Albert Mason

1926 - 2018

Dr. Albert Mason, psychoanalyst, died unexpectedly in hospital on May 16, 2018, after a brief illness. Born in 1926 and raised in London, he received his medical training at Guys Hospital and began his medical career as an anesthesiologist. He received international recognition at the age of 27 for his groundbreaking cure of a congenital skin condition through hypnosis. Following extensive research on psychosomatic illness, he completed a residency in psychiatry and later trained as a psychoanalyst at the British Psychoanalytical Society. His expertise in the field of British Object Relations, particularly the work of Melanie Klein, led to an invitation to relocate to America in 1969 with his analytic colleague, Wilfred Bion. Dr. Mason quickly established himself as one of the pillars of the psychoanalytic community in Los Angeles. He was Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Southern California, Visiting Professor of Psychiatry at U.C.L.A.'s Neuropsychiatric Institute, and a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Los Angeles Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, now the New Center for Psychoanalysis (NCP). Dr. Mason was a founding member, Training and Supervising Analyst, and twice President of the Psychoanalytic Center of California (PCC), and was instrumental in introducing and developing Kleinian thought in America, extending British Object Relations from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and beyond. He was a founding member of the Confederation of Independent Psychoanalytic Societies (CIPS), a member of the American Psychoanalytic Society, and a past member of the House of Delegates of the International Psychoanalytic Association. He was a tireless and beloved teacher, supervisor, analyst, and mentor to hundreds in the field of psychology and psychoanalysis. He published and lectured extensively in the United States and abroad and maintained a private practice in Beverly Hills, California. Dr. Mason is survived by his wife Jennifer, daughter Sara, sister and brother-in-law Anne and Andreas Apostolou and granddaughter Emma Ebowe. Contributions in his memory can be made to the Psychoanalytic Center of California, 11500 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 445, Los Angeles, CA, 90064. A Memorial Service will be held in the fall of 2018 with details to be announced by the Psychoanalytic Center of California.