This course explores ‘enactments’ as a dynamic and unavoidable phenomenon in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Drawing on the seminal works of Owen Renik, Theodore Jacobson, Lewis Aron, Joseph Sandler, and other contemporary theorists, we will examine how enactments emerge at the intersection of transference, countertransference, and repetition compulsion.
Participants will learn to identify, interpret, and navigate these therapeutic moments, viewing them not as obstacles but as opportunities for deep clinical insight and transformation. The course emphasizes a relational and intersubjective approach to understanding and working through enactments through case examples and theoretical discussions.
By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with practical tools and a nuanced understanding of how to use enactments as a catalyst for growth, healing, and greater therapeutic depth. This course is designed for clinicians seeking to deepen their ability to engage with complex relational dynamics and foster meaningful change in their practice.
Instructor: Don Schimmel is a psychologist and psychoanalyst with over 50 years of experience in private practice in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. He works with adults, children, adolescents, families, and couples. A former senior faculty member at the Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Dr. Schimmel has taught extensively on topics such as Self-Psychology, Relational and Intersubjectivity Theory, Enactment, The History and Legacy of Freud, Ego Psychology, and Object Relations Theory. He has also led specialized seminars on treating children, adolescents, and their parents.
Learning objectives:
By the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:
1. Articulate at least three defining features of enactments.
2. List at least one reason why enactments in psychotherapy are often necessary and inevitable.
3. Explain how enactments intersect with key concepts, including transference, countertransference, one-person vs. two-person psychology, repetition compulsion, acting out, and the negative therapeutic reaction.
4. Learn to recognize at least three relational and intersubjective signals to help you navigate enactments.
5. Acquire two or more practical therapeutic strategies to help you work through enactments with clients.
Fees: $150 for Alliance Members and $180 for non-members.
Class Size: Class is limited to a maximum of 15 participants.
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 4.5 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.
