On this episode, psychoanalyst Karen Dougherty talks with Dr. Sharon Sliwinski, a professor of Information and Media Studies at Western University and a leading thinker at the intersection of psychoanalysis, visual culture, and political life. Sharon is the author of Dreaming in Dark Times and a new "picture" book, An Alphabet for Dreamers— both of which trace how dreams illuminate the psyche's imaginative and ethical life, especially in times of crisis. They explore what drew her to the study of dreams, her magnificent social dreaming project, "Dreamers of the 21st Century," and her rich and textured website—indispensable for psychoanalysts and activists alike--The Museum of Dreams.

On this episode Karen has a conversation with Margaret Ann Fitzpatrick Hanly, a distinguished Toronto-based psychoanalyst, teacher, and writer whose work has helped shape contemporary psychoanalytic thinking in Canada and beyond.

Margaret Ann, a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Toronto Psychoanalytic Society, has played a central role in psychoanalytic education and clinical training for decades. Known for her intellectual clarity and clinical depth, she has written and lectured widely on topics such as the nature of psychoanalytic knowledge, the process of interpretation, and the complexities of masochism. Her most recent book is Jane Austen: Sibling Rivalry, Unconscious Fantasy and Change.

Margaret Ann has also been an important institutional figure in Canadian psychoanalysis, helping sustain dialogue between psychoanalysis, philosophy, and the wider intellectual culture. Through her teaching and mentorship, she has influenced generations of analysts and psychotherapists.

Karen will be speaking with her about the 26th Joseph Sandler Psychoanalytic Research Conference being held in Toronto in fall of 2026 and hosted by Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Theaters of the Mind: Dreams, Transference, Dissociation, and Trauma
Friday, October 16th – Sunday, October 18th, 2026 
at Victoria University, in the University of Toronto
https://torontopsychoanalysis.com/ipa-26th-sandler-conference

In this episode of "Conversations in Psychoanalysis Today," Karen talks with Endre Koritar, a training analyst and supervisor at the Institute of the Psychoanalytic Society of Western Canada and a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia. Endre is also a board member of the International Sándor Ferenczi Network and an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Psychoanalysis. He shares his fascinating journey to the ideas of Hungarian psychoanalyst Sandor Ferenczi, and where those ideas have taken him in his work and in the world. How are Ferenczi conferences different from other psychoanalytic conferences? Listen, and find out.

For more information about the 15th International Conference of the International Sándor Ferenczi Network in Madrid in October 2026, visit www.ferenczimadrid2026.com.