School-Age — 5 sessions
Fran Martin, Ph.D.
This course will explore the many developmental changes and achievements that take place between the ages of approximately six to eleven. This has historically been referred to as the period of Latency, a "quiet" period characterized by a "biological lessening of drive activities" (Freud, 1926) during which ego defenses are reorganized and behavior is static. Through our readings, observations and discussions, we will see in fact that this phase of development is indeed a rich, complex, fascinating and delightful period during which many physical, emotional and cognitive changes take place. Childhood experience at home, at school and with peers further solidifies those qualities which become fundamental elements of a child's personality. We will discuss characteristics of latency, development of defense mechanisms, shifts in object relations including development of friendships, hero worship, and shifts in family dynamics, play, learning, and moral development through our readings, as well as through observations in literature, film and life.
Adolescence — 5 Sessions
Ruth Garfield, M.D.
This course begins by reviewing the physical development and physiological changes as a backdrop for the psychological challenges that face the child as he/she matures from latency into an adult sized and adult equipped person. These challenges include what to do with the new equipment, increased and elaborated urges stimulated by changing hormonal balances, increasing independence and social demands. We then move on to different conceptualizations of normative adolescent psychological development including ones by Blos, Erikson, A Freud, Laufer and Dahl. Finally, we evaluate these conceptualizations with clinical material either from the literature or brought in by students. The goal is to come away with a working conceptualization of adolescence informed by the literature.
Adulthood and Old Age — 5 Sessions
Richard Summers, M.D.
This section of the development course will explore the adult lifecycle. The normal lifecycle developmental issues and associated psychopathology will be considered from a variety of psychoanalytic perspectives. The challenges, possibilities, and limitations of adult development will be discussed, and the course will consider the theoretical and clinical value of the lifecycle perspective.
Psychopathology and Clinical Technique in Preschool and Latency — 25 sessions
Taught by the Child Psychoanalytic Faculty
This course examines development of the Latency age child in depth and the key role of the family. Topics will include mentalization, Gender development, Aggression and its vicissitudes, Impulse and Affect regulation and global inhibition, Learning disorders, Loss and Grief, and the psychopathology involved in encopresis, enuresis, school refusal and divorce. We will consider clinical techniques in working analytically with latency age children and their parents.
School Observations — 4 sessions
Using public schools, we will observe children at work and play with peers and teacher. This class will require written work.
Adolescent Continuous Case Conference Child Psychoanalytic Faculty — 14 Sessions
A Continuous Case Conference will be offered in the Spring of Year Two. This conference will focus on a single ongoing adolescent case. The case will be chosen from the available ongoing cases seen by candidates.