Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia

In this presentation, Andrew I. Smolar, MD will review the psychoanalytic literature on stepfamily formation, will give clinical examples of step-transferential effects on therapeutic process, and will provide technical suggestions for therapists working with patients with stepfamilies in their histories.

Spectacularization (Debord 1967), enshittification (Doctorow 2025), and depressive hedonia (Fisher 2008; Gilroy-Ware 2017) are discussed as emerging defenses against envy. Fascism, nostalgia, and homogenization are linked by the psychodynamics of envy and unmourned loss.

The centrality of love and sexuality in our work will be illustrated through the use of clinical vignettes, including a variety of erotic fantasies and transferences that can emerge in treatment.