Erikson Institute for Education, Research, and Advocacy of the Austen Riggs Center
/The nonprofit Erikson Institute’s award-winning work demonstrates a commitment to, and investment in providing public and professional education about psychoanalysis as a clinical discipline and an applied theory for understanding human experience. The work contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship within psychoanalysis, between psychoanalysis and other related fields, and provides incubator support for projects in applied psychoanalysis that range from responding to local needs of schools, children, and families to understanding international conflicts.
Linking access to the arts with mental health, the Erikson Institute’s focus on youth is a noteworthy innovation that expands psychoanalytic thinking beyond traditional clinical and academic boundaries, particularly within the context of limited arts education in schools and social isolation resulting from the pandemic. Through its Erikson Scholar program, interdisciplinary scholars have been invited to the Austen Riggs Center for three- to four-month research-based intellectual and clinical immersion residencies. Presenting its psychoanalytic identity in both clinical and public domains, the Erikson Institute has impacted new audiences through novel approaches. The Arts in Mind program and Creativity Seminars explore the connection between the arts and mental health, expanding reach beyond traditional clinical and academic boundaries. Research in psychoanalytic approaches to understanding suicide and personality, and advocacy for access to care with national impact are additional contributions of the Erikson Institute.
Jane G. Tillman, PhD accepted the award on behalf of the Erikson Institute for Education, Research, and Advocacy of the Austen Riggs Center in Massachusetts.