Scholarly Dialogues: Stephen Purcell "Un-Thinking Technique: The Analyst’s Presence in Treating Early Trauma"
Stephen Purcell will lead discussions of two of his papers that address the analyst’s way of being: “Psychic Song and Dance: Dissociation and Duets in the Analysis of Trauma (2019) and “Un-thinking Technique: On Being, Not Doing in the Psychoanalysis of the Sequelae of Trauma” (2026). The first paper includes an extended clinical example illustrating the centrality of the analyst’s non-verbal participation in processes of transformation, while the second brings in neuroscience perspectives in an attempt to better understand factors that contribute to an analyst’s healing presence. Both papers attempt to clarify what is meant by “dissociation” and raise questions about the implicit centrality of “psychic agency” in psychoanalytic theory and technique.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to describe three ways that epistemological techniques interfere with the treatment of early trauma and the promotion of psychic growth.
- Participants will be able to describe three characteristics that distinguish “narrow”
- Participants will be able to describe how overly broad assumptions of psychic
agency contribute to theoretical ambiguity about dissociation and to less-thanoptimal
technique.
Speaker Bio:
Stephen Purcell is a psychoanalyst practicing in Portland, Oregon. He has published book chapters and articles on dissociation, the analyst’s way of being, termination, theory as a source of countertransference, the treatment of perverse character structures, the analyst’s attitude toward pharmacotherapy, and a professional memoir describing formative experiences leading to his career as a psychoanalyst. Dr. Purcell is on the faculties of the Oregon Psychoanalytic Institute, the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis and the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California.
Special Instructions: Scholarly Dialogues--formerly called Masterclass, is an open discussion and learning session where small groups gather together with important scholars in the field to discuss 1-2 papers from their body of work. The intimacy of the setting allows participants to be able to ask personal questions about the author's ideas and share some of their own reactions and thinking about the material. Papers will be distributed in advance to registered attendees.
15 PEOPLE MAX FOR THIS EVENT
Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel your purchase, please do by emailing admin@nwaps.org to request a refund minus a 30% cancellation fee. Allow 2-4 weeks to process your refund request. Note that participation in the entire event is required to obtain CE credits.
Continuing Education: This program is available for 2.50 continuing education credits. Participants must attend 100% of the program. Upon completion of the class evaluation, a certificate will be issued. This serves as documentation of attendance for all participants. Psychologists will have their participation registered through SPPP, Division 39. APS and SPPP are committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in continuing education activities and will conduct all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. If participants have special needs, reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate them. There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.
SPPP (Division 39) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SPPP maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
