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36th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference
Subversion
The Painter, 1976
Philip Guston
Medium Oil on canvas
74 x 116 in. (188 x 294.6 cm)
Gift of the Friday Foundation in honor of
Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis
Artwork © The Estate of Philip Guston
https://seattleartmuseum.org
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 Below to view:
awardee’s biographies
Conference Brochure
daily schedules
Program Summaries
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
Prefer to mail a check? Click here to download and print the Conference Registration Form.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:
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Non-profit and Students: Please email I.D. to ifpecontact@gmail.com
ONE DAY RATE: Please use “Down Arrow” to select day attending.
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 of Specialty Teas. Price includes tax and gratuity. A "No Host" (Cash Only) 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: GUEST TICKET:
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
HOTEL CHICAGO downtown, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION®
333 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60654
312-245-0333
Hotel link:
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.
Questions? Please email us @ IFPEcontact@gmail.com
FAQ’s
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.