1 Introduction to Relational Models and their Implications for Treatment NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis Jeremy D. Safran, Ph.D. Overview: In this course we will review some of the key theorists and theoretical traditions that have had an impact on the development of relational psychoanalysis, and explore a number of themes that have played central roles in the relational conversation about theory and practice. Key theoretical and clinical themes to be examined will include the nature of therapeutic action; epistemology and the analyst s authority; mutuality & symmetry in the analytic relationship; self & selves, the analyst s subjectivity, intersubjective negotiation, ritual and spontaneity; and transference and countertransference. Rather than viewing relational analysis as a unified theory, we will approach it as a type of comparative psychoanalysis which has evolved (and continues to evolve) through a synthesis of ideas and principles emerging from the American interpersonal tradition, Kleinian and neo-kleinian theory, the British Independent tradition, self psychology, feminist thinking and postmodern theory. We will also examine the way in which the Freud-Ferenczi controversy had an impact on the development of classical psychoanalysis, as well as the different ways in which Ferenczi s legacy was absorbed by both the British Middle School and the American interpersonal tradition. And finally we will examine the roles that different cultural and historical contexts have played in the emergence of different psychoanalytic traditions, and the specific ways in which the emergence of relational psychoanalysis can be understood in the context of contemporary American culture. I will send the reading materials to everyone before the course begins. Please read the articles/chapters assigned for the first class in advance, so that we can discuss them when we first meet. Depending on the background and interests of class members as well as the way in which our conversation evolves, I may occasionally assign additional readings or substitute other readings for those currently on the syllabus. When this happens I will send everyone electronic copies of the relevant readings. Seminars: Class 1: Relational psychoanalysis: Introduction Mitchell, S.A., Harris, A. (2004). What's American About American Psychoanalysis?. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 14, 165-191. Aron, L. (2001). The relational orientation: An introduction (pp. 1-30). From: Aron, L. A meeting of minds: Mutuality in psychoanalysis. New York: Routledge.
2 Aron, L. (2001). Relational theory and its boundaries: One and two person psychologies. (pp. 31-64). ). From: Aron, L. A meeting of minds: Mutuality in psychoanalysis. New York: Routledge. Class 2: Ferenczi s Influence Ferenczi, S. (1949). Confusion of the tongues between the adults and the child. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 30,225-230.. Aron & Harris. Sandor Ferenczi: Discovery and rediscovery.(chapter 1). In Aron, L. & Harris, A. (Eds.), (1993). The Legacy of Sandor Ferenczi. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press. Balint, M. (1968). Selected readings from The Basic Fault. (pp. 11-34; pp. 99-132). Balint, M. (1968 ) The Basic Fault. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. Class 3: Klein Klein, M. (1946). Notes on some schizoid mechanisms. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 27, 99-110. Ogden, T.H. (1979). On projective identification. International Journal of Psychoanalysis. 60, 357-373. Spillius, E. (2007). Kleinian thought: Overview and personal view. (pp. 25-62). From Encounters with Melanie Klein: Selected papers of Elizabeth Spillius. London: Routledge. Class 4: R. D. Fairbairn Fairbairn, W.D. (1958). On the nature and aims of psycho-analytical treatment. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 39, 374-385. Mitchell, S. A. (1981). The origin and nature of the object in the theories of Klein and Fairbairn. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 1, 374-398. Cooper, S.H., Levit, D.B. (1998). Old and new objects in Fairbairnian and American relational theory. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 8, 603-624.
3 Class 5: D. W. Winnicott Winnicott, D.W. (1953). Transitional objects and transitional phenomena A study of the First not-me possession. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 34,89-97. Winnicott, D. W. (1960). Ego distortion in terms of true and False self (pp.140-152). From: The Maturational Process and Facilitating Environment. Winnicott, D.W. (1969). The use of an object. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 50, 711-716. Class 6: Interpersonal Tradition Levenson, E. A. (1987). The purloined self. Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis, 15, 481-490. Ehrenberg, D. (l984). Psychoanalytic engagement II: Affective considerations. Contemporary Psychology, 20, 561-582. Mitchell, S.A. (1995). Interaction In the Kleinian and interpersonal traditions. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 31, 65-91. Class 7: Self Psychological Influences Kohut, H. (1979). The two analyses of Mr Z. International Journal of. Psychoanalysis, 60, 3-27. Mitchell, S.A. (1979). Twilight of the idols Change and preservation in the writings of Heinz Kohut. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 15,170-189. Mitchell, S.A. (1986). The wings of Icarus: Illusion and the problem of narcissism. Contempoary Psychoanalysis, 22,107-132. Chapter 8: Perspectives Influenced by Mother-Infant Developmental Research Beebe, B., Lachmann, F.M. (1994). Representation and internalization in infancy: Three principles of salience. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 11,127-165 Lyons-Ruth, K. (1999). The two-person unconscious: Intersubjective dialogue, enactive relational representation, and the emergence of new forms of relational organization. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 19,576-617. Stern, D.N., Sander, L.W., Nahum, J.P., Harrison, A.M., Lyons-Ruth, K., Morgan, A.C., Bruschweilerstern, N., Tronick, E.Z. (1998). Non-interpretive mechanisms in psychoanalytic therapy: The something more than interpretation. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 79, 903-921.
4 Class 9: What Does the Patient Need? Loewald, H.W. (1960). On the therapeutic action of psycho-analysis. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 41,16-33. Mitchell, S. A. (1993). Chapter 1. What does the patient need? (pp.13-40). From Hope and Dread in Psychoanalysis. New York: Basic Books. Cooper, S.H. (2007). Alexander's corrective emotional experience: An objectivist turn in psychoanalytic authority and technique. Psychoanalytic Quarterly. 76, 1085-1102 Class10: The Analyst s Knowledge & Authority Mitchell, S.A. (1998). The analyst's knowledge and authority. Psychoanalytic Quarterly,67, 1-31. Stern, D.B. (1991). A philosophy for the embedded analyst Gadamer's hermeneutics and the social paradigm of psychoanalysis. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 27, 51-80. Hoffman, I.Z. (1996). The intimate and ironic authority of the psychoanalyst's presence. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 65,102-136. Class 11: Ritual & Spontaneity Hoffman, I.Z. (1994). Dialectical thinking and therapeutic action in the psychoanalytic process. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 63, 187-218. Greenberg, J. (2001). The analyst's participation. Journal of the American. Psychoanalytic Association, 49, 359-38. Ringstrom, P.A. (2007). Scenes that write themselves: Improvisational moments in relational psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 17, 69-99. Class 12: Self or Selves Mitchell: Chapter 4: Multiple selves, singular self (pp. 95-122). From Hope and Dread in Psychoanalysis. New York: Basic Books. Mitchell: Chapter 5: True selves, false self, and the ambiguity of authenticity (pp.123-150) From Hope and dread in psychoanalysis. New York: Basic Books. Bromberg, P.M. (1996). Standing in the spaces: The multiplicity of self and the psychoanalytic relationship. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 32,509-535.
5 Class 13: The Frame, Negotiation & the Analytic Relationship Mitchell, S. A. (1991). Wishes, needs, and interpersonal negotiations. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 11, 147-170. Pizer, S.A. (1992). The negotiation of paradox in the analytic process. Psychoanalytic. Dialogues, 2, 215-240. Slavin, M.O. and Kriegman, D. (1998). Why the analyst needs to change: Toward a theory of conflict, negotiation, and mutual influence in the therapeutic process. Psychoanalytic. Dialogues,8, 247-284. Class 14: Countertransference, Enactment, and Reverie Jacobs, T.J. (1986). On countertransference enactments. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 34, 289-307. Bromberg, P.M. (2000). Potholes on the royal road: Or is it an abyss? Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 36, 5-28. Ogden, T. H. (1994). The analytic third: working with intersubjective clinical facts. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 75, 3-19. Class 15: Impasse, Surrender the Third Ghent, E. (1990). Masochism, submission, surrender masochism as a perversion of surrender. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 26, 108-136. Benjamin, J. (2004). Beyond doer and done to: An intersubjective view of thirdness. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 73, 5-46. Davies, J.M. (2004). Whose bad objects are we anyway?: Repetition and our elusive love affair... Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 14, 711-732.