Melanie Klein
Key Concepts: Primitive Ego and the Essentiality of the Object / Anxiety and the Instincts: Life and Death / Unconscious Phantasy / The Developing Mind: Splitting, Projection, and Introjection / States of Mind: Paranoid-Schizoid and Depressive Positions / Internal World and Internal Objects / Projective Identification and the Transference
In the four hours we have together, we will introduce and, hopefully, think together about the main concepts of Klein’s corpus. In preparation for this course, participants are strongly encouraged to watch the movie, “Where the Wild Things Are,” and may wish to read Melanie Klein: Her Work in Context, by Meira Likierman.
While much of Klein’s thinking remains controversial and even troubling to many, her influence on psychoanalysis and the field of mental health is irrefutable. Commonly held beliefs that babies have emotions and register experience prior to language; that babies come into the world with individual sensitivities and capacities; that the quality of early parental attunement and care has lasting effects throughout one’s lifespan; and that the therapeutic relationship is central to psychic change and healing were not fully explored or considered prior to Klein’s findings.
Sue N. Carlson is a psychoanalytically-informed Psychotherapist and Supervisor in private practice, working with adults and couples. Sue received her certificate in psychoanalysis from Northwestern Psychoanalytic Society and Institute in 2005. She has over 20 years of experience teaching British Object Relations and related topics for Antioch University Seattle, NPSI, COR, SPSI, and the Alliance. She is a member of COR and the Alliance.
Rikki Ricard is a practicing psychoanalyst and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice, working with adults, couples and adolescents. She offers supervision individually and in groups. Rikki is a graduate of Northwestern Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, with Masters degrees in both Acting and Psychology. She has been in private practice for 27 years. Rikki has taught at COR, the Alliance, SPSI and NPSI.
Cristy Smith received her Master in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology in 2013. Her private practice work with adults and teens is guided by her interest and post graduate studies in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. She has two years of experience teaching British Object Relations at the Center for Object Relations in Belltown.
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