Friday, April 29, 2022

Working with Dynamics of Grief, Depression, and Self-Sabotage

Nancy McWilliams, PhD, ABPP

In the wake of the recent pandemic, therapists struggle to help patients with painful losses and challenges. Situational stresses interact with personality patterns, presenting therapists with complicated combinations of grief, mourning, and depressive and masochistic dynamics. Because neither “Depressive Personality Disorder” nor “Self-Defeating Personality Disorder” is found in the DSM or ICD, official taxonomies offer little clinical help in distinguishing between various painful self-states and framing therapy accordingly. Dr. McWilliams will differentiate conceptually between depression and mourning, between anaclitic and introjective depression, between relational self-sabotage and “moral masochism,” and between depressive and self-defeating personality patterns. She will use her own case material illustratively and present one self-defeating patient in depth.

Objectives: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between normal grief and clinical depression;
• Distinguish anaclitic from introjective depression;
• Distinguish between relational (anaclitic) and moral (introjective) masochism;
• Identify differences between predominantly depressive and predominantly self-defeating (masochistic) personality patterns;
• Discuss the clinical implications of these overall conceptualizations;
• Manage countertransference reactions to patients with each of these problems.

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy 2022

Our extraordinary 18th annual conference will showcase renowned faculty in the field of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Focusing their discussions on two extended clinical vignettes, master clinicians will offer their innovative and ever-evolving reflections on the integration of theoretical constructs into clinical practice. In addition, two pre-eminent clinicians will speak to several topical issues relevant for all of us in our psychodynamic work.

Our overriding goal for the day will be to widen the scope of applicability of psychodynamic psychotherapy to a broad range of clinical situations and to deepen understanding of the curative process. Special attention will be paid to the co-creation of therapeutic impasses and the contributions of both patient and therapist to the unfolding of the “cure.”

Objectives:  Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Define the contributions of different paradigms to therapeutic change;
• Compare various therapeutic approaches to two compelling case presentations;
• Determine the role of the transference in the curative process;
• Describe the difference between the transference and the real relationship;
• Utilize the countertransference to inform a richer understanding of the patient;
• Examine the role of the unconscious in the patient’s actions, reactions, and interactions;
• Summarize the importance of the patient’s dual awareness and self-reflective capacity in the face of trauma;
• Expound upon the role of play in the repair of rupture;
• Review the impact of racism and shame in the context of immigration;
• Demonstrate effective ways to integrate theoretical constructs into clinical practice.

Visit www.psychotherapyupdate.org for more information.