Hyman Spotnitz, M.D.

1908 - 2008
Dr. Hyman Spotnitz died of natural causes in Manhattan on Friday, April 18, 2008, at age 99. Dr. Spotnitz, research psychiatrist, neurologist and the founder of Modern Psychoanalysis, was born in Boston. The oldest of five siblings, he grew up in the North End, attended Boston Latin School, and graduated from Harvard College in 1929. He received his M.D. from Friedrich Wilhelms University in Berlin in 1934. He earned a Doctor of Medical Science degree in Neurology in 1939 at Columbia University P&S. He was certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in 1941. He was married to Miriam Berkman, his childhood sweetheart, until her death in 1977. They had three sons.

Influenced by Sigmund Freud, Dr. Spotnitz believed that psychoanalysis could be extended to cure severe narcissistic disorders that Freud deemed untreatable. Dr. Spotnitz believed schizophrenia was reversible. He felt that failure to treat schizophrenia was due to inadequate methods and not to intrinsic incurability of the condition. He sought a cure in his private practice and in collaborative research and supervision at the Jewish Board of Guardians, where he was consulting psychiatrist. In his book, "Modern Psychoanalysis of the Schizophrenic Patient (1969)," he laid out a theory and technique for the treatment of schizophrenia, formulated from his pioneering clinical research and practice.

Dr. Spotnitz's career included research in neurophysiology at the New York State Neurological Institute and in psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He was Adjunct Psychiatrist at Mount Sinai and the Hospital for Joint Diseases. He was honorary President of the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies, The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis and the Mid-Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis. His books include "Psychotherapy of Preoedipal Conditions," and, with Phyllis Meadow, Ph.D., "Treatment of the Narcissistic Neuroses." A pioneer in group psychotherapy, he wrote "The Couch and the Circle" in 1961 and co-authored other books aimed at a general audience. He published over 100 articles and was a distinguished supervisor, training analyst, lecturer and group psychoanalyst. In 1988, he received the Sigmund Freud Award from the American Society of Psychoanalytic Physicians. He was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The American Psychiatric Association honored Dr. Spotnitz in January, 1991 for 50 years of service to the Association and to psychiatry. His videotaped interview, "Conversations with Dr. Hyman Spotnitz on Modern Group Psychoanalysis," was released in 1999.

He lived with his wife, Dorothy Harten Spotnitz until her death in 2007. He is survived by his loving family, Drs. Henry, Alan, and William Spotnitz, Dr. Elizabeth Goldberg, Drs. Sharon Spotnitz, Arlene Bonapace, and Denise Schain, and Mr. Richard Goldberg. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Dr. Jennifer Goldberg Goldman, Dr. Michelle Spotnitz, Matthew Spotnitz, Margo Goldberg, Russell Spotnitz, Joanna and Alexander.

A memorial service is being planned. Contributions may be made to the American Neurological Association, Columbia University or Harvard University.