Events

A virtual conference presented by the Erikson Institute of the Austen Riggs Center, Yale Child Study Center, and the Anna Freud Centre Mentalization—the capacity to understand one’s own and others’ behavior in terms of underlying thoughts, feelings, and intentions—is fundamental to emotional well-being, learning, and effective interpersonal functioning. Yet, how mentalization develops and operates can […]

John Rosegrant, PhD will present on how the “talking” part of the talking cure is strange. Using clinical material with the help of an imaginary educator, an imaginary artist, and an imaginary hiker, to explore how Freud, infant researchers, and Lacan understand this strangeness to identify a fundamental uneasiness and alienation between language and nonverbal […]

In this workshop, Dr. Jennifer Kunst will provide an in-depth exploration of key concepts of psychoanalysis from the vantage point of the dynamic process of personality development. She will draw from the ideas of Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, and Wilfred Bion, applying their ideas to the challenges of modern life as well as clinical practice. […]

Facilitated by: J. Christopher Fowler, PhD & Stuart Weir, PsyD A foundational premise of psychoanalysis is Freud’s discovery of the unconscious and uncovering the meaning of latent content from dreams, parapraxes, and unintentional actions such as forgetting. This 6-week seminar will explore sources of latent (liminal) data from the analysand, as well as the analyst. […]

Dr. Soni will trace the contemporary psychoanalytic concept of the “field” to its origins in the 1950 - 70s within two distinct traditions: the Interpersonal analysts of the William Alanson White Institute and the analysts of the Rio de la Plata in Argentina and Uruguay. He will argue that both groups drew on the social […]

This 5 week course, taught by Gretchen Hermes, MD, PhD, offers an exploration of memoir writing as a therapeutic tool within prison settings. Through writing exercises, guided reflection, and psychoanalytic insights, participants will examine themes of transformation, conscience, trauma, creativity, and social change. Readings will include excerpts from "The House of the Dead" by Dostoevsky; […]

Speaker: Alicia Naveas, LPC, MEd. This course will explore foundational concepts of cultural competency within psychodynamic frameworks. Emphasizing the work of authors such as Tummala-Narra, Salman Akhtar, and Patricia Gherovici will integrate multicultural awareness into psychoanalytic thinking. For instance, Tummala-Narra (2025) conceptualizes multicultural competence as a reflective capacity to shift perspectives and understand the patient’s […]

Presented by: Donnel Stern, PhD In the interest of integrating the social and the individual in psychoanalysis, Dr. Stern examines the relation of Althusser’s concept of interpellation and the psychoanalytic idea of dissociative enactment. Interpellation is a way of conceptualizing the creation of subjectivity via individual participation in the ideological tropes of power. Dissociative enactment […]

Resolving Rapprochement Challenges: The Process of Metabolizing Love-Fueling Development, Therapeutic Growth, Reparation, and Healing Presenter: William Singletary, MD

Presenter: Dionne R. Powell, MD Yasmin Roberts Memorial Lecture Racism, and otherness, continues to be contentious for psychoanalysts to consider as a psychic phenomenon. Unlike aggression and sexuality, racism is held in silence and resistance, inhibiting exploration of this aspect of mind. By closely examining how and where the analyst/psychotherapist locates themselves racially and working […]

Join us to discuss the complexity of addressing boundary issues with our presenter Ira Poll, Ph.D, Psy.D

The Leon Levin Psychoanalytic Film Festival Movie: Close (2023) Presented by: Katrin Haller, MSW Date: April 11, 2026 Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm Doors Open at 1:30pm 3.0 CME/CE Where: Baltimore Museum of the Arts 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 Presentation Description: This film by Belgian filmmaker Lucas Dhont was awarded the Grand Prix […]

Facilitated by J. Christopher Fowler, PhD & Stuart Weir, PsyD A foundational premise of psychoanalysis is Freud’s discovery of the unconscious and uncovering the meaning of latent content from dreams, parapraxes, and unintentional actions such as forgetting. This 6-week seminar will explore sources of latent (liminal) data from the analysand, as well as the analyst. […]

Presented by: Kathleen Adams, PhD In Part I of this two-part special presentation, author Kathleen Adams, PhD, discusses her book Attuned Treatment of Developmental Trauma: Non-abused, High Functioning People Living Outside of Time. Many therapists don’t even think of their patients as “trauma patients” despite descriptions of early neglect, abuse, separations and loss, and dysfunctional […]

Written and presented by Lesley Caldwell, MA, PhD, FIPA This paper aims to extend the understanding of Donald Winnicott’s theoretical and clinical assumptions through his concern with play and playing, and its links with the development of psychic flexibility. It approaches his work through his extensive clinical experience with babies and children, and with neurotic […]

This full-day clinical workshop will delve into the heart of Galit Atlas's work on Emotional Inheritance. Through clinical and theoretical discussions, it will introduce a psychoanalytic model for listening to and working with intergenerational material, family secrets, and the legacy of trauma. The clinical presentation will explore the roles of attachment and the place of […]

“Unconscious Communication Between Therapist and Patient: The Ordinary Uncanniness of Everyday Psychoanalytic Life-Back to the Future of Psychoanalysis”

This presentation is based on a paper by Calvin Colarusso, MD, which reflects his longstanding interest in the observation of children and adults within the context of the nuclear family. In this work, Dr. Colarusso conceptualizes the family as a living organism that progresses through five stages of development, from formation to eventual decline, offering […]

Joshua Ehrlich, PhD will present his winning essay entitled "Teaching Consent: How Psychoanalysts Can Enhance the Cultural Conversation." The speaker elaborates the important role of fantasy in all aspects of daily life, including the important issue of consent.

The Association for Psychoanalytic Medicine is pleased to announce the latest in our recent series of mini courses, Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, to be held with Professor James Stone during the upcoming months via Zoom. The classes will be held on Sunday April 19th, Sunday May 31st, and Sunday June 28th, from 4-5:30 pm […]

This mini-course explores Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the lens of psychoanalytic theory, examining the psychological dimensions of the play’s characters, themes, and dramatic structure. Drawing on classical and contemporary psychoanalytic frameworks, the course investigates issues such as mourning and melancholia, repression, desire, family dynamics, and the unconscious motivations that shape Hamlet’s actions. Participants will gain a […]

Presented by: Kathleen Adams, PhD Discussion by: Robert Grossmark, PhD In Part II of this two-part special presentation, author Kathleen Adams, PhD, discusses her book Attuned Treatment of Developmental Trauma: Non-abused, High Functioning People Living Outside of Time. Group and individual therapists who frequently encounter patients with characters organized around melancholy, anxiety, entitlement, and rage […]

Speaker: Lisa L. Moore, PhD, LICSW - The deployment of racialized fear as a political strategy has a profound impact on the individuals and communities who are targeted as objects of fear. In our current climate the use of fear as a tool of racialization is an important site for practitioners to consider in their […]

“What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” Discussant: Clark Johnsen Join us for a screening of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Robert Aldrich’s 1962 psychological thriller starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as two sisters locked in a decaying mansion and in a decades-long struggle over envy, dependency, and humiliation. A gothic study in sibling […]

Leading researchers and clinicians will present and compare the latest findings as to how to best facilitate successful early relationships and most successfully interrupt the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

In this seminar, Dr. Reid Meloy will teach such pre-offense warning behaviors to clinicians in attendance. Based upon his research group's work over the past 15 years, and validated by numerous studies by others in North America, Europe, and Australia, these proximal warning behaviors provide important benchmarks for the clinician to identify, assess, and manage […]

Presented by: Vera J. Camden & Valentino L. Zullo Psychoanalysis has from its origins been imbricated in culture, both high and low. Sigmund Freud defined and illustrated his pivotal discoveries through explications of folklore and fairy tales as well as the works of Sophocles, Shakespeare and other venerable texts. What is less known, however, is […]

Despite the steady decrease in violent crime over the past three decades, there has been an increase in targeted attacks toward people in public places, ranging from schools and workplaces to open recreational areas. Motivations vary, but often include both personal grievances and an attraction to extreme religious or political beliefs. Mental health professionals, on […]

The Leon Levin Psychoanalytic Film Festival Movie: Speak Sunlight (La Voz Del Sol) (2023) Presented by: Noreen Honeycutt, PhD with Director Carol Polakoff Date: April 25, 2026 Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm Doors Open at 1:30pm 3CME/CE Where: Baltimore Museum of the Arts 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 Presentation Description: Set in 1965, teenage […]

In their presentation, “On Trauma,” Drs. Betsy Brett and Sid Phillips will explore how Freud tried to understand where emotional and psychological problems come from. From early on, he asked whether people’s symptoms grow mainly out of painful life experiences (trauma) or out of inner conflicts and instinctual wishes (drives), and he described these questions […]

Working with the Unspeakable: Shame, Self-hatred, and Relational Repair Presenter: Cynthia Mulder, LCSW-S

Presented by: Arthur Niesser, Dr. Med., Derek Hook, PhD & Leora Trub Discussion by: Todd Essig, PhD This conference will consider some clinical and theoretical considerations in telehealth versus in-person psychoanalytic treatments. Dr. Niesser will explore if there might be groups of patients for whom online analysis might be advantageous compared to the traditional in-person […]

Presented by Michael Levin Psy.D. This conference will continue exploring aspects of Laplanche's work that we did not have time to cover during the February presentation. It will include a case presentation to facilitate further clinical discussion and learning. Topics covered will include: • Laplanche's view of the metapsychology of psychotic and dissociative disturbances • […]

In-person (at the Austen Riggs Center) and virtual attendance options. Featuring: Ben Kafka, PhD Leora Trub, PhD Christian Thorne, PhD Hannah Schmitt, PsyD (Moderator) The final roundtable examines how digital technologies are reshaping psychic life within the context of place and its disembodied absence. What becomes of presence, intimacy, and therapeutic containment in virtual space? […]

Presented by Dr. Glenda Corstorphine, Psy.D This course will focus on the idea that we can access our unconscious thoughts and images through art, specifically collage. There will be an introduction to “dreaming while awake” referencing both Bion and Thomas Ogden’s thoughts. Participants will be invited to create a collage that represents work with a […]

Anne Erreich, PhD, cites the prominence of theories which locate serious adult psychopathology in the pre-verbal infant’s inability to formulate or represent traumatic experience in her paper presentation. The work of two such authors, H. Levine and D.B. Stern, is briefly considered. The frame of reference for this investigation is that clinical and academic research […]

Presented by: Shir Shanun, PhD Civitarese (2024) writes we have a need to exist in the eyes of others, it is what makes relationships meaningful. Such loving connections and freedom in complex analytic system and the positive relationship between them are at the center of this paper. I will argue that restriction or expansion of […]

2026 Grand Rounds Series Speaker: Hadas Pade, PsyD This session highlights the need to address the current inequitable access to psychological assessment services by acknowledging and embracing different levels of assessment versus a more traditional comprehensive assessment approach, and the potential role of various health care providers other than psychologists. While comprehensive assessments are highly […]

Presenter: Nasir Ilahi, LLM, LP The term "fantasy" is foundational to psychoanalysis, yet its clinical application varies dramatically across the Atlantic. While all schools share a common Freudian root, the British Kleinian tradition added something additional. It developed the concept of "unconscious phantasy" as a continuous, somatic, and structural undercurrent of the psyche. This talk […]

Using vivid clinical material, broad theoretical references, and decades of experience as an analyst, Dr. Sugarman will explore the total situation in child analysis — and why it tends to elicit particularly intense countertransference responses and enactments. He defines transference and countertransference as the interpersonalization of mental structures, examining them not only in response to […]

Presented by Tiffany Hale, LMFT & Jamie Steele, LMFT Bring your cases that are outside of normative bounds. We will draw in our well-worn and well-loved analytic concepts to explore clinical material together. If you have found that your thinking, your lived experience and/or that of your patients has not quite been thinkable within analytic […]

Presented by: Lauren Levine, PhD Discussion by: Janine de Peyer, LCSW Please join us whether or not you have read the book. Some people want to read and discuss the book; others want to learn more before deciding if they want to read it. All are welcome! In this presentation, Dr. Levine examines the transformative […]

A CE-eligible Conference on Grief and Loss will be taught by national experts Dr. Robert A. Neimeyer and Carolyn Ng as well as Chicagoans José A. Hernández Zeind, MS, LCPC, Dr. Froma Walsh, Dr. Molly Witten, and Boston-based Dr. Linda Emanuel, offered in-person in Chicago, IL and online throughout the U.S. and around the world.

Inaugural Talk with Dr. Carolyn Laubender: We are excited to open this new series with an evening conversation with Carolyn Laubender on her book The Political Clinic – winner of the 2025 Book Prize of the American Psychoanalytic Association and the 2025 Book Award of the British Psychological Society. Examining the work of influential British […]

Presented by Salman Akhtar, MD This presentation will address the painful malady of self-loathing. Four types of self-loathing will be described: (i) primal, (ii) shame based, (iii) guilt based, and (iv) remorse based. Therapeutic strategies to lessen such self-hatred and to improve self-esteem will also be discussed. Ample clinical material will be presented to illustrate […]

Speakers: Todd Essig, Phd and Oscar Hills, MD. Generative AI, especially chatbots, presents psychoanalysis with tremendous promise and significant peril. While some benefit tremendously from their AI relationships, others sink into delusion, and for most they threaten to flatten inner life, externalizing what has always been internal. Plus, so called “therapy-bots” are on the near […]

Disability remains among the least theorized subjects in psychoanalysis. This is notable but not surprising: the relational anxiety that disability provokes in the non-disabled is pervasive, and psychoanalysts are not exempt. This paper introduces the concept of the disabling object — a persecutory internal structure through which social prejudice and structural ableism are psychically internalized […]

2026 Grand Rounds Series Speaker: Hannah Zeavin, PhD From the mid-1940s until the 1960s and beyond, class, race, and maternal function were linked in metaphors of temperature in pediatric psychological studies of Bad Mothers. Newly codified diagnoses of aloof “refrigerator mothers” and overstimulating “hot mothers” were inseparable from midcentury conceptions of stimulation, mediation, domesticity, and […]

Presented by: Dr. Kathleen Fitzgerald, PsyD, MFT, Training and Supervising Analyst. This consultation group invites therapists into an ongoing exploration of dreams as living expressions of the unconscious. Drawing from the full arc of psychoanalytic thought, participants will bring clinical material and engage in a collaborative process of listening, reverie, and meaning-making. Together, we will […]

This consultation group presented by Kathleen Fitzgerald, invites therapists into an ongoing exploration of dreams as living expressions of the unconscious. Drawing from the full arc of psychoanalytic thought, participants will bring clinical material and engage in a collaborative process of listening, reverie, and meaning-making. Together, we will explore how dreams emerge within the intersubjective […]