We are very saddened to share the news of the recent passing of Honorary Professor Dr. Hassan Azim at the age of 91.
Dr. Azim’s distinguished career began over 60 years ago in Cairo, Egypt, where he completed his training in psychiatry and became one of Egypt’s first psychiatrists. In 1960, he arrived in Canada to pursue further psychiatry training at McGill University, then obtained his certification in Psychoanalysis at the Canadian Psychoanalytic Institute. Following several years spent in various clinical roles and as an Assistant Professor at McGill, in 1973 Dr. Azim relocated to Edmonton, Alberta, where he was appointed as a Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta, and also served as Director of the Division of External Psychiatric Services and Co-Director of the Psychotherapy Research Centre.
Upon moving to BC in 1998, Dr. Azim joined the UBC Department of Psychiatry as an Honorary Professor, and for over two decades, was an active member of our faculty. He made significant contributions to teaching psychodynamic psychotherapy and providing valuable support to other UBC faculty members in their supervisory work. As his colleagues in the UBC Psychotherapy Program write, “His lectures were prized by residents and candidates for the accessible way in which he shared his clinical knowledge and encouraged creative and critical reflection… Dr. Hassan Azim was a beloved and effective mentor and supervisor appreciated for his wisdom, patience, and warmth. He was passionate about psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, and deeply committed to the professional growth of trainees, and to the development of subsequent generations of clinicians. Dr. Azim generously shared his knowledge while encouraging others to form their own views and establish their own style. He demonstrated a persistent inquisitiveness and open-mindedness––showing an embrace of complexity and providing an inspiring model of humility. His humanistic model of psychoanalysis will be gratefully remembered by the analytic community in Western Canada.” Read the full tribute here.
The passing of Dr. Azim is a significant loss to the Department, to his many friends, patients, former students and mentees, and to his numerous colleagues in the UBC Psychotherapy Program, at McGill and the University of Alberta, and around the world. The UBC Department of Psychiatry wishes to send its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Dr. Azim during this difficult time.