Austen Riggs Center

10/22/2026

Tomorrow night, Todd McGowan, PhD, examines how love disrupts psychic equilibrium and reveals the workings of Freud’s death drive. He argues that falling in love involves surrendering self-interest to elevate another into a sublime object that reshapes desire and gives meaning through loss.

Register: education.austenriggs.org/ToddMcGowan-FNGL

10/21/2026

If you or a loved one is thinking about residential treatment, join our online information session tonight.

What we'll cover:
- What makes Austen Riggs different from other psychiatric programs
- The kinds of situations where Riggs-level care tends to make a difference
- How families are involved in treatment
- How we think about safety in an open, non-restrictive setting
- What the admissions and evaluation process actually involves and what daily life as a patient looks like

Register at austenriggs.org/info-session-patient

10/19/2026

Why does trauma affect people differently?

Two people can experience similar events but respond in very different ways. Understanding those differences is an important part of understanding psychological suffering.

Katie Lewis, PhD, Director of Research at the Austen Riggs Center, recently co-edited a special issue of the Journal of Personality Assessment exploring how psychological assessment can help clinicians better understand traumatic stress.

The research highlights the importance of looking beyond symptoms to develop a fuller understanding of a person's psychological experiences.

At Austen Riggs, we believe that understanding the individual is essential to meaningful treatment.

Learn more about this research here

Published in Journal of Personality Assessment (Vol. 108, No. 6, 2026)

10/19/2026

The Austen Riggs Center has named Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP, Director of Admissions, effective at the end of September. Kyle Shepard, DO, will become Associate Director of Admissions.

The appointments come as Riggs continues to place greater emphasis on helping patients, families, and referring clinicians understand not simply how to enter treatment, but whether the Center’s distinctive open, voluntary residential model is the right clinical fit.

The Austen Riggs Center has named Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP, Director of Admissions, effective at the end of September. Kyle Shepard, DO, will become Associate Director of Admissions.

10/07/2026

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is reportedly one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized diagnoses in the world of mental health.

On October 30th Austen Riggs Center hosts a FREE webinar you may want to attend: A Disorder of Diffusion: Contemporary Perspectives on Borderline Personality Disorder presented by Alexander Kriss, PhD, who presents a contemporary psychoanalytic overview of BPDs diagnosis and treatment and more.

Register now: https://tinyurl.com/dpwyjs8b

10/06/2026

More access to the Austen Riggs Online IOP in Massachusetts.

We’re pleased to announce that our Online Intensive Outpatient Program is now in-network with United (Optum) Healthcare in Massachusetts.

The Riggs Online IOP offers a depth-oriented approach for emerging adults who need more support than traditional outpatient treatment, while allowing them to stay at home and maintain school, work, and other commitments.

Learn more about the program, insurance coverage, and admissions at www.austenriggs.org/iop.

10/01/2026

What does hope look like in difficult times, and what role can clinicians, institutions, and communities play in sustaining it?

Beginning tomorrow, Hope in Hard Times: Building Community brings together clinicians and scholars to explore topics including:

• Radical hope in times of trauma and social instability
• Ethics, responsibility, and social justice
• Talking across differences of identity, power, and experience
• Racism, colonialism, and organizational defenses
• Community leadership and social action
• Bringing psychoanalytic ideas beyond the consulting room

Presented by the Erikson Institute of the Austen Riggs Center, the conference is designed not only for listening, but for discussion, reflection, and connection with colleagues.

Join us in person October 2–3 at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA. Virtual participation is also available for those who can’t make it to the Berkshires.

Learn more and register at www.austenriggs.org/2026-fall-conference.

This hybrid conference is designed for mental health clinicians and allied professionals seeking to think together about the ethical, clinical, and institutional challenges of practicing in a time marked by social fragmentation, political instability, and collective trauma.

09/23/2026

A new grant from Four Pines Fund will enable the Austen Riggs Center to increase awareness of and expand access to intensive mental health treatment for emerging adults across Vermont. The Riggs program, which accepts insurance and offers need-based financial assistance, provides support to a population at a critical developmental juncture. The grant also enhances Riggs’ ability to measure patient outcomes.

Support will help college students, graduate students, and emerging adults in Vermont access intensive, team-based mental health treatment

09/23/2026

The Austen Riggs Online IOP is an innovative program for emerging adults in Massachusetts and Vermont that draws on over a century of expertise at Riggs treating people with complex emotional and interpersonal challenges.

Join us tonight for a free online session designed to help referrers, prospective patients, and families better understand the Austen Riggs IOP and whether it may be a good fit. Dr. Spencer Biel, Director of Online IOP, will provide an overview of the program, explain the admissions process, and answer general questions from attendees. https://www.austenriggs.org/online-information-session-intensive-outpatient-program