108: Ethics in Clinical Practice I
Instructors
Stephanie Brandt, M.D.
Debra Japko, Psy.D.
April 28 – May 19, 2025
Mondays, 7:00 – 8:25 pm
Course Description
This course will complement the courses on analytic technique, adding the essential subject of ethical standards of clinical practice. We will discuss clinical situations that reflect basic ethical dilemmas that are common in the practice of psychoanalysis. We will introduce basic ethical principles as well as the purpose and implementation of the APsaA code of ethics. We will focus on the following specific topics: i. boundary violations, ii. confidentiality and its exceptions, and iii. the impact of the socio-cultural context and systemic bias on psychoanalytic work. Students will read key papers on ethics issues. Discussion will focus on clinical material derived from both the instructors’ and students’ practices. This course will be continued during the fourth year in Ethics in Clinical Practice II.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:
1. Describe the ethical principles underlying psychoanalytic practice
2. Describe the legal requirements for psychoanalytic practice in New York State.
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).
These articles are protected under relevant copyright regulations. They are available in the New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute Electronic Reserve for your convenience, and for your personal use.
READINGS ARE CONFIRMED.
I. Professionalism, Codes of Ethics, Fiduciary Obligations
CLASS 1: April 28, 2025
Ethics Codes
REQUIRED READINGS (There are 3 required in total: APsaA, code related to training, and Portuges article.)
American Psychoanalytic Association (2008). Principles and Standards of Ethics for Psychoanalysts.
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Read the Ethics Code related to your specific professional training (Scholars please read the first one for reasons to be explained.)
American Psychiatric Association (2013). The Principles of Medical Ethics With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry.
or
American Psychological Association (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct.
or
National Association of Social Workers Ethics Code (2008).
or
IPA Ethics Code (2015).
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Portuges, S. (2009). The Politics of Psychoanalytic Neutrality. Int. J. Appl. Psychoanal. Stud., 6(1):61-73.
Renik, O. (1996). The Perils Of Neutrality.. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 65:495-517.
II. Sexual and Other Boundary Violations
CLASS 2: May 5, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS
Celenza, A. (2017). Lessons on or about the Couch: What Sexual Boundary Transgressions Can Teach Us about Everyday Practice. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 34:157-162.
Gabbard G.O. and Hobday G.S. (2012). A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Ethics, Self-Deception and the Corrupt Physician. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 28:235-248
Slochower, J. (2017). Don’t Tell Anyone. Psychoanal. Psychol., 34(2):195-200.
III. Boundary Violations II | Issues in Confidentiality | Mandated Reporting
CLASS 3: May 12, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS
Hook, J. & Devereux, D. (2018). Boundary violations in therapy: the patient’s experience of harm. BJPsych Advances, 24: 1-8.
Grossmark, R. (2023). A Child is Being Murdered: A Contemporary Psychoanalytic Treatment of a Compulsion to Child Pornography. Psychoanalytic Psychologist 40(1): 25-30.
Gabbard, G. O. (2000) Disguise or Consent: Problems and Recommendations Concerning the Publication and Presentation of Clinical Material1. International Journal of Psychoanalysis 81:1071-1086
Kluft, R. (1993). The Physician as Perpetrator of Abuse. Family Violence and Abusive Relationships, 20(2): 459-480.
IV. Reality
CLASS 4: May 19, 2025
REQUIRED VIDEO
Watch the 4-part series Adolescence on Netflix prior to class