The Melbourne Association for Psychodynamic Psychiatry (MAPP)

MAPP is an incorporated not-for-profit organisation. MAPP consists of practising psychiatrists/psychodynamic psychotherapists with an aim to promote psychodynamic psychiatry through providing support, education, supervision and networking.

Melbourne Association for Psychodynamic Psychiatry or MAPP is the only association of Psychodynamic Psychiatrists in Melbourne. The association was originally formed as a subcommittee of the section of Psychotherapy and as a response to an existential threat to Psychodynamic Psychiatry, arising from the Psychopharmacological revolution that originated in the US and swept around the world towards the end of the last century.

A Brief History of Psychodynamic training through VATPP and MAPP
In the late 20th century, psychoanalytic thinking virtually disappeared from Australian Research, Administrative and Public psychiatry. In 1997, an intensive psychotherapy in private psychiatry was dealt a near death blow by the introduction of vastly reduced Medicare rebates, effectively restricting intensive treatment to the privileged few.

Advanced training programs with certificated psychiatrist psychotherapists were a way of responding proactively to expected future attempts, both within and without the college, to regulate psychodynamic practice out of existence.

A Victorian-based working group was formed to provide the theoretical, clinical and infant observation seminar requirements of advanced training in psychodynamic psychotherapy. But the working group foundered for a while on the vexed issue of compulsory therapy for trainees.  Personal therapy or analysis had always been considered the cornerstone of any training with the word ‘psychoanalytic’ in it. However, in modern institutions like universities and colleges, such a thing could not be contemplated as governance issues appeared insurmountable.

Later a second working group was formed. This group accepted that while personal therapy was ‘highly desirable’ in advanced training, it was nevertheless not compulsory. Some roadblocks emerged.

In response, the second working group incorporated as a not-for-profit educational organisation based on the principles of good governance acceptable to the College – principally a separation between board and executive and accountability to the College for course accreditation. As the association provided seminars for those doing Advanced Training with the Psychotherapies, the association was aptly named Victorian Advanced training in the Psychotherapies for Psychiatry or VATPP.