The word “stranger” comes from the Latin word extraneus, meaning “one who is on the outside.” In this latest installment of our case conference series, targeted to early career clinicians and those curious to learn more about psychodynamic approaches to therapy, PCOP Psychotherapy Associate Member, Jasmine Gibson, LCSW, will present from her work with a young bisexual woman that looks at the role of the therapist as “the stranger” as a means of navigating intersectional identities, co-creating a therapeutic space, and understanding through the statement “I don’t know.” Within this “I don’t know,” does there lie “transgenerational haunting” (Apprey, 2014) waiting to be given a form and answer?
Discussant Jill McElligott, LCSW, psychoanalyst, and PCOP faculty member, will provide insight into how the patient’s evolving identit(ies) were shaped by her history and how these issues of identity manifest via the therapy relationship.

Discussion will focus on clinical interventions and case formulation, including concrete examples of “what to say, when” from a psychodynamic lens that attendees can apply to their own clinical work. In the question and answer period that follows, attendees will have an opportunity to discuss the case with Ms. Gibson and Ms. McElligott.