Elective: Application of Modern Psychoanalytic Theory with Children

Child Psychoanalytic Training (CPT)
2019-20, 3rd Trimester — Fridays, 10:15-11:45am
Kenneth King, MD


Introduction

Child Clinical Associates will participate in an eleven-week course developed by the CA’s and course instructors focusing on modern psychoanalytic perspectives and their application in the analysis of children and adolescents.  The course with include both close reading of relevant articles and the discussion of case material that spans all developmental stages.  This case material will be drawn from published text and from the CAs and course instructors own clinical experience.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course Clinical Associates will be able to:

  1. describe how the major theories of psychoanalysis: Self-Psychology, British and American Object Relations, Modern Ego Psychology, and Relational Theory can be utilized in conceptualizing psychoanalytic work with children and adolescents. 
  2. Describe how the major theories of psychoanalysis: Self-Psychology, British and American Object Relations, Modern Ego Psychology, and Relational Theory can be applied from the standpoint of technique when working analytically with children and adolescents across the developmental spectrum.

March 20, 2020 — Introduction of a Child Psychoanalytic Case and Discussion

[28 pages]

The first two weeks will introduce the analyses of two children. These analyses and their discussion provide the basis around which the other weeks revolve. The first is the analysis of a six-and-a-half-year-old girl, with discussion of the role of her internal world, oedipal constellation, the impact of trauma and the arc and technique of her analysis.

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch1, pp1-28

March 27, 2020 — Introduction of a Second Child Psychoanalytic Case and Discussion

[32 pages]

The analysis of a four-and-a-half-year-old girl, discussion of the role of play, the representational world, the “theatre of the mind”, self and object relations.

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch3-4, pp29-60

April 3, 2020 — Psychic Structure and Models of the Mind

[14 pages]

Exploration of various models of the mind and the psychological phenomena behind them, models of psychic structure and the development of psychic structure.

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch5, pp61-74

April 10, 2020 — Trauma and Psychic Structure

[22 pages]

What is trauma from ego-psychological, object relations, self-psychological and relational points of view. What does it mean to be overwhelmed and what is the impact of this state on the individual’s psychic structure? What is fragmentation? What enduring consequences remain after a traumatic event? What is the impact of cumulative trauma on the developing self?

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch6, pp75-96

April 17, 2020 — The Developmental Object

[18 pages]

Selfobjects, transformational objects, new objects and developmental objects, auxiliary ego and holding environment: Examining the power of the relationship and the ways in which the parent or analyst influence development and the creation, shaping, or reshaping of psychological structure.

Kohn, E.I.; Huddleston, C.; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children: Psychological Structure, Trauma, Development, and Therapeutic Action, Ch7, pp97-114

April 24, 2020 — Fragmentation to Cohesive Self

[16 pages]

What triggers fragmentation in the developing ego of the child?  What are the psychological mechanisms children use to try to ward off and/or cope with fragmentation? How do we as analysts work with fragmentation? Examination of these issues through the review of theory and exploration of a clinical case.

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch8, pp115-125

May 1, 2020 — Therapeutic Action

[16 pages]

First of three chapters examining the concept of therapeutic action and an elaboration of the structure of the mind.  This chapter/class will focus on several perspectives on and aspects of therapeutic action from Freud’s theory of insight to self psychological perspectives and concepts of proximal development and transference.

Kohn, E.I.; Huddleston, C.; Kaufman, A. (2019). Analyzing Children. New York, New York: Rowman & Littlefield. pp127-142.

May 8, 2020 — The Play Space

[9 pages]

Examining the role of play in the evaluation, formulation and treatment of children. What do children communicate through play and how does play aid in the resolution of conflicts in treatment? Exploration of play as a technique in the analytic treatment of children.

Kohn, E.I.; Huddleston, C.; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. New York, New York: Rowman & Littlefield. pp143-151.

May 15, 2020 — Relationship, Action, and Words

[25 pages]

Close examination of the analyses of two children with a focus on the interventions made by the analysts in each stage of analysis in order to better understand the therapeutic and change-promoting aspects of the psychoanalytic treatments, incorporating the elements discussed in previous chapters.

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch11, pp153-177

May 22, 2020 — The Oedipal Phase and Its Earlier Determinants

[5 pages]

Examination of the role of oedipal level material, themes, conflicts, and therapeutic work in the analyses of two children discussed at more length earlier in the text.  As in all class periods, this class will also include integration of clinical material from the CA’s own clinical experience.

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch12, pp179-183

May 29, 2020 — Termination

[4 pages]

Examination of the process of termination as it applies to the analysis of children, with a particular emphasis on exploration of the analyses of the two children discussed in detail in this text.

Kohn, E. I.; Huddleston, C; Kaufman, A. (2019) Analyzing Children. Ch13, pp185-188