Houston Psychoanalytic Society

Join us in this all-level study group as we utilize Nancy McWilliams’ text, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, as a guide to exploring the defining and distinguishing features of a psychoanalytic approach. Through reading and discussion, we will discuss some of the values and assumptions associated with a psychoanalytic sensibility, examine key considerations such as therapeutic frame and […]

This presentation is about interweaving somatic approaches from outside of psychoanalysis into psychoanalytic treatment, especially for patients suffering from early developmental trauma and severe dissociation. Dr. Levit is a psychoanalyst who trained in Somatic Experiencing (SE). Developed originally as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, SE is rooted in neurophysiology, biology and ethology. As its […]

A Brief History of Psychedelic Psychoanalytic Therapy and an Introduction to Psychedelic Phenomenology presented by Jeffrey Guss, MD This talk will begin with a brief review of the history of psychedelic psychoanalytic treatment in the United States and Europe. Following this an introduction to psychedelic phenomenology from a psychoanalytic perspective will be offered, focusing on 1) […]

In this three part study group, participants will explore the trends and controversies that have occurred over time in the psychoanalytic conceptualizations and treatment of trauma. The purpose is not to examine history as static and resolved, but to consider how the prior issues keep evolving, influencing the ways in which we view trauma, its […]

Ketamine and Trauma On the Couch presented by Megan Rundel, PhD In this interactive presentation, we will explore the biological and psychological effects of ketamine on mental health issues, with a special focus on trauma. We will learn about how to carefully and effectively utilize the power of ketamine for patients with different kinds of […]

The concept of self-alienation is inextricably linked to shame. Working with adult children of traumatizing narcissists, and with others who experience narcissistic abuse, Shaw’s way of working with these clients shifted as he began to study and integrate concepts and techniques from some of the contemporary traumatologists. What he has learned has led Shaw to […]

This event will focus on ideas from Galit Atlas’ new book "Emotional Inheritance."  It will address silenced experiences that belong not only to us or to our patients, but to their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, and the ways they impact our lives. The clinical tales will focus on emotional material that is passed down from […]

This study group is based on a book authored by Carl Shubs, PhD, titled Traumatic Experiences of Normal Development: An Intersubjective, Object Relations Listening Perspective on Self, Attachment, Trauma, and Reality (Routledge, 2020). It describes a new conceptualization of trauma, so we can be better prepared to work with it. The book presents a psychoanalytic […]

Presented by Johanna Dobrich, LCSW-R Working with Survivor Siblings in Psychoanalysis: Ability and Disability in Clinical Process explores a previously neglected area in the field of psychoanalysis, addressing undertheorized concepts on siblings, disabilities and psychic survivorship, and broadening our conceptualization of the enduring effects of lateral relations on human development. What happens to a person’s […]

Presented by Jean Goodwin, MD Electra, like Oedipus, is a character from Greek mythology. The founders of psychoanalysis used their names to denote a psychosocial developmental phase. However, Electra’s story, like the biography of Oedipus, teaches us more about murderous violence than about internal conflict. Electra can also teach us something about recovery; she and […]

Presented by Richard Gartner, PhD Research suggests that in the United States one in six boys is directly victimized sexually by age 16. It has also become increasingly apparent in recent years that adult men, like women, are subject to sexual abuse, harassment, and assault. In order to treat this population, it is crucial that […]

Presented by M. Gerard Fromm, PhD In January, 2002, an annual Group Relations Conference was held as it had been for many years, and one of its large-group events began ordinarily enough. But, four months after 9/11/2001, members could not stay in the room to do the work of that session. Even though the recent […]

In this presentation, Dr. Peter Shabad describe how shame results from traumatic ruptures in human relationships. I will describe the developmental trajectory of shame in self-pity, resentment, entitlement, and regret for missed opportunities. I will illustrate shame with a clinical example, and talk more generally of my clinical values and principles in working with people […]

When catastrophic events overtake adult lives, they can often scar the psyche in ways that psychodynamic clinicians struggle to understand. The adult survivor of a catastrophe--whether a life-threatening assault, a serious accident, an act of terrorism, or a natural disaster- experiences a near fatal disruption of fundamental aspects of self experience. Many who have physically […]

Treating people suffering with trauma disorders present the clinician with several challenges and dilemmas. How does one diagnose and treat a trauma survivor from a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic perspective? How does the clinician understand changes in self-states, moods, and shifting affective states? Are we treating developmental trauma, or the kind of trauma that leads to […]

One of the most damaging sequelae of trauma is the loss of trust and security in interpersonal relationships (Fonagy & Allison, 2014.) When encountering a patient with traumatic interpersonal experiences, we cannot assume a capacity to trust or to form a safe, secure attachment. Nor can we assume the capacity to learn or benefit from […]