Celebrating Excellence: Dr. Ben Bernstein Wins Prestigious Susan C. Warshaw Award

We are excited to share that Dr. Ben Bernstein has been awarded first-place recognition in the 2025 Susan C. Warshaw competition. This prestigious honor, presented by the Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology, celebrates original contributions to child and adolescent psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Dr. Ben Bernstein is a clinical psychologist with expertise in treating adolescents, young adults, and executives/professionals. He combines his private practice with his role as Adolescent Psychologist and Assistant Director of Education at Silver Hill Hospital.

His award-winning paper explores non-directive play therapy with adolescents—a method that emphasizes creative freedom and emotional expression in therapeutic settings. His innovative approach sheds light on the complexities of adolescent psychology, offering valuable insights for practitioners worldwide.

His recognition underscores the importance of pushing boundaries in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. As we celebrate this accomplishment, we look forward to seeing how his work continues to shape the future of adolescent therapy.

The Susan C. Warshaw Award is a distinguished accolade that recognizes groundbreaking work in the field of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. The award focuses on original papers addressing special topics related to child and adolescent psychodynamic therapy. Dr. Bernstein’s paper, titled “‘What the hell was that?’: On Non-Directive Play Therapy with Adolescents,” exemplifies innovation and excellence in this domain.