Psychoanalytic Seminar/ Clinical Case Presentations

Psychoanalytic theory comprises a set of categories of thought based on biological concepts and working hypotheses built up in clinical practice. All its’ concepts are theoretical constructs, and any account of them in anatomical and/or physiological terms is inappropriate.

My theoretical approach is based on Freud's work, integrated with concepts from post-Freudian authors, such as W. Bion, D. Winnicott, D. Maldavsky, N. Neves, J. Lacan, R. Spitz, M. Klein, D. Shapiro, J. Piaget, N. McDougall, etc.

1.    Objective of the Seminar

To provide trainees with an integrated theoretical instrument that gives a coherent structure for understanding psychological phenomena and undertaking clinical practice. The seminar:

• examines the construction of human subjectivity and the impact of experiences during the developmental period of life on the shape of the adult mind.

• explores how meanings, values, thoughts, affects, desires, fantasies, intentions, and actions arise from the nature of the body, the bodily experience and the interaction with the environment.

• unfolds the inner structures within which these functions emerge, starting at the moment of birth and continuing throughout life.

• focuses on the application of the concepts to clinical work in a sequential, cumulative and graded in complexity approach. 

Trainees are encouraged to discuss how local culture provides a vehicle for the expression of balanced and pathological personalities.

  2.        Seminar Requirements

Most of the work is done in class; therefore to approve this training component, all trainees are expected to attend at least 90% of the classes. If a trainee misses more than 3 classes, irrespective of the reason, he/she will have to write a 15 to 20 pages essay about an assigned topic in order to complete the component. There will be no completion with five or more missed classes.

Trainees have the responsibility to arrive and leave on time, read all the material given in class, review the concepts, watch the films, participate in class-discussions, prepare questions/comments, give presentations and lead class discussions.

Interns' performance will be evaluated three times during the academic year. These evaluations will be part of the interns’ records.

At the end of the year, trainees will be asked to give written recommendations for improving the following year’s seminar.

A Completion Form will be provided at the end of the academic year.

Electronic devices must be turned off during class.  No food is allowed in the classroom.

Syllabus