Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis

This event addresses: The Analyst’s Vulnerability

It has long been recognized that therapists have a history of being caretakers in their families of origin. Yet we have not pursued how that role impacted our own personal growth, values, ideas and limitations. What are the vulnerabilities and strengths that we share as a result of being precociously assigned the responsibility for others’ happiness or even their psychic survival? What role does the resulting guilt, shame and desire to rescue and be rescued play in the creation of both our theories and preferred interventions? And do we tend to be excessively passive as a result of not having any real power as children when faced with the daunting responsibility of being soother, peacemaker, mediator and even entertainer?

In the spirit of expanding the conversation about the dynamics in the therapeutic dyad, this presentation focuses on three topics: the therapist’s early experiences and how they impact both our theory and practice, the natural human limits of empathy, and the role of enactment in the therapeutic process. This program is designed for working clinicians, focusing heavily on clinical examples and opening up conversation about the ways we work and how we might creatively enhance our interventions with clients.