Kaunas Society for the Studies of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (KSSPP) has gone the path of gradual development. It started in 1994 as Kaunas Study Group of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy initiated by medical doctor Vida Mickiene when a group of physicians, psychologists and students, interested in psychoanalysis, began to meet regularly in Kaunas Medical University (KMU). In 1995 psychoanalysts Espen Collett and Harald Kleppe from Norway and Sabine Wolschin from Germany began lecturing and giving seminars to this group. From the very beginning the studies of classical psychoanalysis were paralleled with the introduction of the works by the representatives of interpersonal and relational approaches to psychoanalysis (Harry Stack Sullivan, Jay Greenberg, Stephen Mitchell and others). These modern schools of psychoanalytic therapy remained the main landmarks of theoretical frame of reference for Kaunas group. In 1998 with pivotal input of Agnar Berle (at that time director of Oslo Institute of Psychotherapy) agreement about collaboration between KMU and Oslo Institute of Psychotherapy was signed and a five-year program of studies of psychoanalytic psychotherapy was started in accordance with international standards. Six candidates successfully graduated the program and took the obligations to spread the knowledge received from their teachers. Several young psychiatrists from initial study group left to Norway there to graduate their studies in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. The first group of psychoanalytic psychotherapists graduated their postgraduate studies in Kaunas Medical University in 2005. In 2008 these 16 psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists from Lithuania and Norway joined together and founded Kaunas Society for the Studies of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.

From the very beginning KSSPP was seeking to join international community of psychoanalysts. It became possible due to affiliation with the International Federation of Psychoanalytic Societies (IFPS). In 2005 Kaunas Study Group of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy was admitted to IFPS as a study group. In 2008 in the XV International Forum of Psychoanalytic Societies held in Santiago de Chile, Kaunas Society for the Studies of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy was accepted as a full member society of IFPS. IFPS is international psychoanalytic organization founded in 1962 as a reaction to orthodox frame of reference predominating in International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA). The goals of the Federation which joins 27 psychoanalytic societies from 16 countries are new scientific and academic achievements, facilitation of free discussion about the theory, practices and teaching of psychoanalysis among its members, encouragement of scientific and personal relations between psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic organizations.

Kaunas Society for the Studies of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy traditionally collaborates with Psychiatry Clinic of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences organizing postgraduate education in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. It is proceeding in two directions. First direction is to provide basic education of psychoanalytic psychotherapy to psychiatrists, physicians and clinical psychologists. In 2012 the fifth group of candidates had started their studies in this 3,5 year length program. Since 2006 this program is certified by Accreditation and Licensing Agency of Healthcare Ministry of Lithuania as „Introductory course for obtaining the license for practicing psychotherapy“. Persons interested in deeper knowledge of psychoanalytic theory and practice and becoming full members of KSSPP can study in the 2 year advanced course after graduation of the introductory course.

Another direction of postgraduate education in Kaunas is short courses and seminars focused on specific topics of psychoanalytic theory and practice. More than 15 courses were held with lecturers from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany and Lithuania since 1996. Some to mention: „Interpersonal and relational approach to psychoanalysis“, „Psychoanalysis of children and adolescents“, „Supportive psychoanalytic psychotherapy“, „Psychoanalytic psychotherapy in the treatment of personal disorders“, „Psychotherapy of addictions: integrated attitude“, „Psychodynamic psychiatry“.

Important goal of the Society is continuing professional improvement of its members. In 2008-2010 a program for educating supervisors was implemented with the teachers from Oslo Institute of Psychotherapy. Oslo Institute of Psychotherapy continues to support this process making possible our participation in seminars organized in Norway with such outstanding psychoanalysts as Lewis Aron, Glen O. Gabbard, Peter Fonagy, Mark Solms.

International conferences are held in Kaunas with participation of the psychoanalysts from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico and Lithuania. Conference „Intercultural experiences in modern psychoanalytic practice“ together with Seminario de Sociopsicoanalisis (Mexico) was held in August 2007, conference „Contemporary psychoanalysis in North America“ in June 2011 with psychoanalysts from The Institute of the Postgraduate Psychoanalytic Society (New York), conference „Relevance of E. Fromm for Psychotherapy“ with Internationale Erich-Fromm-Gesellschaft e.V. was held in May 2013.

Traditional meeting of Scandinavian IFPS psychoanalysts „Nordic Meeting“ was hosted by KSSPP in Kaunas in 2011 with the topic „Comings and goings“. October 2012 KSSPP organized and hosted in Kaunas another traditional conference of 3 Lithuanian psychoanalytic societies (Lithuanian Society of Psychoanalysis, Vilnius Psychoanalists’s Society and KSSPP) „Contemporary psychoanalytic theory in socio-cultural context“.

In September 17–19, 2014, together with the Institute for Psychotherapy in Norway and the Therapea Society in Finland we organized the international IFPS forum in Kaunas on the topic „Trauma, severe pathology, and psychoanalysis".

Every two years we participate in IFPS forums not only listening and taking part in discussions, but also presenting our own papers. The most recent IFPS forum took place in October 2024 in Bergamo.

Since the very beginning we have maintained our Wednesday society meetings dedicated to supervision of complex cases and discussions of relevant theoretical and practical issues.

We continue to invite distinguished foreign psychoanalysts. On March 6, 2020, the renowned Norwegian psychoanalyst Siri Erika Gullestad delivered an online lecture for Lithuanian psychotherapists „The otherness of sexuality: Exploring the conflicted nature of drive, desire, and object choice" and conducted supervisions for society members.

We held two online seminars with the Greek psychoanalyst Grigorios Muniadakis in 2020 and 2025. In 2020, during a seminar on narcissism, we listened to his presentation „Mythologies of non-being. Thoughts on narcissism and the concept of the negative" and discussed clinical material. In November 2025, he again gave a presentation for the society „Countertransference and frame in psychoanalytic therapy with non‑neurotic patients" and supervised a case presented by our members.

In November 2024, we held an online seminar with the well‑known American psychoanalyst Sandra Buechler „How to survive in difficult times". We invited all Lithuanian psychoanalytic therapists to attend her lecture and the supervision part also included a graduate of our program practicing in Latvia and a colleague practicing in Sweden.

KSSPP is a steadily developing and growing society. In cooperation with the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences four cohorts have already completed the introductory course of our psychoanalytic psychotherapy study program and the second advanced program is currently underway. In 2021 the full international training program was completed with participants from Belarus, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The society continues to grow and currently unites 24 members.