Simultaneoulsly on-site (54 places) and on Zoom (unlimited places)

This activity will be recorded and available for online viewing*

“So Now… Really, How Does This All Work?”
Evolving a Personal Clinical Theory in Contemporary Self Psychology Treatment

Lien vers la version en français   "Alors maintenant… vraiment, comment tout cela fonctionne-t-il?"
L'élaboration d'une théorie clinique personnelle en Psychologie du soi contemporaine

a conference by Jackie Gotthold, Psy.D.*

   The presentation will be given in English, with simultaneous English interpretation for the audience questions in French during the question and answer period.

This conference is approved by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec for 6 hours of continuing education units (CEU) in psychotherapy. No OPQ: RA07105-25.

The conference

At the end of what Jackie Gotthold considered a particularly productive session with a new patient, the patient looked her straight in the eyes and asked bluntly: “So now… really, how does all this work?” In that critical moment, appreciating the question, Dr. Gotthold laughed softly. Matching her tone and cadence, she replied: “Ah, it’s complicated — there’s a relationship, a lot of hard work, and a little bit of magic.” “Alright then!” the patient answered, laughing — and they carried on.

What does this short vignette have to do with the development of a personal clinical theory? It reflects the needed theoretical understanding that Jackie Gotthold has elaborated for herself over time about psychoanalytic treatment. She describes it as a bidirectional, dyadic, dynamic process of self and self with other interactively regulated and organized through the dimensions of explicit and implicit relational knowledge and communication. This process is spontaneous, yet disciplined, emergent, and nonlinear — essentially "a relationship, a lot of hard work, and a little bit of magic." How all this comes together will be the focus of Dr. Gotthold’s presentation.

To explain the development of a personal clinical theory, she will use the image of a children’s book with overlayered pages. There is first a main scene, perhaps an illustration of a small village with a pond and mountains in the distance. Then there is a plastic overlay with clouds and skaters. When the page with clouds and skaters is placed over the original one, the original scene is embellished. As the pages are turned, the clouds and skaters suddenly become an integral part of the original scene. After several page turns, we arrive at a dynamic, nuanced scene full of richness and perspective. Our final apprehension of the scene requires a “suspended and evenly distributed attention” (Takuan Soho, 1600), focusing not on the original scene or on each added detail, but rather on the “big picture.” It is an evolving image.

The clinical process understanding that Dr. Gotthold has built for herself is very similar to this children’s book. Her “original scene” or foundational understanding rests on the theory of classical self-psychology. The overlay pages that enrich and consolidate her clinical stance are both psychoanalytic and interactional theories:

• The core principles of intersubjectivity theory by Stolorow, Atwood, Brandchaft, and Orange.
• The contributions of infant research psychoanalysts such as Daniel Stern, Beatrice Beebe, and Frank Lachmann.
• The writings of the Boston Change Process Study Group.

These insights have shaped her belief that the clinical encounter is an emergent process — or a nonlinear, two-person field of empathic inquiry and affectively attuned responsiveness, organized into a system of moment-by-moment change for both therapist and patient.

Our speaker adds the “VFPI — Very Fine Psychoanalytic Ideas.” These are the many ideas from an abundance of contemporary clinical theorists, seemingly disparate, but extending Kohut’s core concept of the “selfobject” experience. Ideas such as the “organizing principles of experience” by Stolorow et al., Brandchaft’s “pathological accommodation systems,” the Ornsteins’ “fear of repetition and fear of new beginnings,” Kohut and Tolpin’s “forward edge/trailing edge,” and Steven Stern’s “necessary relationships” all influence her clinical understanding and practice. These ideas are derived from Self Psychology and Intersubjective Systems Theories, and they can expand our contemporary repertoire for understanding mutative factors in the clinical process. Furthermore, and importantly, they play a crucial role in how we communicate with each other about our clinical work — a sort of explanatory shorthand.

Clinical vignettes will illustrate this clinical process.

*The speaker
Readings

At the Intersubjective Fridays (evenings of text study at the GEI) of this year, three of Jackie Gotthold's papers have been studied in preparation for her conference (n.b. it is not required to read the papers to fully benefit from the conference). They are available at a cost of 10$ (for copyright fees) in their original English version and their French transalation at this page: Three papers by Jackie Gotthold.

If you were a participant to the three "Vendredis intersubjectifs Jackie Gotthold", you already have access to these papers by clicking on the My files link, in the user menu to your name located to the right over the main menu bar (once logged into your site user account).

Learning objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

1. Differentiate contemporary psychoanalytic self psychology theory, theories of interaction, and "Very good psychoanalytic ideas".
2. Describe the process of constructing and integrating a personal clinical theory, with particular emphasis on psychoanalytic frameworks, interactionist models, and selected psychoanalytic concepts.
3. Examine the evolution of a personal clinical theory and assess its application within therapeutic practice.
4. Articulate a conceptual understanding of the role of play within the clinical process.

Schedule

15 minutes a.m. and p.m. breaks
Snacks included on-site (pastries and beverages)

08:15 am	Welcome and breakfast on-site
08:30 am	Opening of the Zoom waiting room
08:45 am	Zoom admission
09:00 am	Opening remarks and introduction of speaker
09:15 am	The Development and Integration of a Personal Clinical Theory
10:45 am	Pause
11:00 am	Discussion with audience
12:00 pm	Lunch on-site at the ITHQ
01:30 pm	"Very Good Psychoanalytic Ideas" Illustrated Through Clinical Vignettes
02:45 pm	Pause
03:00 pm	Reflections on Play in the Clinical Encounter
03:45 pm	Discussion with audience
04:30 pm	End

Q&A with the speaker

You are welcome, if you wish, to prepare questions in advance for the discussion periods between the speaker and the participants. It will be possible to ask questions in English or in French.

• On-site participants will be able to ask their questions either verbally, or in writing for the facilitator to read them to the speaker.
• And remote participants will be able to write their questions in the Zoom "Chat".

Sunday Clinical workshop, On-site only

You are also invited to attend a clinical workshop (limited to 20 participants) with Jackie Gotthold to be held the following day, on Sunday, September 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

A participant will present a clinical case, and after an exchange between this participant and our invited speaker, the discussion will be open to the group. To register, please go to the Clinical Workshop.

N.B.: questions in French will be translated in English for our speaker and for the English-speaking participants, and theirs will be translated in French for the French-speaking participants.

Poster to distribute

GEI 22nd Annual Conference poster.

Organizing committee

Annette Richard, psychologist, administrator
Caroline Dumont, psychologist, president
Danny Rochefort, psychologist, GEI member