CONFERENCE BROCHURE WILL BE POSTED SOON!
36th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference 

Subversion

October 1 - 3, 2026

HOTEL CHICAGO downtown, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION®
333 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Awardees:

Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D., ABPP
Hans W. Loewald Memorial Award

Isaac D. Balbus, Ph.D.
Distinguished Psychoanalytic Educator

Peter Shabad, Ph.D.
Distinguished Psychoanalytic Educator

Please click here to view awardee’s biographies

This year’s conference theme is captured in the Philip Guston painting in our brochure, entitled The Painter, a self-portrait that captures the obsessive, isolating nature of artistic creation and the artist’s role as a risk-taking witness to a flawed world. It’s a portrait of the artist as subversive truth teller, one who is seeing something that he isn’t supposed to see.

The theme of subversion feels especially timely now, in the midst of growing anger and apprehension about the state of the world. In the United States, the protests against what many see as a dangerous shift away from democratic norms and toward a more authoritarian form of government have reached levels not seen since the protests against social injustice in the 1960s.

Subversion is often viewed as sinister - a destructive force that undermines stability, security, and social order. But subversion can also be a catalyst for positive change. The subversive activism of the 1960s helped bring about landmark reforms, including the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act. And today, LGBTQ+ Pride marches in support of queer Americans and against homophobia are challenging long-standing oppressive norms deeply ingrained in our culture.

Of course, subversion can also occur in the psychological realm. Freud, perhaps the most influential subversive regarding the nature of the psyche since Descartes, dismantled the longstanding conviction that human behavior is largely motivated by conscious, rational processes. He transformed the world by introducing the concept of the unconscious mind, proposing that our desires, defense mechanisms and neuroses are driven by hidden, often primitive instincts that we are unaware of. More recently, Dr. Nancy McWilliams, this year’s Hans W. Loewald Memorial Award recipient, wrote that as the profession of psychotherapy developed over the past century it was characterized by beliefs, attitudes and values at odds with contemporary western culture. Echoing Michael Guy Thompson, she wrote that psychoanalysis is itself an inherently subversive activity.

Also honored at this year’s conference, each receiving our Distinguished Psychoanalytic Educator Award, will be Drs. Peter Shabad and Isaac Balbus.

And so, on behalf of the Conference Committee, we hope you will join us in Chicago and wish you a meaningful and enjoyable experience at this year’s IFPE Conference, Subversion.

M. Chet Mirman
Conference Chair

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:

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Non-profit and Students: Please email I.D. to ifpecontact@gmail.com

OCTOBER 3rd, SATURDAY EVENING AWARDS DINNER, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., $89 per person
Dinner pricing includes entrée, Baby Field Greens Salad with Candied Pecans, Strawberries, English Cucumber and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, which is Vegan, Gluten-free and Dairy-free. Dessert is a slice of “Eli’s Cheesecake,” which is a Chicago-style cheesecake, and Freshly Brewed Starbucks® Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee and a Selection Specialty Tea. Price includes tax and gratuity. A "No Host" bar will be available.
Entrée Choices: Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken Breast with Fingerling Potatoes, Tarragon Jus
—OR —
Rigatoni Primavera, English Peas, Roasted Vegetables, Pesto

Please send an email to Ifpecontact@gmail.com with any special requests for the dinner (i.e.: Gluten-free or Dairy-free) Thank you.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1st: Ticket to Bring a GUEST to the “No-Host” EVENING COCKTAIL RECEPTION: $25 Per Person

CONFERENCE PROGRAM BOOK $15 For non-members (Membership includes a PROGRAM book.)

HOTEL INFORMATION

Our room block rate is $229 single/double per night (plus state and local taxes). This rate is available until September 8th, or when the room block is sold out. Please book your room now. 

When you book online, the $25 Destination Fee will show up on your reservation, however it will not be charged when you check out of the hotel. (Waiving the Destination Fee is one of the concessions of our contract.)

One Complimentary Drink Coupon per guest is included with your room reservation. The Drink ticket is for use at the hotel lobby bar only. (The Cash/Credit Card Bar cannot accept drink tickets at IFPE’s Thursday Evening Reception or the Saturday Night Awards Dinner.)

Overnight valet parking for hotel guests is $52.
For local attendees, parking at the hotel is available @ $64 for 12 hours. Local guests may want to use apps like Spot Hero to find discounted parking rates nearby.

Please click on the link below to reserve your hotel room:

Book your group rate for IFPE Fall Meeting 2026

If you are trying to book additional dates to stay before or after the conference, and the total room rate shown for all the dates is the higher amount, please call the hotel reservations directly at the hotel for the group rate on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. 312-245-0333

Please note that it is the standard procedure of this hotel to charge an “Early Departure Charge” equal to one night’s room rate, in the event that a hotel guest decides to leave earlier than their original check-out date.

Questions? Please email us @ IFPEcontact@gmail.com

FAQ’s

• When will the brochure be available? The conference brochure and registration form will be available in early August. Members receive a preview copy in July.

• What does it cost to attend the conference?
  Our “Early Bird” registration fee is $395 USD for Members, and $470 USD for Non-Members
  Non-profit, Government employee, Psychoanalytic Candidate or Early Career (up to 5 years post grad): $185 USD
  Full-time Student (Graduate or Undergraduate only): $105 USD (Does not apply to psychoanalytic candidates)

• If my proposal is accepted, when will I know the day and time to present? We will notify you of the time and date of your presentation in August when the program has been formalized. Please note that the notification you will receive in August represents a provisional program and may be subject to change.

• What is your refund policy? Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable for those scheduled to present at the conference.

• What is the nightly rate at the Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collection hotel? Our room block is $229 per night, plus taxes. The $25 Destination Fee is waived when you check out. Please reserve your room as soon as possible, prior to the cut-off date, Tuesday, September 8th.
  Included with room block rate: One Complimentary Drink Coupon per guest. Drink ticket is for use at the hotel lobby bar only. (It may not be used at IFPE’s Thursday Evening Reception or the Saturday Night Awards Dinner.)
  Group rates are honored 3 days pre and 3 days post (based upon availability)

• What is the price for parking at the hotel? Overnight valet parking is discounted to $52 for hotel guests. There are hourly lots across the street.

  For local attendees, parking at the hotel is available @ $64 for 12 hours. Local guests may want to use apps like Spot Hero to find discounted parking rates nearby.