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Welcoming Program Launched

There are probably as many different reactions to entering a bustling beehive of 500ish professionals as there are actual attendees at large conferences. While some like nothing better than to "dive right in" others have said they wished the process were easier for them. At the annual Psychology of the Self conference (held this year in Baltimore in October 2005), IAPSP initiated a program to welcome newcomers, to facilitate their "comfort-in-the-group". Intended to enhance participation in and enjoyment of the meeting, the effort was initially suggested by Dr. Maria Slowiaczek who, along with Dr. Shelley Doctors, implemented the fledgling effort. The program was created to help newcomers get to know others socially, which we think can make for a more user-friendly experience, especially at mealtimes and coffee breaks when it can appear that everyone is meeting and greeting colleagues and old friends and acquaintances.

Conference attendees who wished to participate were paired with experienced self psychologists who volunteered to "meet and greet" two newcomers. Prior to the conference, the experienced volunteer contacted each of two newcomers, (individuals who indicated they wished to participate in the "Welcoming Program"), initiating a dialogue and offering to respond to questions. In many cases this led to phone contact as well. For most, this resulted in a plan to meet early in the conference, which we learned was key to a successful encounter. Further, pairing two newcomers with each volunteer acquainted each newcomer with at least one new friend who shared something of their actual experience.

Fifteen "welcomers" participated along with thirty "newcomers". Many chose to meet at the Thursday night reception. Some chose to have lunch or dinner together, to sit together at panels, or to meet at coffee breaks. We had arranged for Welcoming Program participants to sit together at the Kohut Memorial Luncheon, which for most was a further opportunity to meet people motivated to meet them and get to know them. Although we tried to create a "group" to attend the Saturday evening reception together, our last-minute effort was less successful than the better thought out luncheon tables had been.

After the conference, to learn more about what had happened and to better plan for future years, participants were sent questionnaires. In the main, newcomers and welcomers alike were glad to have participated. Most newcomers felt grateful for the program and reported that the conference atmosphere felt inclusive and friendly; when they were able to make significant contact with new friends, their sense of belonging and their sense of having profited from the entire experience was enhanced. As this year's "welcomers" were all members of the International Council, many newcomers said they were surprised and happy that distinguished members of the Self Psychology community had been so available to them. The "welcomers" enjoyed the experience and many indicated they had benefited from the opportunity to meet new colleagues.

We learned that opportunities for sustained conversation were the most useful for all concerned, though it isn't yet clear to us how we will build on this understanding. The conference is jam-packed and many people who might otherwise participate may feel the tug of other competing professional and social obligations. So how will we build on a promising initiative?

We're hard at work trying to expand and improve our first effort. For the 2006 conference in Chicago, the Welcoming Program will be announced in the printed brochure as well as on the website, which should result in more participants. We are wondering about a "Logo" to help participants find each other in crowded rooms, and trying to see whether there is some time during the conference when participants could meet as a group. It would probably be helpful to have a group attending the Saturday night reception together, for that appears to be intimidating to otherwise spunky folks.

If you have ideas about how to improve this new initiative, please write to us. Additionally, we invite those who have attended several self psychology conferences and who wish to welcome newcomers into the fold to contact us directly. We don't define "newcomers" - anyone who might like to be personally greeted prior to the conference and at the conference is invited to participate. Many of this year's participants had attended previously and yet felt this experience enhanced their conference attendance. For all comments, suggestions, and inquiries about the program, please contact Maria Slowiaczek at mls@umich.edu or Shelley Doctors at srdoctors@psychoanalysis.net.