304: Introduction to Melanie Klein and the Contemporary Kleinians
Instructors
Nicole Regent, M.D.
Lynne Zeavin, Psy.D.
November 20, 2023 – March 11, 2024
Mondays, 8:35 – 10:00 pm
No class: 12/25, 1/1, 1/15, 2/19
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.
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).
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. The Life of the Infant
CLASS 1: November 20, 2023
REQUIRED READINGS
Klein, M. (1948). A Contribution to the Theory of Anxiety and Guilt. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 29:114-123.
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.
Schafer, R. (1994). The Contemporary Kleinians of London. Psychoanal Q., 63:409-432.
II. Early Psychic Structure and Basic Defenses
CLASS 2: November 27, 2023
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.
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: December 4, 2023
REQUIRED READINGS
Feldman, M. (1997). Projective identification: The analyst’s involvement. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 78: 227-241.
Rusbridger, R. (2004). Elements of the Oedipus complex: A Kleinian account. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 85(3):731-747.
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.
IV. Paranoid Schizoid Position and Associated Anxieties
CLASS 4: December 11, 2023
REQUIRED READINGS
Joseph, B. (1978). Different Types of Anxiety and their Handling in the Analytic Situation. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 59:223-228.
Steiner, J. (1992). The Equilibrium Between the Paranoid-Schizoid and the Depressive Positions. New Library of Psychoanalysis, 14:46-58.
V. Symbol Formation and Phantasy
CLASS 5: December 18, 2023
REQUIRED READINGS
Spillius, E. B. (2001). Freud and Klein on the Concept of Phantasy. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 82:361-373.
Isaacs, S. (1948). The Nature and Function of Phantasy. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 29:73-97.
VI. The Depressive Position
CLASS 6: January 8, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS
Klein, M. (1940). Mourning and its Relation to Manic-Depressive States. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 21:125-153.
VII. The Manic Defense
CLASS 7: January 22, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS
Segal, H. (1988). Manic Reparation. In: The Work of Hanna Segal. London: Karnac, pp. 82-91.
Sodre, I. (2015). Non-Vixit. In: Imaginary Existences, New York: Routledge, pp. 24-40.
VIII. Depressive Anxieties in Relation to Mourning
CLASS 8: January 29, 2024
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
Klein, M. On the Sense of Loneliness, Envy and Gratitude and Other Works, 1946-1963, The Free Press, pp 300-313.
Roth, P. (1999). Absolute Zero: A Man Who Doubts His Own Love. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 80:661-670.
IX. The Oedipus Complex, Depressive Anxieties, and the Capacity to Think
CLASS 9: February 5, 2024
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.
Klein, M. (1945). The Oedipus Complex in Light of Early Anxieties. In Love, Guilt and Reparation and Other Works 1921-1945 (pp. 370-419).
Sodré, I. (1994). Obsessional Certainty Versus Obsessional Doubt: From Two to Three. Psychoanal. Inq., 14:379-392.
X. Winnicott
CLASS 10: February 12, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS
Winnicott, D.W. (1945). Primitive Emotional Development. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 26:137-143.
Winnicott, D. (1953). Transitional objects and transitional phenomena. Int. J. Psychoanal. 34:89-101.
Winnicott, D.W. (1969). The use of an object. Int. J. Psychoanal. 50: 711-716.
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: February 26, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS
Klein, M. (1957) “Envy and Gratitude” in Envy and Gratitude and Other Works, 1946-1963, The Free Press, pp. 176-204
XII. Envy and Gratitude Continued
CLASS 12: March 4, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS
Joseph, B. (1986). Envy in Everyday Life. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2:13-22.
O’Shaughnessy, E. (2008). On Gratitude. In P. Roth and A. Lemma (Eds.), Envy and Gratitude Revisited (pp. 79-91). London: IPA Books.
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.
XIII. Kleinian Technique: Sorting the Proper Level
CLASS 13: March 11, 2024
REQUIRED READINGS
Caper, R. (1997). A Mind Of One’s Own. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 78:265-278.
Roth, P. (2001). Mapping The Landscape: Levels of Transference Interpretation. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 82(3):533-543.
Feldman, M. (1993). The Dynamics of Reassurance. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 74:275-285.
O’Shaughnessy, E. (1999). Relating to the Superego. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 80:861-870.
Joseph, B. (1985). Transference: The Total Situation. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 66:447-454.
O’Shaughnessy, E. (1992). Enclaves and Excursions. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 73: 603-611.
SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS
Likierman, M. (2001) Melanie Klein: Her Work in Context. London: Continuum.