describes his early years, his interest in being a speech therapist leading him to acting, and then to clinical social work – a natural journey in empathy as he describes here: “Acting isn't so far from the understanding that takes place in analysis, as it teaches you to get into the shoes of others. I studied acting in New York City with Nola Chilton, who had adapted the Method technique to tune into the experience of other characters (rather than into oneself only). In an off-Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Descending, I had to repeat the line ‘I didn't know’ several times in answer to one of the lead character's revealing secrets of her tragic past. It was a good lesson in learning empathy, in that I discovered that if I wasn’t fully tuned in to the experience of the character, revealing her thoughts, my response would seem unauthentic, and the audience would giggle. The show ran for 444 performances, so I had lots of time to learn attunement.” With warmest sympathy to his family, friends, and colleagues.
- Jane Gold, New York, NY
In the fall of 1999, an IT colleague referred me to The New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology where Crayton needed computer help with the NYIPSP’s database. He embraced technology cautiously, acknowledging its usefulness, but also often frustrated that it didn’t always work the way he thought it should – which led to many spirited discussions through the years. The NYIPSP Bulletin (print & online), domain name purchases, website constructions, his book publishing venture Psychoanalytic Publishers: all of these were part of my 27 years working with Crayton, one of my longest consulting relationships. He was always profusely grateful for any advice I gave. I think his mellifluous, gently Southern baritone made working with him a pleasure, even though we didn’t always agree. We often talked about empathy, which added more meaning to me after having met Crayton and learning about self psychology. I think of him every time I see the word.
- Marghretta McBean, New York, NY
