It may seem an odd match at first: a cartoonist and a psychoanalytic society. But dig deeper into the recent announcement that New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast will be speaking at a benefit, and it starts to make a bit sense. After all, cartooning is all about surfacing the things that make us anxious or uncomfortable, often exploring taboo subjects through art, symbolism, and humor. These are also some of the most essential ingredients of analytic therapy, which is one good reason why Ms. Chast was invited:

Brilliantly interpreting everyday situations Chast's cartoons capture "our neurotic worries and genuine fears our mundane and existential anxieties our daydreams nightmares insecurities and guilty regrets" says Michiko Kakutani in The New York Times. Chast's drawings and books speak to the human concerns that are at the core of the theory and values of psychoanalysis. Her graphic autobiography "Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?" tells a daughter's story about aging parents family life love suffering and loss. In this and all her work Chast conveys attentiveness to spoken and unspoken words and feelings with wry humor that addresses our most fundamental concerns about living.

Add this to the list of cultural icons such as Gary Shteyngart who personally attest to the unique power and permanence of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. We wish the author best of luck, and urge you to follow her lead in exploring your own emotional life with an expert on psychoanalysis.