This six-week, 9-CEU continuing education course offers an in-depth introduction to Lacanian psychoanalytic theory with direct relevance for clinical practice. Designed for psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic oriented psychotherapists, the course will explore key Lacanian concepts including unconscious desire, the split subject, the Big Other, the three registers (Imaginary, Symbolic, Real), the four discourses, and Lacanian diagnostic structures (neurosis, psychosis, and perversion).

Drawing from Lacanian Psychoanalysis: A Contemporary Introduction by Yadlin-Gadot & Hadar (2023), participants will engage with theory through both close reading and practical clinical application. Weekly discussions will include brief didactic presentations, guided readings, and small-group work with clinical vignettes and case studies. The course emphasizes integration of theory with clinical thinking and aims to help participants develop a Lacanian ear for practice.

Required Text: Yadlin-Gadot, S., & Hadar, U. (2023). Lacanian Psychoanalysis: A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge.

Instructors: 

Paul Hoard, PHD, LMHC, is a licensed counselor, psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and associate professor of counseling psychology at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. His scholarship focuses on sexuality, perpetration trauma, white-body supremacy, and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory. He also writes and speaks on the intersections of theology, purity culture, play, and psychoanalysis. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Hoard provides outpatient mental health counseling and clinical supervision.

Kathryn Richardson is a licensed counselor working in community mental health. She graduated with an MACP from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology in 2023. Her previous education in creative writing and poetic theory serves as the foundation for her interest in Lacan and the use of language within the therapeutic frame. Post-graduation, she has continued her education in Lacanian psychoanalytic theory through reading, seminar, and consult groups. Kathryn also works as an Instructional Assistant at The Seattle School.

Learning Objectives:

By the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define and explain core Lacanian concepts such as unconscious desire, the split subject, the Big Other, and the three registers.
• Analyze the structure and function of the four Lacanian discourses in clinical settings.
• Identify and distinguish between Lacanian diagnostic structures using clinical material.
• Apply Lacanian theoretical frameworks to case formulation and therapeutic intervention.
• Critically engage with Lacanian ideas in dialogue with other psychoanalytic traditions.

Fees: $250 for Alliance Members / $300 for non-members / $150 The Seattle School Alumni
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 9.0 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.