Austen Riggs Center

06/18/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 recipients of the Evelyn Stefansson Nef Scholarship!

Through the Evelyn Stefansson Nef Scholarship, the Austen Riggs Center continues to support local students pursuing education in fields connected to psychology, human development, healthcare, and the social sciences.

The Austen Riggs Center has named Eleanor Konrad, Madeleine Hennessey, and Natalie Hall as the 2026 Evelyn Stefansson Nef Scholarship recipients.

06/11/2026

The Austen Riggs Intensive Outpatient Program offers convenient online treatment for young adults in Vermont and Massachusetts. To learn more, see the link in the comments.

06/10/2026

In this free YouTube lecture, Edward R. Shapiro, MD, explores the influential theories of Melanie Klein and Otto Kernberg and their impact on contemporary psychoanalytic thinking. Through clinical examples and case-based teaching, Dr. Shapiro examines object relations theory, projective identification, personality development, ego formation, attachment, aggression, identity diffusion, and the origins of personality disorders.

The presentation traces the evolution of psychoanalytic concepts from Freud through Klein, Bion, and Kernberg, demonstrating how early relational experiences shape personality structure, emotional development, and interpersonal functioning. Particular attention is given to borderline personality organization, narcissism, primitive defenses, transference, countertransference, and the therapeutic process.

In this lecture, Edward R. Shapiro, MD, Medical Director and CEO of...

06/05/2026

As psychiatry increasingly focuses on neuroscience, brief treatment, and standardized interventions, it's worth remembering the institutions that pioneered a different vision of care.

Featured in this history of the psychoanalytic hospital, the Austen Riggs Center stands alongside Menninger and Chestnut Lodge as one of the pioneering treatment centers that placed the person—not just the diagnosis—at the center of treatment.

For more than a century, Riggs has emphasized meaning, relationships, personal agency, and the unique experience of each individual. Founded in 1919, Riggs remains one of the few institutions carrying this tradition forward today.

Read the article:

Long before brief hospital stays became the norm, psychoanalytic hospitals sought to understand mental illness through intensive therapeutic relationships.

06/04/2026

Authors Mark L. Ruffalo, MSW, DPsa, and Trisha M. Ruffalo, MSW, highlight the important role psychotherapy can play in preventing relapse in schizophrenia and supporting long-term recovery. At Austen Riggs, we believe that helping people understand their experiences, strengthen connections, and actively participate in their treatment can be a powerful part of healing.

Read more:

Explore how integrated psychotherapy—CBTp, family support, and humane alliance—reduces relapse and restores meaning beyond medication in schizophrenia.

06/04/2026

Join Hannah Zeavin, PhD, for a free Virtual Grand Rounds this Friday. Register at education.austenriggs.org/HannahZeavin-GR.

06/03/2026

Choosing a residential psychiatric treatment program is a meaningful and often complex decision. These free online sessions are designed for individuals and families who are trying to determine whether residential treatment is the right choice. Join Drs Habl and Ridenour tonight. The registration link is in the comments.

06/01/2026

Coloring Our Past is a course at an independent school in Salisbury, CT. Their goal is to research and share local stories that have been lost, buried, or ignored.

Students taking part in the course visited Riggs this spring and interviewed Director of Research Katie Lewis, PhD; Manager of the Erikson Institute Library, Archives, and Operations Alison Lotto, MA, MLIS; and Lavender Door Manager/Ceramics Instructor Michael McCarthy.

Here is the video the students produced.

The history of the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center and how pieces ...

05/29/2026

Dr. Biel will be online today if you have questions about our online IOP.

Make summer a turning point!

Austen Riggs Center’s Online IOP for young adults in MA or VT offers rolling admission to a summer intensive for college students, bringing meaningful, structured support to your doorstep.

Learn more at our Virtual Office Hours:
Friday, May 15, 22, 29 | 4–5pm ET

Click on the link in the comments for the link to join.

05/22/2026

Join Spencer Biel, PsyD, today at 4:00 if you have questions or would like to learn more about the Austen Riggs Online IOP.

Make summer a turning point!

Austen Riggs Center’s Online IOP for young adults in MA or VT offers rolling admission to a summer intensive for college students, bringing meaningful, structured support to your doorstep.

Learn more at our Virtual Office Hours:
Friday, May 15, 22, 29 | 4–5pm ET

Click on the link in the comments for the link to join.