Psychoanalytic Diagnosis Book Club and Study Group with Katrina Taylor, LMFT
Instructional Level: Beginner – Advanced
You’re invited to attend a summer book club and study group of Nancy McWilliams’ Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process. The book is a classic in our field and an indispensable reference manual. We will meet for eight sessions over the course of the summer to learn about, discuss, and clinically apply McWilliams’ taxonomy of personality types. This offering is ideal for beginning therapists who’d like to know how to distinguish between various types of patients, and as a result, which interventions work best with whom; as well as more seasoned clinicians who’d like to brush up on their knowledge and connect with colleagues for case discussions. We will learn about narcissistic, masochistic, depressive, hysterical, and many other kinds of personality structures. We will focus on understanding the defenses which underlie each structure. Each session will focus on a specific chapter(s) of the book. We will have both a didactic/discussion component and a clinical application component. You’re encouraged to bring applicable cases for discussion.
Participants will be limited to 12 to facilitate an intimate and collegial discussion environment. So, if you’ve been wanting to read Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, or let’s face it, feel like you should, buy the book and join us on Zoom!
The intention is to create a fun and stimulating learning and discussion environment to learn, engage with, and even critique the ideas in the book. Additional interesting (and optional) reading material to supplement the book chapters will be offered.
FEE
Full Member: $240
Student Member: $160
Non-Member: $320
SYLLABUS
Session 1: June 5, 2026
Chapter 5. Primary Defensive Processes
Chapter 6. Secondary Defensive Processes
Optional but recommended reading: Hacking, I. (2025, July 23). Ian Hacking · Making Up People: clinical classifications. London Review of Books. https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v28/n16/ian-hacking/making-up-people
Learning objectives:
Differentiate between patients’ primary vs secondary defensive processes.
Demonstrate one new application to clinical work with patients.
Session 2: June 12, 2026
Chapter 7. Psychopathic (Antisocial) Personalities
Chapter 10. Paranoid Personalities
Learning objectives:
Describe 3 features of psychopathic personalities.
Describe 3 levels of functioning of the paranoid personality.
Session 3: June 19, 2026
Chapter 8. Narcissistic Personalities
Optional reading: McWilliams, N. & Lependorf, S. (1990) Narcissistic Pathology of Everyday Life:—The Denial of Remorse and Gratitude. Contemporary Psychoanalysis 26:430-451
Learning objectives:
Explain 3 common transference and countertransference reactions with narcissistic patients.
Define one goal in the treatment of narcissistic patients.
Session 4: June 26, 2026
Chapter 9. Schizoid Personalities
Optional reading: McWilliams, N. (2006) Some Thoughts About Schizoid Dynamics.Psychoanalytic Review 93:1-24
Learning objectives:
Define the core conflict of the schizoid personality.
Describe one approach for connecting with the schizoid patient.
Session 5: July 10, 2026
Chapter 11. Depressive and Manic Personalities
Learning objectives:
Describe the internalized object of the depressive personality.
Define manic defense to depression.
Session 6: July 17, 2026
Chapter 12. Masochistic (Self-Defeating) Personalities
Learning objectives:
Describe the unconscious goal of the masochistic personality.
Describe one therapeutic approach to help the masochistic personality.
Session 7: July 24, 2026
Chapter 13. Obsessive and Compulsive Personalities
Learning objectives:
Describe primary defensive process in obsessive personalities.
Identify one goal for obsessive/compulsive patients.
Session 8: July 31, 2026
Chapter 14. Hysterical (Histrionic) Personalities
Chapter 15. Dissociative Psychologies
Learning objectives:
Describe the phenomenon of acting out in hysterical patients.
Identify defensive and adaptive processes in dissociative conditions.
PRESENTER
Katrina Taylor, LMFT, is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Austin. She earned a masters in counseling psychology from St. Edwards University. Katrina previously served on the board of Austin Psychoanalytic, including as president. She completed six years of studies in psychoanalysis through the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies in Houston. Katrina is most passionate about psychoanalysis and the growth it can affect in the lives of individuals and their families.
REFERENCES
McWilliams, N. (2011). Psychoanalytic diagnosis: Understanding personality structure in the clinical process (2nd ed.)
McWilliams, N. & Lependorf, S. (1990) Narcissistic Pathology of Everyday Life:—The Denial of Remorse and Gratitude. Contemporary Psychoanalysis 26:430-451
McWilliams, N. (2006) Some Thoughts About Schizoid Dynamics. Psychoanalytic Review 93:1-24
DISCLOSURES
Division 39 is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Division 39 maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Austin Psychoanalytic is approved by the Texas State Board of Social Workers Examiners (Provider # 5501) to provide continuing education for social workers and the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (Provider #1138). We also meet the requirements to provide continuing education for the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.5 continuing education credits per session. Division 39 is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. Division 39 is also committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods. If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address questions, concerns and any complaints to info@austinpsychoanalytic.org. There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest. Participants will be informed of the utility/validity of the content/approach discussed (including the basis for the statements about validity/utility), as well as the limitations of the approach and most common (and severe) risks, if any, associated with the program’s content.