Joseph Newirth, PhD
(New York, NY)

Orphans of the Real - Revisited

7-9pm (CST): ZOOM Presentation and discussion

About the presentation:  “Orphans of the Real” (Grotstein, 1995) refers to people who are unable to utilize reverie and unconscious processes in creating meaning. They live in a world of “what is”; flooded by beta elements, symbolic or psychic equivalents. This paper integrates Bionian concepts of symbolization, alpha function, reverie, the container-contained, Winnicott’s concept of transitional experiences and Matte- Blanco’s concepts of symmetry and asymmetry within a relational paradigm, emphasizing the transformation of concrete experiences and enactments within the transference-countertransference relationship into metaphorical, symbolic experiences. An extensive clinical example is presented in which there is a break down of the container contained function with both analyst and patient becoming merged in meaningless and depressive affects and then slowly becoming able to recover the ability to think and create meaning through the use of reverie and the development of mutual dream like process of creating subjective meaning.  This paper focuses on the transformation of the concrete experiences of the paranoid schizoid position into the symbolic experiences of the depressive experience.

Dr. Joseph Newirth is a Professor at the Derner School of Psychology at Adelphi University.  He is a supervisor at the  N.Y.U. Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, New York University, and is on the faculty and a supervisor at the National Training Program at the National Institute of the Psychotherapies, New York, NY.  He received his BA from the City College of New York, his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts and his psychoanalytic training at the William Alanson White Institute. He has published numerous articles in professional journals and frequently presents papers at national and international conferences.  His first book, Between Emotion and Cognition: The generative unconscious (2003) received the Gradiva prize for critical analysis and interpretation in 2004.  His second book, From Sign to Symbol: Transformational Process in Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy and Psychology (2018) was published  by Lexington Books and received the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis annual book award (2019) in Clinical Psychoanalysis

Learning objectives:

1. Participants will be able to explain the loss of the capacity to think during sessions with patients described as the Orphans of the Real and other severely limited individuals.

2. Participants will identify two modes of participating with patient in psychoanalytic psychotherapy: the asymmetrical, discursive mode and the symmetrical metaphorical mode.

3. Participants will identify trends in theory which emphasize complex processes of reverie and transformation in psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

The program is directed primarily at intermediate and advanced practitioners.

Fees
CCP members: free with annual $175 membership, payable at registration.
Students:free with annual $125 membership, payable at registration.
Fellows: free with annual $150 membership, payable at registration.
Non-CCP members, single admission: $50
Student non-members, single admission: $15

Continuing Education
This program is sponsored for Continuing Education Credits by the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis. There is no commercial support for this program, nor are there any relationships between the continuing education sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants or other funding that could be construed as conflicts of interest. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If the program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods. The Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis maintains responsibility for this program and its content. CCP is licensed by the state of Illinois to sponsor continuing education credits for Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Counselors and Licensed Clinical Psychologists (license no. 159.000941 and 268.000020 and 168.000238 Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation).

Professionals holding the aforementioned credentials will receive 2.0 continuing education credits for attending the entire program. To receive these credits a completed evaluation form must be turned in at the end of the presentation and licensed psychologists must first complete a brief exam on the subject matter. No continuing education credit will be given for attending part of the presentation. Refunds for CE credit after the program begins will not be honored. If a participant has special needs or concerns about the program, s/he should contact Toula Kourliouros Kalven by December 5, 2020 at tkalven@ccpsa.org

References/Suggested Reading
Ferro, A. (2009). Transformations in Dreaming and Characters in the Psychoanalytic
Field , . Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 90(2):209-230
Fonagy, P. and Target, M. (2007). Playing with Reality: IV. A Theory of External Reality Rooted in Intersubjectivity. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 88(4):917-937
Newirth, J. (2015) Psychoanalysis’ Past, Present and Future: Sherlock Holmes, Sir  Lancelot and the Wizard of Oz.  Psychoanalytic Psychology. 32(2):307-320
Ogden, T.H. (1995). Analysing Forms Of Aliveness And Deadness Of The Transference-Countertransference. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 76:695-709.
Ogden, T.H. (2004). The Art of Psychoanalysis: Dreaming Undreamt Dreams and Interrupted Cries. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 85, 857–878.
Ogden, T. (2007).On talking-as-dreaming.  International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 88:575-589

Presented by
The Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis/CCP Program Committee: Carol Ganzer, PhD, Toula Kourliouros Kalven,  Adina Bayuk Keesom, PsyD

The Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis is an IRS 501(C)(3) charitable organization, and expenses may be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and your personal tax situation.