Become a Guest

Protocol for guest status in the Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society

Requirements:

1. Must attest to having had a personal psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
2. Must practice dynamic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis as part of work, or have done so regularly in the past if currently retired or disabled from work, or have studied psychoanalytic theory as part of academic development if not a therapist.
3. Clinicians must be in good standing with the professional society or college for their profession of practice (or, if retired, in good standing with the professional society at the time of retirement), and must disclose any previous disciplinary action by their professional society or college. Academics must be in good standing with their learning institution without ethical violations.
4. Never expelled from a psychoanalytic society or other professional society or academic institution.
5. Never convicted of a criminal offence.

Application Process:

1. A request for guest status can be sent to the society’s mailing address or directly to the office of the president or secretary of the Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society.
2. The following information must be included: full name, birthdate, practice and home address (only the latter if there is no active practice), name of the applicant’s analyst or analytic psychotherapist, name and address of the professional society to which the applicant currently (or formally, if no active practice) belongs, and a curriculum vitae which includes the institutions of training leading to the applicant’s current career. Finally, the application should also include the nature of the applicant’s current practice or area of academic studies relevant to the application.
3. The applicant should also include a brief letter from their analyst or analytic psychotherapist attesting to the fact of their analysis or analytic psychotherapy, if possible. If this is not possible, the applicant must indicate the reasons why this is not possible.
4. The applicant should include a signed statement declaring the fact that they have never been expelled nor disciplined from a psychoanalytic society, not disciplined by a professional disciplinary body, nor convicted of a criminal offence. If there has been disciplinary action details must be provided.
5. The executive will vet the application and will notify the current membership of the request (with a formal vote held within the society), and will subsequently notify the applicant whether the applicant is approved for guest status, reasons if an application is denied (which may include insufficient information as part of the application).

Responsibilities of guests:

1. Guests must abide by the standards and by-laws of the Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society including any specifically relevant to guests.
2. Guests must notify the society if there are any circumstances such that their good standing in their professional society or college has changed (including having been disciplined by that body), or if they have engaged in any behaviour that would be considered a violation of professional ethics.
3. Guests may not call themselves members of the Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society. (If required, they may indicate “guest status” of the OPS). Guest status is not an accreditation.
4. Dues must be paid within the grace period offered to any member and guest.

Failure to comply:

Failure to comply with any of the responsibilities noted will result in immediate suspension of guest status and the privileges that come with it, until the concern is rectified. It may lead to termination of guest status within the OPS. Unforeseen concerns that can affect the good standing of the OPS in the community may also lead to loss of guest status; a member of the executive would make such a concern known to the guest.

Privileges:

1. Guests may attend scientific meetings of the Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society.
2. At functions held by the OPS a guest is entitled to the member rate if less than the non-member rate.
3. Guests may have access to the OPS collection of library books under the same conditions as students at St. Paul University (ie. read these books in the library).
4. Guests can access the OPS electronic subscription of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis.

If you would like to become a Guest of the OPS, please write to us using the form below: