Building Reflective Skills in Relational Psychodynamic Practice

Using Emotional Engagement from Case Formulation to Clinical Concerns - In Psychodynamic practice, our work is to play with ideas, pause with our thoughts, and place ourselves in an available therapeutic stance. But how? We are rarely well-practiced at giving ourselves permission to take our imagination seriously. We are not often encouraged to put words to our feelings with the belief they might tell us something important about the dynamics in front of us. In this class, we will read authors who treat emotional engagement with both the gravity and levity the subject warrants. The therapeutic relationship is the vehicle for change in an intersubjective, two person psychology, and we must practice showing up authentically and responsibly in that arena. We will investigate emotional engagement in our work, practice the reflective process which facilitates that role, and look at how this impacts the process of case formulation, viewing enactments, and the examination of clinical impasses. Course sessions will include large and small group discussion, reflective private writing, and peer consultation groups where students will discuss their experience in the field.