Presented by Dr. Avedis Panajian, Ph.D., ABPP in Clinical Psychology

Dr. Panajian will discuss the differences between neurotic, borderline, and psychotic mental functioning. Personality disorders with severe and not-so-severe psychotic functioning will be reviewed. The impact of psychiatry, culture, and some analytic practice that views suffering as destructive for our patients will be discussed. Destructive suffering from creative suffering will be discussed with clinical examples. Healthy primitive mental states will be distinguished from pathological primitive mental states. The impact and the damage on analytic practice since DSM-3 will be discussed. Misconceptions of the meaning of regression will be explored. Dr. Panajian will discuss the psychoanalytic process with various types of psychopathologies. Misconceptions in understanding and in the treatment of narcissistic organizations will be focused. Enactments that hinder and enactments that foster growth will be explored with examples. The conference will not be didactic in nature. Dr. Panajian will ask for questions and comments at various points during his lecture.