Loading Events

« All Events

Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy

September 6 @ 9:00 am 5:10 pm

The Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy Program is offering a one-day live online course designed to provide a basic introduction to couple therapy from an object relations perspective.  

Click here to read the full details about this videoconference.

All times are listed in US Eastern Time (UTC/GMT –4)

9:00 – 10:15 a.m.

What makes Couple therapy different from individual therapy?

Carla Trusty-Smith, PhD

  • The back of the therapist’s mind
  • Couple state of mind
  • Creative couple
  • The third position
  • Desired outcomes

10:30-11:45 a.m.

Conducting an Assessment and Setting Up Treatment

Janine Wanlass, PhD

  • Setting a frame
  • Establishing an alliance
  • Conducting an initial assessment
  • Formulating hypotheses and making treatment recommendations

12:00-1:15 p.m.

Role of the therapist in transference/countertransference dynamics

Jim Poulton PhD

  • Use of the therapist’s self
  • Negative capability
  • Transference and countertransference
    • Contextual, Focused, Individual, Joint
  • Working between individual and joint transferences
  • Interpretation of defense and anxiety: The because clause
  • Working through

2:15-3:30 p.m.

Couple Dynamics and Projective Identification

Jill Scharff, MD

  • Couple dynamics from an object relations perspective
  • Klein — projective identification
  • Fairbairn — individual development
  • Dicks — Marital tensions

3:45-5:00 p.m.

Common Challenges: Sexuality and Sexual Issues in Couple Therapy

David Scharff. M.D.

  • Sexual Development
  • Assessing Sexual Difficulty
  • Dealing with Affairs

5:00-5:10pm

Closing

Carla Trusty-Smith, PhD

Join our Mailing List

Add your email to be notified about Programs, Videoconferences, and Psychodynamic Weekends


International Psychotherapy Institute • 6917 Arlington Road • Suite 204 • Bethesda, MD 20814 • 301-215-7377

© The International Psychotherapy Institute 2025. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy

Website by