This workshop addresses Donnel Stern’s approach to the interpersonal field in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, especially the emergent qualities of the field. Stern’s view is anchored by several conceptions—unformulated experience, dissociation, enactment, witnessing, and coming into possession of oneself—that are defined and explored in his books, and represented in the articles that will serve as the basis for the day of presentation and discussion among us.
Dr. Stern never considers the analyst or the patient alone; all clinical events take place between them and involve them both. Their conscious and unconscious conduct and experience are the field’s substance. We can say that the changing nature of the field determines the experience that patient and analyst can create in one another’s presence. However, we can also say that the therapeutic dyad, simply by doing its work together, ceaselessly configures and reconfigures the field in the process, shaping possibilities for the creation of meaning.
*While we plan and hope to meet in person for this presentation, we will follow King County guidelines for public gatherings. If unable to meet in person, we will be switching to Zoom and will send out the link by February 12th.
Please note: If we are able to meet in person at the Swedish Club, there will be no Zoom option available. There will be no recording of this event. If health restrictions dictate that we rely on Zoom, there will be no recording made for viewing at a later date.