Course Meeting: Saturdays, 10:45 am- 12:15 pm

Course Dates: Sept 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, Dec 6, 13

Instructor: Raymond Gourley, MA, NCPsyA

Course Description:

Freud summarized his thinking about the human mind and the new discipline of psychoanalysis in two sets of “Introductory Lectures” written 15 years apart. These lectures overview what Freud considered the fundamentals of psychoanalysis and how they evolved between 1900 and the 1930’s. In addition to these works this course will also focus on several horizonal essays on topics Freud found especially perplexing and important on narcissism; on ‘grief work’ and its relationship to depression; and on the depth psychology of systemic ‘othering’.

Course Objectives:

1. To introduce participants to Freud’s basic theories, writings and how they continue to inform modern psychoanalytic perspectives and treatment.

2. To familiarize participants with Freud’s dual focus on the “social” and the “psychic in these works and its contemporary relevance.

3. To provide a critical foundation for studying and evaluating psychoanalytic ideas and techniques.

4. To provide an environment for dialogue in which students are encouraged to make connections between reading assignments and their own clinical and life experiences.

5. To familiarize students with the “literature” of psychoanalysis and how its reading can enrich their work.