213: Introduction to Melanie Klein and the Contemporary Kleinians

Course Description

Instructors

Nicole Regent, M.D.
Lynne Zeavin, Psy.D.

December 9, 2024 – April 7, 2025
Mondays, 8:35 – 10:00 pm

No class: 12/23, 12/30, 1/20, 2/17

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 aims to introduce the candidates to the work of Melanie Klein. Reading both her writing and secondary sources, the class will trace the development of Klein’s ideas, her roots in Freud, and how her work with children led her to develop a novel theory about the role of the object in psychic structure and the internal world, and the archaic underpinnings of adult mental functioning. Klein’s model of object relations has been elaborated upon and expanded by the work of contemporary Kleinians, and technical issues such as working in the here and now, the use of the countertransference, and projective identification will be discussed. The historical context in which Klein developed her ideas and her links to, and departures from, the Freudian model of her time will be kept in mind, as well as a consideration of both areas of controversy or criticism, as well as an understanding of her legacy in contemporary psychoanalytic thinking. Second and Third year students combined in 2024/2025 academic year.

Questions guiding each reading will be distributed prior to each week’s session.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. discuss and analyze the essential characteristics of Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic model and to demonstrate an understanding of how these ideas could be applied to clinical situations.

2. compare the approach of Klein and the contemporary Kleinians to the ego psychological model.

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).

Schedule of Classes & Course Readings

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 NOT YET CONFIRMED.

I. The Life of the Infant

CLASS 1: December 9, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS

Klein, M. (1948). A Contribution to the Theory of Anxiety and Guilt. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 29:114-123.

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SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS

Klein, M. (1975). Some Theoretical Conclusions Regarding the Emotional Life of the Infant In: Envy and Gratitude and other works: The Writings of Melanie Klein, Vol. III, 61-93. New York: Delacorte.

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Schafer, R. (1994). The Contemporary Kleinians of London. Psychoanal Q., 63:409-432.

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II. Early Psychic Structure and Basic Defenses

CLASS 2: December 16, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS

Klein, M. (1946). Notes on some Schizoid Mechanisms. In Envy and Gratitude and Other Works, 1946-1963, The Free Press, pp. 1-24.

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SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS

Joseph, B. (1966). Persecutory Anxiety in a Four–year–old Boy. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 47:184-188.

III. Paranoid Schizoid Position and Early Defense Mechanisms

CLASS 3: January 6, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Feldman, M. (1997). Projective identification: The analyst’s involvement. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 78: 227-241.

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Rusbridger, R. (2004). Elements of the Oedipus complex: A Kleinian account. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 85(3):731-747.

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Sodré, I. (2004). Who’s who? Notes on pathological identifications. In E. Hargreaves and A. Varchevker (Eds.), In Pursuit of Psychic Change (1st ed., pp.). London: Routledge.

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IV. Paranoid Schizoid Position and Associated Anxieties

CLASS 4: January 13, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Joseph, B. (1978). Different Types of Anxiety and their Handling in the Analytic Situation. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 59:223-228.

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Steiner, J. (1992). The Equilibrium Between the Paranoid-Schizoid and the Depressive Positions. New Library of Psychoanalysis, 14:46-58.

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V. Symbol Formation and Phantasy

CLASS 5: January 27, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Spillius, E. B. (2001). Freud and Klein on the Concept of Phantasy. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 82:361-373.

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Isaacs, S. (1948). The Nature and Function of Phantasy. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 29:73-97.

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VI. The Depressive Position

CLASS 6: February 3, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Klein, M. (1940). Mourning and its Relation to Manic-Depressive States. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 21:125-153.

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VII. The Manic Defense

CLASS 7: February 10, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Segal, H. (1988). Manic Reparation. In: The Work of Hanna Segal. London: Karnac, pp. 82-91.

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Sodre, I. (2015). Non-Vixit. In: Imaginary Existences, New York: Routledge, pp. 24-40.

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VIII. Depressive Anxieties in Relation to Mourning

CLASS 8: February 24, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Anderson, R. (1997). “Putting the boot in: violent defense against depressive anxiety” in Bell, D. Reason and Passion A Celebration of the Work of Hanna Segal, Tavistock Clinic Series

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Klein, M. On the Sense of Loneliness, Envy and Gratitude and Other Works, 1946-1963, The Free Press, pp 300-313.

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Roth, P. (1999). Absolute Zero: A Man Who Doubts His Own Love. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 80:661-670.

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IX. The Oedipus Complex, Depressive Anxieties, and the Capacity to Think

CLASS 9: March 3, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Feldman, M. (1989). The Oedipus Complex: Manifestations in the Inner World and the Therapeutic Situation. The Oedipus Complex Today: Clinical Implications, 54:103-128.

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Klein, M. (1945). The Oedipus Complex in Light of Early Anxieties. In Love, Guilt and Reparation and Other Works 1921-1945 (pp. 370-419).

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Sodré, I. (1994). Obsessional Certainty Versus Obsessional Doubt: From Two to Three. Psychoanal. Inq., 14:379-392.

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X. Winnicott

CLASS 10: March 10, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Winnicott, D.W. (1945). Primitive Emotional Development. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 26:137-143.

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Winnicott, D. (1953). Transitional objects and transitional phenomena. Int. J. Psychoanal. 34:89-101.

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Winnicott, D.W. (1969). The use of an object. Int. J. Psychoanal. 50: 711-716.

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SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS

Usuelli, A.K. (1992). The Significance of Illusion in the Work of Freud and Winnicott: A Controversial Issue. Int. R. Psycho-Anal., 19:179-187.

XI. Envy

CLASS 11: March 17, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Klein, M. (1957) “Envy and Gratitude” in Envy and Gratitude and Other Works, 1946-1963, The Free Press, pp. 176-204

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XII. Envy and Gratitude Continued

CLASS 12: March  24, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Joseph, B. (1986). Envy in Everyday Life. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2:13-22.

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O’Shaughnessy, E. (2008). On Gratitude. In P. Roth and A. Lemma (Eds.), Envy and Gratitude Revisited (pp. 79-91). London: IPA Books.

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O’Shaughnessy, E. (2018). Reparation: Waiting for a Concept. In P. Garvey and K. Long (Eds.), The Klein Tradition (1st ed., pp. 199-203). London: Routledge.

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XIII. Kleinian Technique: Sorting the Proper Level

CLASS 13: March 31, 2025
REQUIRED READINGS

Caper, R. (1997). A Mind Of One’s Own. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 78:265-278.

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Roth, P. (2001). Mapping The Landscape: Levels of Transference Interpretation. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 82(3):533-543.

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Feldman, M. (1993). The Dynamics of Reassurance. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 74:275-285.

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O’Shaughnessy, E. (1999). Relating to the Superego. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 80:861-870.

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Joseph, B. (1985). Transference: The Total Situation. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 66:447-454.

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O’Shaughnessy, E. (1992). Enclaves and Excursions. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 73: 603-611.

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SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS

Likierman, M. (2001) Melanie Klein: Her Work in Context. London: Continuum.

Phillips, S.H. (2018). “Creating a Selfish Bitch”: Between Narcissism and Object Relations. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 66(6):1125-1139.
Steiner, J. (2018). Overcoming obstacles in analysis: Is it possible to relinquish omnipotence and accept receptive femininity?. Psychoanal Q., 87(1):1-20.
Zeavin, L. (2019). The Elusive Good Object. Psychoanal Q., 88(1):75-93.

XIV. TBD

CLASS 14: April 7, 2025