Conference
Scholarships
Scholarship Application (2024)
For those for whom the low-fee or reduced-rate registrations (available to students and those earning under $50,000) are insufficient to enable them to attend the conference, a limited number of scholarships are available which offer free registration along with the potential for comped room and board and/or reimbursement of up to $500 of an individual's travel fees.Selection for the grant as well as the awarded amount (and/or comped room and board) will be based on financial need and past, current, and future intended APCS involvement. Those who receive this scholarship award in order to attend in person are expected to offer some of their time to assist in the preparations for and/or operations of the conference (e.g., assisting at the registration table, helping with technology set-up, etc.). Applications will be de-identified and sent along to the scholarship committee for review.
The submission deadline is one month after the Call for Papers deadline. Review of scholarship applications will commence after the deadline, and we will do our best to notify you of our decision within two to three weeks.
The scholarship application form may be downloaded here.
Please contact Stephanie Swales with any questions about the scholarship or application.
2023 Annual Conference Scholarship Award Recipients
Karla Lizette Gomez
Since 2018, I've actively participated in the APCS conference, a profoundly transformative experience for both my professional journey and personal growth. Attending as a graduate student in Monterrey, Mexico, I immediately felt embraced by the welcoming community of like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds. Engaging in thought-provoking conversations, I forged friendships and explored topics such as intergenerational trauma and addiction, expanding my clinical perspective. Despite pandemic-related challenges, receiving a scholarship allowed me to reconnect in person in 2023. Serving on the volunteer committee since 2018 and currently on the Board, I cherish the connections made and knowledge gained, recognizing the conference's role in fostering a shared purpose within the vast landscape of psychology. It's not just about enriching professional knowledge; it's about feeling deeply connected and fulfilled within a larger community dedicated to enhancing understanding and promoting well-being.
Karla Lizette Gomez holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the Universidad de Monterrey and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Mexico. She actively contributes to the psychoanalytic community, serving on the board of the Association for the Psychoanalysis of Culture & Society (APCS) and previously participating in various roles within Division 39: Society of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology. She completed a fellowship at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy and has published articles on clinical conflict and intergenerational trauma in esteemed journals. With a background in psychotherapy at substance abuse rehabilitation centers and mental health agencies in Chicago, her interests cover a wide range of topics such as art therapy, psychosis, self-development, and Greek mythology.
Manali Arora
As an early career professional and student, carving a niche in the field of psychoanalysis in a third-world country – a discipline still burgeoning in India – has been both challenging and exhilarating. At the conference, I presented my paper titled, "From the Shadows of the Disavowal: Psychic Terrain of Caste in India," an experience supported by the APCS scholarship, which was nothing short of transformative.
The conference offered a platform where my perspective was not just heard, but valued. It was a space where my experiences and insights, stemming from my geographical and cultural context, were met with respect and genuine interest. This was profoundly affirming, particularly as someone striving to contribute meaningfully to the psychoanalytic discourse from a non-Western perspective.
The opportunity to present my work on the deeply complex and nuanced issue of caste in India, within psychoanalytic frameworks, was a milestone in my academic journey. Moreover, the online format of the conference, facilitated by the scholarship, ensured inclusivity, allowing me and others in similar situations to participate.
Without this scholarship and the platform it provided, such an enriching experience would have been beyond my reach at this stage of my career. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity, and for the inclusivity and openness it represents in the psychoanalytic community.
Manali Arora is a psychodynamic psychotherapist in India. She is currently positioned as a psychologist and a researcher at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India and a psychotherapist in private practice. Additionally, she is also a fellow at the Psychoanalytic Fellowship program by the Washington Baltimore Centre for Psychoanalysis.
She has a profound interest in addressing underexplored areas in the Indian Psychoanalytic landscape, particularly sibling relationships and working with marginalized communities. Ms. Arora believes that these arenas, which have traditionally been overshadowed, hold significant potential to reshape our understanding of the intricate tapestry of Indian psychosocial realities.
Finding herself at the margins of experience, gradually learning to value her voice, she envisages an augmentation to knowledge production through recognition of many such lived realities, thereby, hoping to bridge the gap between Western psychoanalytic frameworks and the unique cultural nuances present in the Indian context.
Silvia Pera
Receiving the APCS scholarship allowed me to attend the 2023 conference and present my paper, “Navigating Queer Expression in Psychotherapy,” on a panel. This paper delved into how clinicians can better serve trans and non-binary clients by reflecting on their own gender biases. Despite initial apprehensions about discussing such a sensitive topic in a transphobic climate, I was met with warmth and openness from the onset.
The conference was both an honor and a learning opportunity, bringing together new psychologists and experienced analysts. Conference presentations skillfully intertwined classic psychoanalytic theories with contemporary existential issues, including climate change, while integrating sociocultural perspectives. I left the conference enriched, feeling welcomed into a new community and equipped with innovative insights and perspectives.
Silvia (they/them) is a PsyD student at the Wright Institute in Berkeley. They have worked at several community mental health clinics, including the Wright Institute CBT Clinic, LifeMoves (working within a shelter system), and Queer LifeSpace (working primarily with queer individuals). They are interested in psychoanalytic thought and how it can be adapted for use with queer and other marginalized individuals. They attended APCS as it seemed like a space where psychoanalytic thought and diversity and sociocultural perspectives were being explored together.
Tyler Hall
Thanks to the APCS scholarship I was able to attend the conference in person where I presented my paper "The Words Are Only Speculation: On Seeing Lacan in John Ashbery's 'Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror'", and I cannot say enough good things about the experience. Everyone I met was warm, inviting, and encouraging, the panels were full of interesting papers, and the conversations at dinner were always fun and stimulating. Make sure to go to a social dreaming session!
Tyler Hall is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Dallas. His interests include Lacanian psychoanalysis, Marxism, Evagrius Ponticus, 20th century American poetry, and boxing.