by June Lin-Arlow, LMFT 

My time as Editor of Impulse comes to an end next month, as I turn inwards and go on maternity leave. This is likely the last time you’ll hear from me in a Letter from the Editor. Nicholas Hack will be covering for me as Interim Editor from October through December this year, through the end of my term. I am very grateful to him for stepping up as well as supporting me throughout my time as Editor. Recently I learned that we are both air signs, but I’m glad that he’s way more detail oriented than I am.

In Potential Space, it has felt important to encourage contemplative writing that values subjective experience, internal dialogue, and self-awareness of social position. Thank you to Amber Trotter and Rebekah Tinker for returning as writers this year, and it has been exciting to hear from new voices: Jasmine Khor, Tara Lasheen, Claire Greenwood, Ronna Haglili, and Mary Mykhaylova. And of course, thanks to Michele McGuinness for being the backbone to Impulse as well as all of NCSPP. 

I wish I could announce a new Editor who will be taking over in January, but I haven’t found the right person yet. There’s been a mental health crisis in California, and everyone I speak to seems to be at capacity in both their personal and professional lives. Being Editor is a great opportunity to get to know the local psychoanalytic community, hold yourself accountable to writing on a regular basis, and help shape NCSPP’s direction as part of the Board of Directors. If you’re reading this and are even slightly interested, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at jlarlow@ncspp.org!  

It has been difficult to feel connected to the local psychoanalytic community, as we have spent the last 2 years mostly in virtual space. It seems like we are at an inflection point, where organizations are really grappling with issues of identity. There’s been a shift, where a newer generation of early career clinicians are pushing for changes that can seem insurmountable to organizations that have existing structures built over decades. 

The psychoanalytic world is also becoming more connected in some ways, and it’s been easier to find like-minded communities. I have been seeing new groups self-organizing at the intersection of psychoanalysis and racial justice around the country and the world. The virtual format has also made it possible to attend programs that are not local. I’m in a 2-year program at an institute in New York that will likely have a virtual option going forward, and that seems to be the trend for many institutes. 

With all of these changes, I’m also craving the richer, less frenetic pace of being in person. The in-between times of joking during break, bringing snacks to share, and exchanging glances in reaction to something that was said. Remember when we used to make eye contact? Hopefully this is not “goodbye” but “see you later.” Ideally somewhere that’s not on the internet.