>With the advent of the “decolonial turn” in psychoanalytic starting in the 90s, rigorous and rancorous debate has ensued on the role of the “social” in clinical practice. However, contemporary theorizing from a decolonial point of view regarding psychoanalytic technique has reached an impasse. While theorizing on the role of culture, race, gender, sexuality, and class has grown and advanced, the clinical implications of this theorizing remains unclear aside from a general call to “address culture” and “name difference” in the transference-countertransference matrix. Similarly, while theorizing on the social has emerged from a variety of psychoanalytic schools (e.g. Kleinian, Lacanian, relational), rarely does this extension translate into changes in the original theory’s precepts (e.g. their theories of development), or technical stance and interventions.

This presentation will target both of these concerns by outlining how a decolonial psychoanalytic perspective rethinks the foundations of contemporary psychoanalytic theory of mind, theory of development, and clinical technique. Drawing on Frantz Fanon’s work as a lens through which to re-read the “ancestors” of psychoanalysis—Freud, Ferenczi, and Lacan—the presenter will use empirical research on dyadic and collectivistic approaches to development, the mind-body connection, and psychotherapy outcome research to clearly and concrete delineate an updated decolonial theory of development, subjectivity, and its clinical implications and permutations. That way, we can begin to imagine a new foundation for psychoanalytic theory and technique for a world in dire need of approaches that not only bridge the relational and sociopolitical in clinical practice, but also arouse clinician’s political imagination and desire.

Daniel José Gaztambide, PsyD, is assistant professor of psychology at Queens College, where he is the director of the Frantz Fanon Lab for Decolonial Psychology, and a faculty member at the Critical Psychology program at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is the author of the books A People’s History of Psychoanalysis: From Freud to Liberation Psychology, and the recent Decolonizing Psychoanalytic Technique: Putting Freud on Fanon’s Couch. He is in analytic training at the NYU Post-Doctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, and is the recipient of multiple fellowships including a Mellon Foundation Fellowship and a Miranda Family Fellowship for his research on colonial mentality and the application of psychoanalytic treatment to diverse populations. His recent paper, “Standing against racial capitalism: Reconsidering psychology’s role in dismantling systemic racism,” was published in a recent special issue in American Psychologist on addressing racism in psychology. This work is an extension of his service as a Taskforce member at the APA’s Taskforce on Strategies for the Elimination of Racism, Discrimination, and Hate, for which he received a presidential citation for his work. Aside from his work as a psychoanalytic psychologist, he is also a member of the Puerto Rican poetry troupe The Titere Poets.

Registration

• Registration fee: $190
• SPSI Members: $175
• SPSI Faculty: $165
• Candidates/residents/graduate students: $150

Refund Policy: Refunds given until one week before the event.

Learning Objectives

As a result of this presentation, attendees will be able to:

• Describe a theory of mind that integrates the relational and the social in developmental theory and case formulation.
• Distinguish between dyadic and collectivistic modes of attachment, and use this distinction to identify how patients organize their concerns and their presenting problem.
• Identify techniques for bridging the relational and the social in clinical practice, drawing from a variety of psychoanalytic traditions.

Continuing Education Credit

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of American Psychoanalytic Association and (name of nonaccredited provider). The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION FOR ALL LEARNERS: None of the planners and presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s)* to disclose with ineligible companies* whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

*Financial relationships are relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.

5 hours Category II CME. This presentation meets the requirements of WAC 246-924-240 (Definition of Category of Creditable CPE). This program has been approved for 5 CEUs by the NASW Washington State Chapter. Licensed Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors are eligible. Provider number is #1975-144.