Alicia A. MacDougall, PsyD, ABPP
Interview with a Specialist
Q. What is your practice like, and how did you get there?
A. I have worked in a wide variety of treatment settings, including child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient, adult psychiatric inpatient, adult medical inpatient, child and adolescent consultation and liaison services on inpatient medical/surgical floors, child and adolescent ICU, child and adolescent ambulatory clinics, and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In these roles, I have provided psychotherapy, consultation, and clinical supervision to medical students, psychiatry residents, psychology practicum students, pre-doctoral psychology interns, and postdoctoral psychology fellows. Currently, I own a private practice where I provide outpatient psychotherapy services, as well as clinical consultation to the local school districts in my area (psychotherapy and psychodiagnostic/ psychoeducational testing for IEP services). My psychotherapy practice serves individuals across the lifespan and with a wide variety of clinical presentations. Some of my areas of focus include, but are not limited to, severe and persistent mental illness, mood and personality disorders, complications from emergency medical events and pervasive medical diagnoses, somatic symptomatology, and various forms of psychological and physical abuse. I also provide support to parents with children with current or past NICU experiences, and provide psychotherapeutic services for perinatal and postpartum concerns.
In addition to direct psychotherapy services and clinical consultation, I am Affiliate Faculty at Antioch University New England, where I teach courses and provide clinical supervision to students in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral program.
Q. What is the most interesting/challenging/fulfilling aspect of your work as a psychologist? A. Because I work with such a variety of clinical presentations, I find that every hour of my day is uniquely interesting and challenging. Collectively, I would say that approaching therapy from a PA/PD lens has allowed me to really get to know people in a deep and meaningful way. It is fascinating to me to learn how a person thinks, feels, and experiences their world and what life experiences have influenced those perceptions and ways of being. I am then able to see those dynamics unfold in the transference and countertransference, and it never ceases to amaze me when I am able to bring those observations into the room as a catalyst to real intrapsychic change that ultimately transforms the trajectory of an individual’s life. I can’t think of anything more fulfilling than that—to aid in, and bear witness to, true psychological healing and growth.
Being a psychologist has its challenges as well. It is not easy to hear about or witness incredibly difficult life experiences that people you genuinely care about have gone through/are currently going through. Though systemic barriers can sometimes make treatment difficult to navigate, ultimately, I’m proud and honored to be a support during trying times.
Q. What motivated you to seek board certification in Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology?
A. I sought board certification as a means of providing transparency in my clinical practice. What I mean by this is that when I sit with a patient, or when I am providing clinical consultation, the person across from me can be assured that I have the education and training to inform what I am conveying. When people approach a psychologist looking for help—be that personally or professionally- they are doing so because something is not going quite the way they had hoped. They are already unsettled, and it feels like an ethical obligation to me to eliminate the guesswork of “did I actually find someone who knows how to help me?” by presenting them with the ABPP credential that assures them they are indeed sitting with a vetted professional.
Q. What advice would you give a candidate for board certification in Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology?
A. I would say to utilize the resources available to you. I may be biased here, but our Board and Academy, and those who are board certified in PA/PD, are a wonderful group of individuals who all genuinely want to see others succeed. If you are just starting out and still in training, I’d say reach out to those who you know who are involved in the PA/PD world to see how you can also get more involved. If you are a few years in or a seasoned clinician, reach out to colleagues who are already board certified. Also, our Academy is a great resource for those looking to learn more about credentialing, to receive mentorship, or to become involved in advocacy. Reference the Academy website and don’t hesitate to contact the Academy points of contact with specific questions.
Q. What would readers be most surprised to learn about you?
A. I am a weightlifter! I practice Olympic-style lifting and am in the gym working out 5x a week. The other two days of the week, I am either playing soccer, hiking in the mountains with my pup or navigating my way down the slopes on a snowboard. I live an active lifestyle and enjoy being challenged both physically and intellectually—I guess that is how I found my way to PA/PD practice!
Lewis Aron, PhD, ABPP
Interview with a Subspecialist
Q. What is your practice like?
A. I have been passionately engaged in the field of psychotherapy for over 40 years. I currently dedicate most my time to teaching and supervising psychotherapists. In addition, I continue to run a small clinical practice and now do a fair amount of consultations, evaluations, referrals, as well as brief interventions. As the director of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis, I oversee all activities of the program and lead the postgraduate education of the next generation of psychologist-psychoanalysis. In my role as Co-Editor of the Relational Perspectives Book Series, as well as in my own writing, my intention is to expand the theory, research, and practice of contemporary psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.
Most of my time is now spent running private study and reading groups for clinicians and psychotherapists. Many of these are in person in New York City but increasingly there are many on Skype/Zoom with participants from all over the world. For more information about my groups see my website: www.lewaron.com.
I have served as: President of the Division of Psychoanalysis (39) of the American Psychological Association; founding President of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP); and Founding President of the Division of Psychologist-Psychoanalysts of the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA). I am also the co-founder and co-chair of the Sándor Ferenczi Center at the New School for Social Research. In all of these activities I aim to further professionalize psychoanalytic psychology and expand our reach.
Q. What motivated you to seek board certification in psychoanalysis?
A. The American Board of Professional Psychology provides peer and public recognition of demonstrated competence in a specialty area of psychology. The leadership of the Division (39) of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association (APA) spent years fighting for this recognition within professional psychology. It long seemed to me that promoting board certification was one important way for psychoanalysis to be recognized as a specialty by our profession. Thus, I was certified early on and have encouraged colleagues and students to become board certified specialists when they become eligible.
Q. What was the most challenging/interesting/surprising aspect of the board certification process?
A. While it has been many years since I was certified, nevertheless, I distinctly remember that it was a warm, collegial, and respectful process. I recall presenting a case history and process notes of my work with a patient who had been engaged in a lengthy analysis. Our conversation about the case was engaging, challenging, and thought provoking, which helped me to learn from this collegial discussion. We had a rich exchange about ethical considerations that I thought warranted our attention and consideration.
Q. What have you found most valuable or rewarding about board certification?
A. My professional identity includes being both a clinical psychologist, licensed by New York State in psychology, and a psychoanalyst with advanced specialized post-doctoral education. I continue to work toward the advancement of both clinical psychology and psychoanalysis. Hence, I identify myself as a psychologist-psychoanalyst. I am proud to be a board certified specialist in psychoanalysis and use the title on my correspondence and letterhead. One of my significant aims is to further the professionalization of psychoanalysis and to fight for its ongoing recognition as a specialty in organizational and professional psychology.
Q. What would readers be most surprised to learn about you?
A. I think many who are most familiar with my activities as a clinical psychoanalyst are surprised to learn that in addition to clinical psychoanalytic therapy, I spend one day a week consulting to executives, businesses, and organizations. Specifically, I frequently consult NYC hedge funds, where I’ve gained a good deal of experience in interviewing, assessment, and executive consultation.
Many colleagues are also surprised to learn that I play lead and rhythm guitar for a psychoanalytic rock band, named “SIG!!!” I started the band around 2004. Our members are all psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. We play classic rock and are available for professional events and fund-raisers.