| Event | When | Location | Category | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Paradox of Hate: Complexity Lost and Found | “The Paradox of Hate—Complexity Lost and Found” is presented in terms a conceptual framework Dr. Ringstrom calls the “Three P's” which refer to ideas about prediction, paradox, and play. He will illustrate this framework in his work with “Wendy”, a patient who returned to therapy after 25 years during the first year of COVID. His work focuses on her “phobic” aversion to confrontation, which was situated in a developmental background of rearing by White Christian Supremacist parents, whose intrusions in every part of her life were compounded by a continuous barrage of racial slurs. Surviving this involved her dissociated “inner migration”, a “sequentialization” which he refers to as “Barbie's World” in childhood and “Wendy’s World” when replicated in adulthood. They penetrated both through treatment moving from prediction into paradox and finally play. (read more...) |
September 2nd, 2026 7:30 PM through 9:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture | |
| Drinks with Shrinks Social | Looking for a chance to relax and chat with some other therapists towards the end of the week? Join Austin Psychoanalytic for “Drinks with Shrinks” the 2nd Thursday of the month. No membership necessary. Come as you are and bring a colleague! (read more...) |
September 10th, 2026 6:30 PM through 8:00 PM |
4112 Medical Pkwy Austin, TX 78756 United States | Drinks with Shrinks | |
| Drinks with Shrinks Social |
September 10th, 2026 6:30 PM through 8:00 PM |
Draught House Pub 4112 Medical Pkwy Austin, TX 78756 United States | Social | ||
| An Introduction to Melanie Klein | In this study group, participants will be introduced to the life and theoretical contributions of Melanie Klein (1882-1960). We will begin by reviewing the cultural, historical, and biographical influences on Klein and her clinical work. Emphasis will be placed on her significant divergences from Freudian metapsychology and the role this played in shaping later psychoanalytic theory, especially Object Relations Theory. First readings will review key Kleinian ideas such as unconscious phantasy and how internal objects shape the development of personality and emotional disturbances. We then review Klein's Paranoid-Schizoid (P/D) and Depressive positions and discuss their utility in understanding personality organization and defenses. We will discuss Klein's reformulations of the Oedipus Complex and her insights into emotional states such as envy and gratitude. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the therapeutic relationship through a Kleinian lens, especially experiences of transference, countertransference, and projective identification. (read more...) |
September 24th, 2026 6:00 PM through 7:00 PM |
Austin Central Library 710 W Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78701 United States | Study Group | |
| An Introduction to Melanie Klein | In this study group, participants will be introduced to the life and theoretical contributions of Melanie Klein (1882-1960). We will begin by reviewing the cultural, historical, and biographical influences on Klein and her clinical work. Emphasis will be placed on her significant divergences from Freudian metapsychology and the role this played in shaping later psychoanalytic theory, especially Object Relations Theory. First readings will review key Kleinian ideas such as unconscious phantasy and how internal objects shape the development of personality and emotional disturbances. We then review Klein's Paranoid-Schizoid (P/D) and Depressive positions and discuss their utility in understanding personality organization and defenses. We will discuss Klein's reformulations of the Oedipus Complex and her insights into emotional states such as envy and gratitude. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the therapeutic relationship through a Kleinian lens, especially experiences of transference, countertransference, and projective identification. (read more...) |
October 1st, 2026 6:00 PM through 7:00 PM |
Austin Central Library 710 W Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78701 United States | Study Group | |
| Ethical Considerations in the Clinical Use of Self-Disclosure | Contemporary discourse on self-disclosure frequently emphasizes enactment, dismissing the possibility of formulating effective guidelines for deliberate use. This perspective contradicts existing literature and raises ethical questions about both disclosing and withholding the therapist’s countertransference. The view that it is impossible to determine what or when to disclose due to the uniqueness of each dyadic relationship positions enactment as purer communication because it is unconscious and spontaneous. However, this stance is inconsistent with both case reports and empirical research on disclosure. This presentation examines overlooked aspects of the literature and challenges over-reliance on enactment, highlighting associated ethical dilemmas. Research findings on therapist disclosure, clinical examples, and evidence-based guidelines for its use will be presented. (read more...) |
October 3rd, 2026 9:00 AM through 12:15 PM |
Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church 5226 W William Cannon Dr. Austin, TX 78749 United States | Conference | |
| The Art of Dream Interpretation: Old and New Stops on the Royal Road | Freud identified dreams as providing the "royal road" to the unconscious and considered The Interpretation of Dreams his most important work. Dream work significantly enhances treatment of individuals and couples. Yet fewer psychoanalytic institutes currently emphasize this clinical skill. This workshop opens with an overview of classical dream interpretation methods and introduces a contemporary addition to the "royal road": examining references to color, color change, and race in dreams. Clinical examples demonstrate integration of this approach into Relational psychoanalytic practice. (read more...) |
October 7th, 2026 7:30 PM through 9:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture | |
| An Introduction to Melanie Klein | In this study group, participants will be introduced to the life and theoretical contributions of Melanie Klein (1882-1960). We will begin by reviewing the cultural, historical, and biographical influences on Klein and her clinical work. Emphasis will be placed on her significant divergences from Freudian metapsychology and the role this played in shaping later psychoanalytic theory, especially Object Relations Theory. First readings will review key Kleinian ideas such as unconscious phantasy and how internal objects shape the development of personality and emotional disturbances. We then review Klein's Paranoid-Schizoid (P/D) and Depressive positions and discuss their utility in understanding personality organization and defenses. We will discuss Klein's reformulations of the Oedipus Complex and her insights into emotional states such as envy and gratitude. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the therapeutic relationship through a Kleinian lens, especially experiences of transference, countertransference, and projective identification. (read more...) |
October 8th, 2026 6:00 PM through 7:00 PM |
Austin Central Library 710 W Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78701 United States | Study Group | |
| An Introduction to Melanie Klein | In this study group, participants will be introduced to the life and theoretical contributions of Melanie Klein (1882-1960). We will begin by reviewing the cultural, historical, and biographical influences on Klein and her clinical work. Emphasis will be placed on her significant divergences from Freudian metapsychology and the role this played in shaping later psychoanalytic theory, especially Object Relations Theory. First readings will review key Kleinian ideas such as unconscious phantasy and how internal objects shape the development of personality and emotional disturbances. We then review Klein's Paranoid-Schizoid (P/D) and Depressive positions and discuss their utility in understanding personality organization and defenses. We will discuss Klein's reformulations of the Oedipus Complex and her insights into emotional states such as envy and gratitude. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the therapeutic relationship through a Kleinian lens, especially experiences of transference, countertransference, and projective identification. (read more...) |
October 15th, 2026 6:00 PM through 7:00 PM |
Austin Central Library 710 W Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78701 United States | Study Group | |
| Self Psychology: What is it? How does it work? |
November 24th, 2026 7:30 PM through 9:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture | ||
| location sync geocoder |
December 31st, 2026 8:30 PM through 9:30 PM |
4112 Medical Pkwy Austin, TX 78756 United States | Social | ||
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
January 12th, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
January 19th, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| Interview - Following Freud, Lacan and others: Reflecting on the aftermath of war, persecution, and torture | A conversation between two psychoanalysts, Beatrice Patsalides Hofmann and Garrett Tanner, members of the Lacanian School of Psychoanalysis, will focus on clinical and theoretical questions arising from the practice of psychoanalysis in the context of war. Topics of discussion will include the particularity of trauma involving the effects of political violence, captivity, and torture, the ways psychoanalysis has addressed the psychoanalytic treatment of persons afflicted by war and captivity, and the specific ways Dr. Patsalides has been intervening as a trainer and consultant for a psychiatric team in Lviv/Ukraine in the current war instigated by Russia. A Q&A period will allow for dialogue with the audience. (read more...) |
January 22nd, 2027 3:00 PM through 4:30 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture | |
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
January 26th, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| Experiential Psychotherapy Supervision: The Apprenticeship Model | In this workshop, Dr. Feinstein will begin with a group discussion on uses, benefits, and limitations of doing supervision using five forms of supervision: case-based supervision, video/audio recordings of patient sessions, process notes supervision, transcription supervision, and live supervision. A mini-lecture will then present the key components of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model (CAM) of supervision, followed by a description of six experiential tools that can be used to teach all forms of psychotherapy: modeling, scaffolding, coaching, Socratic questioning, reflection, and exploration. All six tools can be used during live supervision of psychotherapy cases with any trainee. The majority of the workshop will be devoted to interactive practice, as participants apply and discuss three to four of these six tools. Participants will also receive a handout to guide the workshop, along with relevant articles about the Apprenticeship Model of supervision and training. (read more...) |
February 3rd, 2027 7:30 PM through 9:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture | |
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
February 9th, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
February 16th, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
February 23rd, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| Meditation on origins: Reflections on autobiography, genealogy and encounters with the Other in subject formation | Dr. Michael O'Loughlin has devoted considerable time in his writing to autobiographical exploration of his own subject formation and the complexity of his status as an exile from Ireland. He will begin by sharing excerpts from his writings—and particularly from an interview with his mother—illustrating the ancestral, sociohistorical, and emotional occlusions that lay the foundation for his being. Is it possible, Wiegman wonders, to tell a story that exceeds the boundary of the personal, and transcends "idioms of the ordinary" (p. 6)? Can we trouble our own lived experiences in ways that shed light on the sociopolitical formation of our subjectivities? He will link this work to a long tradition in hauntology and genealogy (e.g., Edward Emery, Avery Gordon, Abraham & Torok, Davoine & Gaudillière, Jacques Derrida, Haydee Faimberg, Anne Ancelin Schűtzenberger) that illustrates the sociohistorical constitutedness of subject formation. Nicholas Rand suggests provocatively that an analysis is necessarily "an analysis in absentia of several generations." He will then move back to autobiography to situate his thinking about encountering the Other, confronting particularly the whiteness of his own racial formation, and the situatedness of that whiteness in both colonial and socioeconomic contexts. If, as Claudia Tate suggests, psychoanalysis functions "as a writing of the ethnicity of the White western psyche," we have much work to do to unconceal these processes and work toward a more emancipatory and inclusive psychoanalysis. In his concluding section, he will explore the possibility of what Judith Butler calls "giving an account of oneself," examining larger societal structures such as racialized capitalism and neoliberalism in subject formation, drawing particularly on Butler as well as Suely Rolnik and Achille Mbembe to invite discussion of how our work might enhance creativity, and the potential for freedom. (read more...) |
February 27th, 2027 9:00 AM through 12:15 PM |
Live via Zoom | Conference | |
| Meditation on origins: Reflections on autobiography, genealogy and encounters with the Other in subject formation | Dr. Michael O'Loughlin has devoted considerable time in his writing to autobiographical exploration of his own subject formation and the complexity of his status as an exile from Ireland. He will begin by sharing excerpts from his writings—and particularly from an interview with his mother—illustrating the ancestral, sociohistorical, and emotional occlusions that lay the foundation for his being. Is it possible, Wiegman wonders, to tell a story that exceeds the boundary of the personal, and transcends "idioms of the ordinary" (p. 6)? Can we trouble our own lived experiences in ways that shed light on the sociopolitical formation of our subjectivities? He will link this work to a long tradition in hauntology and genealogy (e.g., Edward Emery, Avery Gordon, Abraham & Torok, Davoine & Gaudillière, Jacques Derrida, Haydee Faimberg, Anne Ancelin Schűtzenberger) that illustrates the sociohistorical constitutedness of subject formation. Nicholas Rand suggests provocatively that an analysis is necessarily "an analysis in absentia of several generations." He will then move back to autobiography to situate his thinking about encountering the Other, confronting particularly the whiteness of his own racial formation, and the situatedness of that whiteness in both colonial and socioeconomic contexts. If, as Claudia Tate suggests, psychoanalysis functions "as a writing of the ethnicity of the White western psyche," we have much work to do to unconceal these processes and work toward a more emancipatory and inclusive psychoanalysis. In his concluding section, he will explore the possibility of what Judith Butler calls "giving an account of oneself," examining larger societal structures such as racialized capitalism and neoliberalism in subject formation, drawing particularly on Butler as well as Suely Rolnik and Achille Mbembe to invite discussion of how our work might enhance creativity, and the potential for freedom. (read more...) |
February 27th, 2027 9:00 AM through 12:15 PM |
Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church 5226 W William Cannon Dr. Austin, TX 78749 United States | Conference | |
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
March 2nd, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| Enactment, Companioning and Narration in Psychoanalysis and Group Psychoanalysis | Psychoanalysis and group treatment afford the opportunity to evoke early, unsymbolized, and non-represented trauma, neglect, and yet-to-be-suffered breakdown. When the analyst and group leader can unobtrusively make the space for the emergence of these phenomena, the unspoken and unmetabolized can take shape in the language of enactment, impact, and deep inner resonance between patient and analyst or within the group field. Rather than seeking to bring patients out of these states of pain and dysregulation or regard them as resistances, the analyst can companion the patient and the group within these dark and undifferentiated spaces. This work asks the analyst to hold and metabolize powerful states that evoke his or her own trauma and loss. When known and companioned, early loss, neglect, and breakdown find narrative shape in action and can finally find an address and be transformed. This presentation will fill out this approach and offer vivid examples from both individual and group psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
March 3rd, 2027 7:30 PM through 9:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture | |
| The Oedipus Complex: Is Oedipus Still Relevant to Psychoanalysis? | The Oedipus complex is widely considered the centerpiece of classical psychoanalytic theory. It was hypothesized as a universal constellation arising between age 3 and 6 years, at the height of the genital phase of psychosexual development. Its resolution involved the child’s move from dyadic to triadic relationships, the child’s identification with the same-sex parent, and the child’s superego development, among other developmental accomplishments. The Oedipus complex came to be viewed as the nuclear organizer of the psyche, fundamental to the core of personality and psychopathology. As such, the exploration and resolution of oedipal conflicts became one of the major goals of psychoanalysis. (read more...) |
March 9th, 2027 1:00 PM through 2:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Study Group | |
| Core Competencies/Disciplines in Relational Psychoanalysis | This workshop offers participants the opportunity to reflect upon each of these disciplines/competencies with a primary focus on radical openness and courageous speech/disciplined spontaneity. The workshop will deepen participants understanding of relationally-oriented theory and clinical technique and will be useful in assessing one’s own practices from a relational psychoanalytic stance. The workshop does not assume any familiarity with relational psychoanalysis and is open to practitioners of all types (therapists, analysts, consultants, supervisors, masters level students). The workshop is intended to broaden participants' professional skills and understanding within the greater evolving research that understands that change and transformation within psychotherapy is dependent upon the quality of the relationship between therapist and patient. (read more...) |
April 7th, 2027 7:30 PM through 9:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture | |
| Psyche & Polis: Contemporary Psychoanalysis, Ethics, and Human Rights | "Psyche" is the Greek word for soul, mind, or inner life. "Polis" refers to the city-state or political community—the shared public world. Joined together, psyche and polis evoke the inseparable relationship between the individual’s inner world and the social, cultural, and political worlds they inhabit. The creative individual and the community are necessary to one another, much like the soloist and orchestra in a concerto. Relational psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, in both their clinical and applied forms, place creativity, uncertainty, surprise, mutual influence, and co-construction at the ethical core of the analytic encounter. The relational ethos, however, need not remain confined to the consulting room. It may also be understood as a form of ethical action in the world: an assault on indifference, a defense of human dignity, and a means of fostering collective recognition and responsibility. Historically, the analytic dyad and the larger social world have often occupied an unequal playing field within psychoanalytic discourse. This three-hour seminar will consider what becomes possible when clinical ethics is extended beyond the dyad to encompass citizenship, community, political violence, and human rights. It will ask how psychoanalysts and psychotherapists may remain attentive to the singularity of individual experience while also recognizing the social conditions that shape psychic life. (read more...) |
April 10th, 2027 9:00 AM through 12:15 PM |
Live via Zoom | Conference | |
| Seeing the Invisible: Trauma, Loss, and Racial Psychic Lives in Psychoanalytic Practice | In this lecture, Shirley Liao, PhD, FIPA will share a paper presented as part of a panel presentation at IPA Asia Pacific 2026 conference. In an era marked by political unrest, environmental collapse, and digital oversaturation, this presentation will offer a closer look at the transnational phenomenon of "parachute kids" that emerged in the 1980s and continues—from Asia to the West, particularly to the U.S. Often, these minors who are sent abroad alone in the name of seeking educational opportunities, consciously and unconsciously carry their parental fantasy about life in the U.S. and the responsibility to fulfill the parents' narcissistic expectations for their children to achieve dreams and wishes that they did not realize. Many of these kids carry into their adulthood both intra- and interpsychic/racial tension, isolation, and dissociation (Eng & Han, 2018). The vulnerability of young age while having no available "good enough" parental object can often render parachute kids' adjustment into the U.S. culture traumatic for a fragile and budding self (Brady, 2015). Narcissistic defense can easily become the default mechanism to survive and accommodate to the undue external pressure and internal experience of aloneness, parental abandonment, and racial displacement (Brandchaft, 2007). Underneath the "soft belly" of this narcissistic coping is a tremendous amount of shame. The presenter will offer a unique theoretical formulation of the self-experiences of the "parachute kids" who often struggle with profound invisibility. A trauma-informed, relational/intersubjective approach that integrates the body into psychoanalytic practice will be discussed for the participants to apply to their own clinical work. (read more...) |
May 5th, 2027 7:30 PM through 9:00 PM |
Live via Zoom | Lecture |