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Director of since 1991
(www.orinyc.org). She also wrote and
runs an ongoing writing group, maintains an office in NYC’s published six books. She has several
does individual consultations with vibrant East Village, at which she more coming, including a textbook on
those writing (or wanting to write), conducts sessions and brings practice and three volumes on her
and engages in intensive therapy people to realizations, both on the selected papers (from journal articles
and analysis with writers, as well as couch and off. Together they and edited book chapters). She wrote
with all those seeking to find address topics that plague our about the two major British theorists in
themselves in a creative way, and mind—envy, jealousy, creativity, her 2014 Karnac/Routledge book “The
with those seeking to heal their loss and mourning. Fear of Klein-Winnicott Dialectic…,” showing
success, fear of intimacy, self-
relationships, or find one, in a sabotage cycles, interpersonal how the mothers of the theorists
creative way. relationships, sexuality, influenced their theories, and how
stress/anxiety, and abandonment their contributions are profoundly
She has delved into the tortured fears, to name a few. important for clinical work, especially
mind of famous writers, such as when combined with her own theory
Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Emily Dr. Susan says that becoming of “Developmental Mourning,” which
Bronte, Virginia Woolf, and Emily consciously aware of the primal is highlighted in her books on
Dickinson, Diane Arbus, plus more, self and the inner child is often the “Mourning, Spirituality and Psychic
and into the mind of other artists key to what we are manifesting in Change…” (Routledge 2003, Gradiva
such as Suzanne Farrell of the New the moment. She has long been Award from NAAP 2004) and on “The
York City Ballet. However, she is fascinated with the pathology of Anatomy of Regret…”
most devoted to helping those yet our earliest relationships, and with (Karnac/Routledge 2013).
to become published writers and how all that impacts our internal
artists, as well as all others who relationships in the first three Dr. Kavaler-Adler’s institute offers
struggle with blocks and conflicts years of life, when the self is certificate programs, and select
that inhibit their self-expression in forming. We each create an curriculum, for those who want to
all arenas of life (certainly men and internal world, which affects how explore human development and how
women, lawyers, doctors, and we perceive people in the external that development can get arrested or
psychotherapists, as well as artists). world and our ability to maintain blocked by both conscious and
good relationships.
Dr. Susan helps writers to realize unconscious conflicts, and by
ways they sabotage their own Dr. Susan learned this as she began repressed emotional needs, terrors,
success, and either block creativity to study the internal world of and doubts. The curriculum highlights
Contact Info:
or encourage it to flow. She also relationships that evolve, and form both British and American Object
looks deeply at how they entertain our identity, our purpose, our Relations theorists, and the clinical
The Alchemist Professors
such dangerous and erotic love, and our desire to be more Vancouver BC V7R2P6
relationships with their muses, fully alive. She studied the British Contact: Dr. Sydney Scott
probing with her keen and American Object Relations Phone: (604) 916-8623
understanding of psychology, as theorists who help us integrate Email:
well as with her love of parts of ourselves, and to go sydney@thealchemistprofessors.com
literary/artistic works. through a necessary psychological Website:
process of identity formation www.thealchemistprofessors.com
This dimension of Dr. Susan was called “separation-individuation,”
most intriguing to me as a writer. and wrote a curriculum that led to
She provides individual, couples, the founding of the institute (along
and group therapy, and individual with Dr. Robert Weinstein) that
psychoanalysis. She also she has been the Executive

supervises and teaches other
mental health professionals. She
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