CURRICULUM

Clinical Seminar: The Psychoanalytic Relationship from Consultation to Termination
Susan Kolod, Ph.D.

This clinical seminar traces the development and course of the analytic relations] through each phase of treatment, the Initial Phase - encounter, engagement, a collaboration; the Middle Phase - from old experience to new experience; a Termination - closing the analytic space.

Clinical Seminar: The Psychoanalytic Relationship and the Study of Transference
Lois Adler, Ph.D.

An exploration of the development of the concept of transference from Freud's use of it in the postscript to "Dora" (1905) until the present. Using candidates' case material the concepts of transference and countertransference are operationalized

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Freudian Theory I
Evelyn Hartman, Ph.D.

This course will provide the student with a chronologically organized overview of Freud( evolving theory of psychoanalysis through the examination of his major theoretical writings. The course will include an introduction to Freud's biography, his scientific background and orientation, and the clinical contexts within which he formulated his ideas. Major emphasis will be placed upon the elucidation of Freud's three successive models of the mind (the affect-trauma model, the topographic model, and the structural model), his changing instinct theories, his two major theories of anxiety, and the relation of these to contemporary psychoanalytic thought. The first trimester will span the years 1893-1914, and the second trimester will include Freud's writings from 1915-1936.

Clinical Seminar: The Psychoanalytic Relationship and the Study of Transference/ Countertransference Interaction
Sandra Green, LCSW

The course includes a study of some significant literature pertaining to these two key concepts. In addition, students present clinical material with an eye toward examining the analytic interaction.

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Freudian Theory II
Alan Sirote, LCSW

Continuation of Freudian Theory I

Clinical Seminar: The Psychoanalytic Relationship and the Study of Countertransference
Elke Epstein, Ph.D.

The course continues the study of the interaction between transference and countertransference, with the literature focusing more upon the issues of countertransference.

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Sullivan and the Development of Interpersonal Psychoanalysis
Stefan Zicht, Psy.D.

This is a course on the foundations of interpersonal theory. It covers Sullivan the man and his theoretical, clinical and social missions, exploring the basic premises of interpersonal theory including field theory and the role of anxiety; Sullivan's early clinical work w schizophrenic individuals, and later clinical work with hysterics and obsession, Through the focus on clinical entities the evolution from Sullivan's clinical approach contemporary interpersonal approaches is traced.

Clinical Seminar: Sullivanian Theory in Clinical Practice
David Appelbaum, Psy.D.

This clinical course will focus on Sullivanian and Post-Sullivanian clinical technique. The goal is to apply Interpersonal theory to treatment approaches. The course will rely heavily on clinical material from the practices of the class and the instructor to illustrate how following the "thread" of anxiety can deepen the process.

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Existentialists, Humanists and Early Interpersonalists
David Newman, LCSW

The course uses readings in the existential and early interpersonal literature and discussion of the implications of these readings for psychoanalytic practice, including case presentations by both the instructor and candidates. The course concludes with an examination of these themes in the current psychoanalytic literature.

Clinical Seminar: Character Style and Treatment
George Whitson, Ph.D.

This clinical seminar focuses on the nature of the character structure from an interpersonal perspective. Character style and theoretical perspectives on character are reviewed with emphasis on the ways character shapes experiential knowing, i.e. ways of perceiving, experience in and interacting within one's relational and internal worlds. Character structures such as the hysterical character, obsessional and depressive styles are developed as emotional and cognitive structures; the nature of transference and countertransference is emphasized utilizing the students' clinical materials. In addition, current ways of viewing patients such as incest survivors and adult children of alcoholics are examined for their impact on the clinical dyad.

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Contemporary Freudian Theory
Miri Abramis, Ph.D

This course will study the lines of development in Freudian theory from the fifties through the present, indicating some primary contributors to shifts, integrations, and divergences. Emphasis will be impact of theoretical shifts on technique. Starting with J. Sandler, and A. Freud, the course will move through the American Freudians of the fifties, sixties and seventies, including Brenner, Loewald, Stone, Pine and the more recent formulations of Bach, Busch, Goldberger, Grunes, Ogden, Gabbard, Renik.

Dreams
Susan Obrecht, LCSW

This course studies the central position of dreams within historically c concepts. Major theories will be reviewed with emphasis on the evolution after Freud. The dream is studied as a vehicle for understanding communications such as transference and resistance, among others, in the therapeutic process. Half of class time will be devoted to presentation of dreams.

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Infant Research and Clinical Process
Alan K. Phelan, Psy.D.

The explosion in infant research over the last two decades has had a significant impact on the theory and practice of psychoanalysis. This impact is not without controversy. This course will focus on the major findings of this research in the context of child development and the implications of adult treatment. The "self' as articulated by Daniel Stern will be studied in detail. The work of researchers and theoreticians such as Beebe, Lachmann and Lichtenberg will also be considered.

Case Seminar: The Transference/Countertransference Matrix
Irwin Hirsch, Ph.D.

This course will build on the previous years' clinical courses and will use the format of continuous case presentation. A detailed analysis of clinical material will highlight the analyst's integration of technique and theory. Candidates' clinical presentations will be used to highlight interactional themes in the analytic relationship.

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Developmental Theory and Clinical Process
Ilana Attie, Ph.D.

This course will review developmental theory, particularly the stage theories of Freud, Klein, Winicott and Mahler. It will examine the ways in which each of the theories expand, critique and build on the ideas of one another.

Psychoanalysis and Gender Theory
Marie-Helene Charlap, LCSW, Ph.D.

This course will trace the reconceptualizations of gender and sexuality within psychoanalytic theory, with emphasis on contemporary relational intersubjective perspectives. Reading will highlight the richness and complexity of current views regarding gender development, femininity and masculinity, and sexual orientation for the clinical situation. The dynamics of gender and sexuality within the psychoanalytic dyad and within the transference-countertransference will be addressed.

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Contemporary Interpersonal Theory and Practice
James Traub, LCSW

Beginning with questions raised by the contributions of Sullivan and Fromm, and continuing into the most contemporary literature in interpersonal psychoanalysis, this course attempts to integrate contemporary interpersonal thinking regarding the development of self in an individual's particular interpersonal history and in an individual's current psychoanalytic experience. Particular attention is directed to such issues as: the perpetuation and reenactment of one's interpersonal patterns within the analytic relationship; the meaning of the transference-countertransference; intersubjective interaction; how and what we come to know in the analytic process; how the psychoanalytic relationship, at best, is a significant path of change; and what makes for change, or not-change, in an analysis.

Clinical Seminar: The Difficult Patient
Robert K. Katz, Ph.D

The basic premise of the course is that the problems in working with the so called ‘Difficult Patient’ are to be found in the countertransference. The course is designed to enhance the candidates’ capacity to remain psychoanalytically centered and focused in the face of the onslaught of the anxiety that arises naturally when encountering the problematic aspects of the patient’s personality. The predominant focus will be on strengthening the candidates’ ability to use their selves’ as an instrument of psychoanalytic understanding. This will be accomplished by forging a better understanding of both the clinical and conceptual foundations of working from a contemporary interpersonal perspective.

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Fourth Year - Trimester 1

Object Relations I
Steve Kirschner, LCSW

This course traces the development of object relations thinking by reading the basic works of the pioneer object relations theorists. The course focuses on the British School. We begin by discussing Freud as an object relations theorist, and explore how object relations ideas have evolved with readings from Ferenczi, Klein, Winnicott, Fairbairn, Guntrip and M. Balint.

Dreams II
Debora M. Worth, LCSW

This course will build on the work done in the Dreams I course. The course will be conducted as an experiential dream seminar. We will all present dreams to the group for exploration to deepen our understanding of how dreams function both inter-psychically and interpersonally. Readings will be driven by candidates’ interests.

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Clinical Seminar: Self Psychology and Intersubjectivity
Sarah Mendelsohn, LCSW

The course will focus on the main concepts of self psychological theory and the allied theory of intersubjectivity formulated by Stolorow and Atwood. While the course will cover the development of self psychology from Kohut's initial formulations to contemporary concepts, emphasis will be on more contemporary self psychology and intersubjectivity theory. Basic concepts will be illustrated with considerable clinical material.

Object Relations II
Andrew Eig, PhD

This course will explore how later theorists have extended the work of early object relations theorists. The students will study the work of more recent and contemporary Kleinians and object relations theorists, and those strongly influenced by these schools of thought.

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Clinical Seminar: Contemporary Relational Theories and Practice
Seth Aronson, Psy.D.

Relational psychoanalysis is an integrative contemporary orientation to psychoanalytic theory and practice that extends and develops ideas and an approach to clinical practice originating in American interpersonal psychoanalysis, British object relational psychoanalysis, and some of the American self psychological schools. This seminar for advanced candidates is intended to focus on relational concepts and their application in the clinical psychoanalytic situation, with special reference to technique. The emphasis will be in how relational analysts work. The format will combine features of a clinical case seminar with that of a theory class. Candidates will present clinical material for discussion, and papers from the contemporary relational literature, including newly published ones, will be assigned on a week by week basis, selected to illuminate the case being presented and the ideas under discussion.

Clinical Seminar: The Curative Process
Sandra Buechler, Ph.D.

Through the close study of clinical material and relevant readings, the major psychoanalytic views on the curative process are examined. This course will explore the classical, object-relational, self-psychological, and interpersonal positions on the nature of the therapeutic action. Several issues are highlighted, including the curative roles of interpretation, insight, identification, new interpersonal experience, immediate experience, living through, play, regression, empathy, and transference and countertransference analysis.

OPTIONAL FIFTH YEAR SPECIALTY TRAINING

Candidates in the Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis may elect to design a specialized course of study for their fifth year. Typically, there are no course requirements for the fifth year. Candidates often choose to create an informal study group, based on the group's interests, meeting with a faculty member of their own choosing. However, upon consultation with the Co-Directors, fourth year candidates may also choose to create a specific course of study in a specialty clinical or theoretical area for their fifth year of study. To use a college analogy: if adult psychoanalysis is the "major" we currently provide, the Fifth Year Specialty Training will be the "minor " Examples of such areas of study are: adult development, intersubjectivity, psychoanalytic research, child therapy. The specialty training will consist of three integrated courses. If the specialty is clinical, an additional individual supervised experience of 40 hours will also be required. If the specialty is theoretical, an individual mentor will be assigned to supervise the writing of a scholarly paper. The class will participate in the creation of this individualized program, and will be expected to begin this process no later than the beginning of the fourth year. Upon completion of this specialty training, and upon approval of the Training Committee, candidates are awarded a Certificate of Completion of Specialty Training. The faculty, drawn from the Institute and the wider community, will have extensive experience in the theory, practice and/or research of the specialty area. A particular year's specialty course of study will also be open to graduates of the Institute. The Fifth Year Specialty Training will not be open to those outside of the Institute. The fee for the coursework and the supervision will be that of the regular course of study in the Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis

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