Appalachian Psychoanalytic Society
a local chapter of the Division 39 of the American Psychological Association
presents a
Saturday Morning Seminar
with
Stephanie Kors, PhD
on
Teaching Psychodynamic
Therapy in the 21st Century:
The Significance of the
Here and Now
DUE TO ROOM SIZE, REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED.
Saturday, February 10, 2024
8:30am - 12:10pm
University of Tennessee Medical Center
Morrison Education and Conference Center
1924 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920
Description of Program
This intermediate presentation will explore challenges to teaching psychodynamic therapy in the 21st century and propose a psychodynamic framework for intervention. As psychodynamic psychologists have left university psychology departments, widespread misunderstandings of the empirical basis of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapies are now commonplace within our field and beyond (Levy & Anderson, 2013). This bias leads to outdated information taught in undergraduate classes, fewer graduate students interested in learning psychodynamic theory and fewer graduate programs offering psychodynamic or psychoanalytic courses. Subsequently, there have been significant decreases in the number of clinicians who practice from a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic perspective (Mahoney, 1995; Norcross, Korpiak & Santoro, 2005). As a result, there are fewer leaders in the field who will advocate for access to these therapies for marginalized populations, further research about its empirical base, and training in mainstream psychology. To ensure the longevity of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapies, it is necessary to consider ways to overcome these misconceptions. This presentation will report results from a pilot study on student misconceptions and will offer recommendations for challenging these misconceptions. The presentation will conclude with a discussion around common themes and challenges in teaching psychodynamic therapy in the 21st century.
Presenter
Stephanie Kors, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Loyola University Maryland and a Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Tennessee and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance. Dr. Kors’ research on psychotherapy pedagogy has been supported by the Marsha D. McCary Fund for Psychoanalysis and the International Psychoanalytical Association Research Grant. She has previously served on the board of the Appalachian Psychoanalytic Society and currently serves as Treasurer of Section II of Division 39 of the American Psychological Association, as a founding board member of Academics for the Advancement of Psychodynamic Psychology (AAPP), and as a liaison to the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology (ABAPPP). She was a recipient of the Early Career Award at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, a fellow of the American Psychoanalytic Association and a previous scholar of Section II of Division 39 of the American Psychological Association. In addition to teaching, supervision and research, she has a private practice in Baltimore, MD where she sees children, adolescents, and adults.
Schedule
8:30am Registration
8:55am Welcome and Introduction
9:00am Challenges in Teaching Psychodynamic Therapy in the 21st Century
10:30am Break
10:40am Overcoming Misconceptions about Psychodynamic Therapy
12:10pm Complete Evaluations and Adjourn.
Learning Objectives
After attending this intermediate program in full, participants will be able to:
1. Summarize three reasons students hold negative biases toward psychodynamic therapy.
2. Explain three ways to challenge student biases toward psychodynamic therapy.
3. Compare the strengths and weaknesses of various pedagogical methods in psychodynamic therapy courses.
Participants
This program is open to all APS members and other interested mental health professionals who may not be members. It is not limited to individuals practicing in a predominately psychoanalytic mode. The material will be appropriate for clinicians with intermediate levels of experience and knowledge.
Registration Fees and Policies
BY February 5, 2024:
Professional Members and Scholar Members: $45
Non-members: $60
Early-Career Professional Members: $35
Graduate Student Members: Free.
AFTER February 5, 2024:
Professional Members and Scholar Members: $60
Non-members: $75
Early-Career Professional Members: $50.
Graduate Student Members: Free
Registration will close on February 8, 2024.
Although walk-ins will be accepted, please register online at www.aps-tn.wildapricot.org in advance to assure adequate food and seating.
If you prefer to pay by check, please print the Program Registration form, and mail with your payment to:
Wesley Gosselin, LMSW
APS Treasurer
100 Forest Court
Knoxville, TN 37919.
Refunds honored with written/electronic notice at least 48 hours before date of conference. Contact Wesley Gosselin, LMSW.
Contact the APS President Frank Pittenger, PhD to negotiate fees, if needed.
Facility is accessible to persons who are physically challenged. If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address requests, questions, concerns and any complaints to Frank Pittenger, PhD.
APS Membership
Eligible professionals can join APS or renew their membership for the 2023-2024 program year for $80. Scholars can join/renew for $50 and Early-Career Professionals can join/renew for $45. Graduate students may join or renew for $25.
American Psychological Association Approval Statement
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.
Continuing Education
This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 3 continuing education credits. With full attendance (sign-in at start of program) and completion of a program Evaluation and Learning Assessment, a certificate will be issued. Psychologists will have their participation registered through Division 39. Partial credit is not available for partial attendance.
APS and Division 39 are committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. APS and Division 39 are also committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in continuing education activities. 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.
Selected References/Recommended Reading
Aafjes-van Doorn, K., & Prout, T. A. (2022). Changing attitudes toward evidence-based psychodynamic psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 39 (3), 217-225.
Anderegg, D. (2004). Paging Dr. Froid: Teaching Psychoanalytic Theory to Undergraduates. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 21(2), 214.
Badenhorst, W., & Rubitel, A. (2021). Freud and Medical Student Education: Introducing
an Elective Course. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 69(6), 1145-1152.
Habarth, J., Hansell, J., & Grove, T. (2011). How accurately do introductory psychology textbooks present psychoanalytic theory?. Teaching of Psychology, 38(1), 16-21.
Redmond, J., & Shulman, M. (2008). Access to psychoanalytic ideas in American undergraduate institutions. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 56 (2), 391-408.
Robins, R. W., Gosling, S. D., & Craik, K. H. (1999). An empirical analysis of trends in psychology. American Psychologist, 54 (2), 117-129.
Spitz, E. H. (2018). Psychoanalysis and the academy: Reflections on undergraduate teaching. In International Forum of Psychoanalysis (Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 82-89). Routledge.
Contact
If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address requests, questions, concerns and any complaints to the APS President Frank Pittenger, PhD.
There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between Division 39, APS, presenter, program content, research, grants or other funding sources that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest. During the program, the validity/utility of the content and risks/limitations of the approaches discussed will be addressed.
