War, Trauma, and Attachment: Case Discussions and Global Dialogue in Times of Conflict
October 19 - 12pm - 2pm ET
via Zoom
2.0 CE Credits - Pending Approval
OPEN FLYER
We cordially invite you to join us for a special international virtual roundtable organized by the International Relations Committee. This program will explore the intersections of war, trauma, and attachment through a live case supervision with Dr. Nancy McWilliams, followed by an open dialogue with our global audience.
The case will be presented by IRC International Scholar Veronika Lukyanova, who will share the clinical challenges of working with a Ukrainian frontline soldier—illuminating the inner world of those living through war and the profound struggles it creates in relationships and self-experience.
This event is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Jonathan H. Slavin (1942–2025), twice President of Division 39 (Psychoanalysis) and the visionary founder of the International Relations Committee. In the early 1990s, Dr. Slavin recognized the importance of fostering psychoanalytic dialogue across borders, establishing the IRC as a platform for global collaboration and mentorship. His commitment to international exchange continues to shape and inspire our work today.
By bringing together supervision, clinical dialogue, and international reflection, this session honors both the urgent realities of clinical practice in times of conflict and the enduring legacy of a colleague whose vision made this gathering possible.
About the Presenters:
Supervisor
Dr. Nancy McWilliams is a distinguished affiliate faculty member at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. She has a private practice in Lambertville, NJ, and is the author of Psychoanalytic Diagnosis (1994; rev. ed. 2011), Psychoanalytic Case Formulation (1999), Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (2004), and Psychoanalytic Supervision (2021), all published by Guilford Press. She has edited, coauthored, or contributed to several other books and served as Associate Editor of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (2006; 2nd ed. 2017). A former president of APA’s Division 39 (Psychoanalysis), she sits on the editorial board of Psychoanalytic Psychology. A graduate of the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, Dr. McWilliams is affiliated with the Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of New Jersey and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Austen Riggs Center. She is an honorary member of the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Moscow Psychoanalytic Society, the Institute for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy of Turin, Italy, and the Warsaw Scientific Association for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. She has appeared in three APA master-therapist videos and was a plenary speaker at the 2015 APA convention. Her writings have been translated into 20 languages, and she has taught in 30 countries.
Case Presenter
Veronika Lukyanova, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. Candidate in Neuroscience Veronika Lukyanova is a Ukrainian psychologist and psychoanalytic scholar, currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Bonn University, Germany. A recipient of the 2025 International Relations Committee Scholar Award of APA Division 39, she has extensive clinical experience working with Ukrainian soldiers and families affected by war. Her research and publications explore the psychoanalytic dimensions of trauma, attachment, and group dynamics, and she has presented internationally at APA Division 39, EFPP, and other conferences.
Learning Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to identify and explain at least three ways in which war-related trauma interacts with early attachment injuries, shaping patterns of adult relationships and vulnerabilities.
2. Participants will be able to identify and describe at least three specific clinical challenges that arise when working with individuals exposed to frontline combat and ongoing conflict, including manifestations of acting-out and various destructive behaviors.
3. Participants will be able reflect on and articulate at least three internal biases, emotional responses, or vulnerabilities that may limit their ability to work effectively with individuals living in or returning from war zones.
