This semester, we are pleased to provide a range of online courses tailored for clinicians and psychoanalytic students. The sessions will take place on Zoom, with instructions delivered in Farsi and all reading materials provided in English. We trust you will discover a course that captivates your interest!
Registration from January 25 to February 12 (5 Bahman, to 23 Bahman, 1402). For Registration in Any Courses, Please EMAIL the Course Instructor.
Spring 2024:
Psychoanalytic Theories of the Unconscious Mental Processes
Dr. Movahedi
Wednesdays at 18:30 -19:50 Tehran time, beginning February 28 (9 Esfand) and then every other week March 13 (Norouz Holidays), April 10, April 24, May 8, May 22, June 5, and June 19, 2024. For registration in this course, please email Dr. Movahedi at siamak.movahedi@umb.edu
Course Description: One of the most fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis is the notion of unconscious mental processes. Although many philosophers had discussed the idea of the unconscious mind before Freud, Sigmund Freud first systematically explored this mental operation, which has been a critical point in developing psychoanalytic theory and method.
The human mind is, according to Freud, structured into two main parts: the conscious and the unconscious. He postulated that the unconscious, memories, phantasies, thoughts, and urges continue to influence our behavior. The roots of many psychic disturbances, such as hysteria, according to Freud, were in unbearable memories of childhood sexual abuse; it caused a storm of social indignation but did little to alter the understanding of the mind. Freud’s early conceptualization of the unconscious has been expanded and modified by Freud and many other psychoanalysts and cognitive scientists. Today, we no longer speak of the unconscious as a noun, an object, a psychic space, or a box. We can talk about processes involved in different unconsciousness. This seminar aims to study different theoretical positions on the unconscious mental states with specific reference to the psychoanalytic theories of action within clinical settings.
Analysis of Change in the Defensive System
Mr. Pouralibaba
Thursdays at 12:00-13:20 Tehran time, beginning February 15 (26 Bahman) and then every other week February 29, March 14 (Norouz Holidays), April 11, April 25, May 9, May 23, June 6, and June 20, 2024. For registration in this course, please email Mr. Pouralibaba at b.pouralibaba@gmail.com
Course Description: This course continues our analysis of ego defenses, emphasizing clinically relevant models and concepts. In previous discussions, we tried to look at the theory of defenses from a clinical perspective, putting its various forms under the microscope. This led us to another reality, which is an all-encompassing and essential question. How do defenses change during treatment? And how do they free a person from suffering? How can the patient create something that did not exist before in how he viewed the world? Therefore, in continuing the discussions, we will examine creativity, resiliency, and ego development to find answers to our questions in the scope of these topics.
Comparative Models and Functions of the Frame in Psychoanalysis.
Dr. Aslezaker
Thursdays at 18:00-19:20 Tehran time beginning February 15 (26 Bahman) and then every other week, February 29, March 14 (Norouz Holidays), April 11, April 25, May 9, May 23, and June 6, 2024. For Registration in this course, please contact Dr. Aslezaker at m_aslezaker@yahoo.com
Course Description: This seminar is an introduction to and overview of the therapeutic frame in clinical practice. The term “therapeutic frame” denotes the unchanging components of the therapeutic relationship, establishing the backdrop for therapeutic endeavors. It defines a boundary delineating the distinctiveness and incompatibility between the therapeutic relationship and other social connections in the patient’s life. The course will appeal to all psychoanalytic psychotherapists interested in understanding the nature of the therapeutic relationship in their clinical practice. We will review various explorations of the frame and setting across different psychoanalytic theories. Topics will include the history of the frame and setting in psychoanalysis, the importance and meaning of time and money, the influence of culture on the frame, variations in the frame, and the dynamics of shifting frames in cyberspace.
Continuous Clinical Case Seminar in Psychoanalysis
Dr. Movahedi
Wednesdays at 18:30 -19:50 Tehran time, beginning February 21 (2 Esfand) and then every other week, March 6 (Norouz Holidays), April 3, April 17, May 1, May 15, May 29, and June 12, 2024. For registration in this course Dr. Movahedi at siamak.movahedi@umb.edu
Course Description: This course is the continuation of the Clinical Case Seminars from previous semesters. Like earlier semesters, our primary focus is enhancing your clinical psychoanalytic skills through ongoing case presentations supported by process notes. Drawing upon the knowledge acquired from readings, analyses, and clinical experience, you are encouraged to discuss unfolding clinical situations actively. Your task involves presenting a case that poses challenges for you. To facilitate our clinical discussions, I have prepared a reading list. While we will touch upon the reading at the beginning of every class, we do not want the reading to be a “resistance” to getting into the case material. So, the reading is there as a guide, hoping to expose you to some material that can help further facilitate thinking, reflecting on the clinical material and our discussions.
Exploration of Some of the Key Concepts in Interpersonal Psychoanalysis
Dr. Eftekhar
Wednesdays at 14:00 -15:20 Tehran time, beginning February 21 (2 Esfand) and then every other week, March 6 (Norouz Holidays), April 3, April 17, May 1, May 15, May 29, and June 12, 2024. For registration in this course, please email Dr. Eftekhar: mehrdad.eftekhar@gmail.com
Course Description: In this seminar, we will focus on some key concepts in interpersonal psychoanalysis concerning unconscious mental processes, not-me experience, and dissociation compared to object relation theories. This discussion dovetails with our additional aim of refining our understanding of the concepts of person and object as they are part of the building blocks of diverse perspectives in psychoanalysis.
Primitive Mental States and Borderline Conditions
Dr. Nohesara
Thursdays at 15:30 -16:50 Tehran time beginning February 15 (26 Bahman) and then every other week, February 29, March 14 (Norouz Holidays), April 11, April 25, May 9, May 23, June 6, and June 20. For Registration in this course, please contact Dr. Nohesara at shnohesara@gmail.com
Course Description: Initially, analysts highlighted the unchanging character structure of so-called “primitive” patients. In my view, this rigid perspective is overly reductionistic and lacks clinical utility compared to a more adaptable model. In this alternative approach, structures, defenses, and emerging clinical phenomena are seen as significantly influenced by the framing, containing, and holding capacities of both the analytic situation and the analyst. Our focus will be on understanding how such patients impact the analyst, exploring the diverse ways in which unsettling experiences are transmitted, and recognizing these processes as pervasive, unavoidable, and potentially beneficial/reparative aspects of the analytic process.
Understanding Psychosis Through a Lacanian Lens
Dr. Taheri
Fridays at 17:30-18:50 Tehran time beginning February 16 (27 Bahman) and then every other week, March 1, March 15 (Norouz Holidays), April 12, April 26, May 10, May 24, June 7, and June 21, 2024. For registration in this course, please email Dr. Taheri: dr.alireza.taheri@gmail.com
Course Description: This course introduces the work of French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan (as well as contemporary Lacanian theorists) with a focus on his/their immense contributions to the understanding of psychosis. As Lacan’s work is notorious for being impenetrable, the aim of this course will be to help students find their way in the maze of his conceptual apparatus to gain a clearer understanding of questions of etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. The course will interest academics interested in broadening their theoretical grasp of Lacan, candidates pursuing clinical training, and clinicians (psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychoanalytic counselors, and so on) working in private practice or within larger clinical institutions.
Psychoanalysis and Gender
Dr. Zhaf
Mondays at 17:00-18:20 Tehran time beginning February 19 (30 Bahman) and then every other week, March 4, March 18 (Norouz Holidays), April 15, April 29, May 13, May 27, and June 10, 2024. For Registration in this course, please contact Dr. Zhaf mahrouzhaf@gmail.com
Course Description: This course invites students to examine the dynamic interplay of sexuality, subjectivity, and the unconscious within the psychoanalytic framework, interwoven with insights from feminist theory. It offers a thorough exploration of the critical re-evaluation and re-envisioning of psychoanalytic thought, particularly through the perspectives of influential figures like Freud, as scrutinized by theorists in psychoanalytic feminism, including Julia Kristeva, Hélène Cixous, Judith Butler, and Luce Irigaray. The curriculum engages with academic discourses surrounding sexual identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientation, scrutinizing their portrayal in both psychoanalytic and social science literature. The course delves into the intellectual intersection between psychoanalysis and feminist theory, a focal point of cultural criticism since the 1970s. This intersection has evolved in diverse directions as scholars explore new perspectives on gender relations. Recent developments in feminist theory emphasize acknowledging the diversity within women and feminist practices, addressing issues related to masculinity and transnational and postcolonial gender challenges.
Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Love
Dr. Behzadi
Tuesday at 20:00-21:20 Tehran time beginning February 20 (1 Esfand) and then every other week, March 5, March 19 (Norouz Holidays), April 16, April 30, May 14, May 28, and June 11, 2024. For Registration in this course, please contact Dr. Behzadi arian.behzadi@gmail.com
In this seminar, we will explore psychoanalytic theories of love in the work of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan within the analytical setting. Though there is no coherent theory of love in psychoanalysis, studying transference love, “normal” love, neurotic love, and oedipal love in clinical practice provides a point of departure for studying love in relationships outside the clinical setting and in works of philosophy and literature. Bringing contemporary perspectives into the discourse of love, including Stephen and Otto Kernberg, this course explores central philosophical questions surrounding the ordinary and pervasive phenomenon of love and its manifestations in modern society. By drawing from diverse sources and frameworks, our seminar aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of love in the context of psychoanalysis and philosophy.
Persepolis Off the Couch: Psychoanalysts Examine Famous Films with Behzad Pouralibaba.
Once a Month on Sundays at 20:00-21:20 Tehran time.
For registration, please email Mr. Pouralibaba: b.pouralibaba@gmail.com
Description: Every month, we will select a film for you to watch and discuss and try to examine it from a psychoanalytic perspective. We will try to understand the unconscious of the film’s writer, and director and what they project on fictional characters and subjects. Analyzing the unconscious and desires of the film’s audience is another aim of our monthly webinar. In addition to the course instructor, we often have other faculty members as a part of our critics for our analysis and interpretation of a movie.
Persepolis Psychoanalytic 