Course 414

Instructor

Cassie Kaufmann, Ph.D.
Ben Kafka, Ph.D.

March 16 – April 13, 2026
Wednesdays, 8:35 – 10:00 pm

Co-requisites

Candidates must have or have had at least two cases in supervised psychoanalysis to be eligible for upper level courses.

Course Description

This course explores the adaptation of the traditional psychoanalytic frame to alternative models and takes up questions pertaining to the accessibility and reach of the psychoanalytic field and treatment. The purpose of this class is to deepen discussion and thinking pertaining to psychoanalysis’s situation and relevance within the current socio-poitical moment, and how to consider the field’s history of treatment and theory vis-a-vis differences of class, race, and gender. The course touches on seminal texts on group psychology and group dynamics, the history of psychoanalytic clinics over the course of the last century, the impacts of colonialism and racism on mental health, and finally explores contemporary community psychoanalytic practice.

Educational Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how the traditional dyadic model of psychoanalysis has and can be adapted to other frames that consider the group and community
2. Gain deeper awareness of the history of psychoanalysis in the socio-political context, including the impacts of class, race, and colonialism on the psyche as well as the form of treatment offered

Evaluation Method

Each student’s participation in class discussion and his or her demonstration of understanding of the course objectives and reading material is assessed in a written evaluation by the instructor(s).