Stephen A. Mitchell (1946–2000) was a leader in the field of modern psychoanalysis. An adjunct professor and clinical supervisor at New York University's postdoctoral program in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, Mitchell's emphasis on the relational perspective shaped the way that American psychoanalysts practice their profession. He was the founding editor of the journal Psychoanalytic Dialogues and the author of several influential books, including Object Relations in Psychoanalytic Theory and Hope and Dread in Psychoanalysis.

Margaret J. Black, LCSW, is founding board member of the Stephen Mitchell Center for Relational Studies. She is also a board director of the National Institute for the Psychotherapies, a founding board member and vice president of International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, an associate editor of Psychoanalytic Dialogues, and a member of the editorial board for Studies in Gender and Sexuality. She holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MS from Columbia University, and is a graduate of the Analytic Institute, Postgraduate Center.