Jill Savege Scharff

Jill Savege Scharff, M.D., FABP, MRC. PSYCH is a Scottish-American psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, author and teacher known for her contributions to object relations theory, psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and the development of teleanalysis. In the 1990s she co-founded the International Psychotherapy Institute (IPI) with psychoanalyst David E. Scharff, MD. She served as the founding chair of its International Institute for Psychoanalytic Training (IIPT), as well as training programs in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and supervision. ^[1] She received the Sigourney Award in 2021 for her work in advancing psychoanalysis through distance education and virtual analytic practice. ^[2]

Early life and education

Jill Savege Scharff received her medical degree (MB ChB) from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in 1967. ^[3] Following her graduation, she trained in psychiatry and became a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom. Later, in the United States, she trained as a psychoanalyst and became Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis (FABP). ^{[4] [5]}

Career

Jill Savege Scharff began her career in clinical psychiatry and psychoanalysis, with a theoretical foundation in object relations theory. She has worked in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and has held many academic and institutional roles. ^[6] She is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University and a Teaching Analyst at the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute, and a Teaching Analyst at the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute. ^{[7] [8]}

Scharff has been recognized for her work in telepsychiatry and teleanalysis, particularly in adapting psychoanalytic training and supervision to online platforms. ^{[9] [10]} She has taught and supervised clinicians across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa through virtual education models. In recognition of her work in distance psychoanalytic education and international training, ^[11] Scharff was awarded the 2021 Sigourney Award alongside her husband and long-time collaborator, David E. Scharff, M.D. ^{[2] [12]}

Major works

Jill Savege Scharff is recognized for her work in object relations theory, a branch of psychoanalysis that emphasizes the internalization of interpersonal relationships and their influence on psychic development. Her clinical writing has explored themes such as projective and introjective identification, the therapist's use of self, couple and family dynamics, and the treatment of trauma. ^[1]

Scharff has authored and edited numerous books and scholarly articles, both independently and in collaboration with David E. Scharff. Together, they contributed to the development of object relations family therapy and object relations couple therapy, integrating psychoanalytic theory with systemic and relational approaches. ^{[13] [14]}

One of her solo publications Projective and Introjective Identification and the Use of the Therapist's Self (1992), has been cited in psychoanalytic training literature and supervision. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

In response to developments in global psychoanalytic education, Scharff contributed to the use of teleanalysis and the online delivery of psychoanalytic supervision and training. ^[18] She edited the four-volume series Psychoanalysis Online, examining how distance and virtual communication affect the therapeutic process. ^[19]

She is the co‑editor of the Library of Object Relations and the series editor of the Library of Technology and Mental Health, both published by Jason Aronson and later by Rowman & Littlefield. These series include works focusing on the application of psychoanalytic theory in clinical practice and related fields. ^[20]

Selected bibliography

• Object Relations Family Therapy (1991) with Scharff, David E. ^{[13] [14]}
• Projective and Introjective Identification and the Use of the Therapist's Self (1992) ^[15]
• Object Relations Individual Therapy (1998). ^[21]
• Object Relations Couple Therapy (2000) with Scharff, David E. ^[22]
• Object Relations Therapy of Physical and Sexual Trauma (2001). ^[23]
• The Primer of Object Relations (2nd ed.) (2005) with Scharff, David E. ^[24]
• Tuning the Therapeutic Instrument: Affective Learning of Psychotherapy (2009) ^[25]

Personal life

Jill Savege Scharff is married to David E. Scharff, a fellow psychoanalyst and psychiatrist. ^[26] The couple has collaborated extensively on scholarly works related to object relations theory, couple and family therapy, and teleanalysis. They reside in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where they maintain a joint private practice. ^[5]

References

1. "Scharff, Jill Savege, M.D. | IPI E-Books" . Retrieved 2025-11-07.
2. Parker, Jennifer (2021-11-17). "David Scharff, MD and Jill Savege Scharff, MD, 2021". The Sigourney Awards. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
3. "Jill Savege Scharff, Psychiatrist, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
4. "Dr Jill Scharff – Speaker – Confer Online". Confer. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
5. "About David and Jill Scharff". Scharff MD. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
6. Siegel, Judith (2016-05-26). "A Journal of Family Social Work conversation with Jill Savege Scharff, MD". Journal of Family Social Work. 19 (3): 157–166. doi:10.1080/10522158.2016.1192927. ISSN   1052-2158.
7. "Jill Scharff on Object Relations Couples Therapy". www.psychotherapy.net. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
8. "Jill Savege Scharff – ORCID". orcid.org. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
9. Scharff, Jill Savege, ed. (2018). "Psychoanalysis Online | Mental Health, Teletherapy, and Training | Jil". Taylor & Francis. doi:10.4324/9780429478833. ISBN   978-0-429-47883-3. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15.
10. "Psychoanalysis Online 4: Teleanalytic Practice, Teaching, and Clinical Research". Routledge & CRC Press. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
11. "Psychoanalysis Online: Mental Health, Teletherapy, and Training by Jill Savege Scharff". Karnac Books. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
12. "Our Work and What the Award Means to Us: 2021 Sigourney Award Winners | Psychiatric Times". www.psychiatrictimes.com. 2025-11-07. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
13. Hamilton, N. G. (1989). "A critical review of object relations theory". The American Journal of Psychiatry. 146 (12): 1552–1560. doi:10.1176/ajp.146.12.1552. ISSN   0002-953X. PMID   2686475.
14. Chagoya, Leopoldo (1989-03-01). "Book Review: Object Relations Family Therapy" . The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 34 (2): 157–158. doi:10.1177/070674378903400218. ISSN   0706-7437.
15. "Print Book: Projective and introjective identification and the use of the therapist's self". library.search.gonzaga.edu. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
16. Scharff, J. (1992). "Projective and Introjective Identification and the Use of the Therapist's Self". Semantic Scholar .
17. Lakovics, Magnus (1992). "Projective and Introjective Identification and the Use of the Therapist's Self" . American Journal of Psychotherapy . 46 (4): 671–672. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1992.46.4.671. ISSN   0002-9564.
18. Scharff, Jill Savege (2012). "Clinical issues in analyses over the telephone and the internet". The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis . 93 (1): 81–95. doi:10.1111/j.1745-8315.2011.00548.x. ISSN   1745-8315. PMID   22320136.
19. "Psychoanalysis online 4 : teleanalytic practice, teaching, and clinical research". catalog.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
20. "Jill Savege Scharff books – Karnac Books". www.karnacbooks.com. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
21. Steinberg, Paul Ian (1999-06-01). "Book Review: Psychotherapy: Object Relations Individual Therapy" . The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 44 (5): 499–500. doi:10.1177/070674379904400513. ISSN   0706-7437.
22. Scharff, Jill Savege; Scharff, David E. (1997). "Object Relations Couple Therapy". American Journal of Psychotherapy . 51 (2): 141–173. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1997.51.2.141. ISSN   0002-9564. PMID   9196784.
23. Scharff, Jill Savege (1994). Object relations therapy of physical and sexual trauma. Internet Archive. Northvale, N.J. : J. Aronson. ISBN   978-1-56821-292-0.
24. Scharff, Jill Savege; Scharff, David E. (2005-05-03). The Primer of Object Relations. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. ISBN   978-1-4616-6249-5.
25. Giovacchini, Peter L. (2001). "Tuning the Therapeutic Instrument: Affective Learning of Psychotherapy" . American Journal of Psychotherapy . 55 (3): 437–439. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2001.55.3.437. ISSN   0002-9564.
26. "Library of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis" (PDF).