This four week course is an introduction to the work of Ronald Fairbairn, a key figure in the development of object relations theory. Fairbairn made a radical departure from Freud’s drive theory by reversing the relationship of aim and object. While Freud believed the object was secondary to the aim of the drive, Fairbairn asserted that it was the need and desire for the object that determined the aim of the drive. He introduced the notion that it is not pleasure we seek, but relationship. He is also responsible for the addition of “schizoid” to Melanie Klein’s paranoid-schizoid position, opening an entire dimension of understanding of the splitting of the ego and object.
In this course we will study two of Fairbairn’s most significant papers, as well as their elaborations by authors such as Thomas Ogden and James Grotstein. Participants will learn the relevance of Fairbairn’s ideas for working with patients who present as remote, out of touch with emotions, and relegated to superficial contact with others. Clinically relevant topics such as schizoid exhibitionism, problems of incorporation and internalization, and the ascendance of fantasy over reality will be covered in some depth.
Instructor:
Samantha Good is a psychoanalyst in private practice in Seattle and a graduate of the Northwestern Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. She has written several papers on object relations theory and practice, with emphasis on early or foundational trauma and its expression in the transference and countertransference. Her paper "A Leap Without Faith: From Knowing to Being in Psychoanalysis" was published in the IPSO Journal 2023/24. She is currently interested in schizoid phenomena in the psychoanalytic relationship, based on the work on Fairbairn and Klein.
Learning Objectives:
By the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:
• describe Fairbairn's contributions to object relations theory
• apply Fairbairn's concepts to current clinical practice.
Fees: $200 for Alliance Members / $250 for non-members
Class size limit: 8 students
Refund Policy: Refunds less a $35 handling fee will be given up until one week before the first class.
This presentation has been approved for a total of 6.0 CE’s for licensed mental health counselors and associates, marriage and family therapists and social workers by the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work.
