Course Description:
Patients can present to their analysts with what Winnicott described as a “false self” behind which the “true self” hides. The false self serves a useful purpose but unless the mystery surrounding its creation and persistence is solved, it will continue to hamper the true self from being. This is a personal account of one such analysis, with significant ways described in which the mystery of one mind was solved by a good-enough analysis.
In this paper, the work of a detective attempting to unravel a mystery, and the work of an analyst attempting to help her patient understand the workings of her own mind are compared and examples given of how the two processes have much in common, not just in the gathering of clues but in trying to understand the life histories and psychology of the characters involved.
After attending this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the similarities between intelligent detective work and the way psychoanalysts work when they are trying to help their patients unravel the mysteries of their minds.
2. Utilize their understanding of similarities presented in this paper to creatively broaden the scope of their own analytic interventions, in order to decrease their patient’s suffering.
Course Link: http://www.mpi-mps.org
CE Value (credits): 2
CE Type: Standard
Sponsor Name:
Michigan Psychoanalytic Society
Contact Information:
Monica Evans
248-851-3380
mevans@mpi-mps.org