The PCC's Continuing Education Committee

is pleased to present

AESTHETIC CONFLICT IN INFANT OBSERVATION:

THE DEVELOPING BABY AND THE DEVELOPING OBSERVER

featuring

MEG HARRIS WILLIAMS

The Tavistock Clinic, London and the Psychoanalytic Center of California (Honorary Member)



with Presenters

NATALIE HANSEN, PhD

Psychoanalytic Center of California

BEN NAKANISHI, PsyD

Psychoanalytic Center of California

Saturday, February 10, 2024

9:00 am to 12:00 pm (PST)



CEUs: 2.75

Location

Virtual via Zoom (The Zoom Link will be emailed to participants one-week before the event).

Program Description

This seminar will focus on the use of the ideas and methods of W.R. Bion and Esther Bick as developed by Martha Harris in the training model she established for child psychotherapists at the Tavistock Clinic. In her rationale for the model, Harris elaborates on Bion's concept 'learning from experience' in terms of mother-baby 'fit' and the type of holding that provides a 'modulating' rather than enclosing environment. She draws parallels between the emotional turbulence aroused in the infant observer and that of the analyst, together with the problems entailed in establishing a 'thinking object’. These features of the mother-baby interaction that, in repeated forms, constitute the basis of all future development, will also be related to Meltzer's concept of 'aesthetic conflict' and its clinical usefulness. Following the talk, two candidates from PCC will present snippets of their own experience of infant observation from earlier in their training.

Participants in this program will have the opportunity to read two papers before the event. These papers will be emailed to participants with the Zoom link a few days prior to the event. Both papers are by Martha Harris (Meg Harris Williams’ mother): “The contribution of observation of mother-infant interaction and development to the equipment of a psychoanalyst or psychoanalytic psychotherapist,” and “Towards learning from experience in infancy and childhood.” These papers are published in The Tavistock Model: Collected Papers of Martha Harris and Esther Bick (1987; new edition 2018).

Program Schedule

Target Audience

MD's, Psychologists, LCSW's, MFT's, Registered Nurses, candidates and members of psychoanalytic institutes, and student clinicians who are interested in psychoanalytic training programs.

Course Objectives

At the end of this activity, participants should be better able to:

1. State one way in which infant observation is valuable for the training and formation of a psychoanalytic therapist.
2. Explain the clinical usefulness of Meltzer's concept of aesthetic conflict.
3. Identify the relationship between Bion's concept of "learning from experience" and "mother-baby-fit"

Program Faculty

Meg Harris Williams is a writer and lecturer on literature and psychoanalysis and a visual artist. She teaches internationally and is a visiting lecturer at the Tavistock Clinic and for AGIP (Association of Group and Individual Psychotherapy), London, an honorary member of the Psychoanalytic Center of California, and editor of The Harris Meltzer Trust, including the Collected Papers of Martha Harris and Esther Bick, and Selected Papers of Donald Meltzer. Her books and papers have been translated into many languages and include: The Apprehension of Beauty (with Donald Meltzer; 1988), The Vale of Soulmaking (2005), The Aesthetic Development (2010), Bion’s Dream (2010), The Art of Personality in Literature and Psychoanalysis (2017), Dream Sequences in Shakespeare (2021), and Donald Meltzer: A Contemporary Introduction (2021). Website: www.artlit.info.

Natalie Hansen, Ph.D., is a post-seminar candidate at PCC. She is in private practice in West Los Angeles working with adults.

Ben Nakanishi, Psy.D., is a post-seminar candidate at PCC. He is a licensed clinical psychologist who treats patients at two Westside treatment facilities. He is also in private practice in Santa Monica working with adults.

Continuing Education Credit

The Psychoanalytic Center of California designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.



This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the California Medical Association (CMA)  through the Psychoanalytic Center of California. The Psychoanalytic Center of California  is accredited by the California Medical Association (CMA)   to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

As per the California Board of Psychology, psychologists may apply AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ earned by attendance at this CME accredited live activity toward their continuing education requirement for licensing. 

The Psychoanalytic Center of California is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) to sponsor continuing education for LMFT's and LCSW's (CAMFT Approved Provider # 135374). The Psychoanalytic Center of California maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 2.75 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. These learners must attend the entire course to claim credit; no partial credit is offered according to CAMFT requirements.

*Important note: Participants who plan to use the credits in another state should check with their licensing jurisdiction to see if the credits from an ACCME or CAMFT provider will be accepted.

Claiming Credit: Participants will receive a certificate of attendance at the event, which can be used toward licensing requirements. Credit is offered for actual instruction time and does not include breaks.

Refunds/Cancellations: Refunds, less a $10 administrative fee, will be made if cancellation notification is phoned or postmarked three (3) business days in advance of this program. There will be no refunds on requests received after the refund deadline. Full refunds are made in the event that PCC must cancel this program.

Returned Checks: A $25.00 service charge will be assessed for checks returned by the bank.

Grievances: While PCC goes to great lengths to assure fair treatment for all participants and attempts to anticipate problems, there will be occasional issues that come to the attention of the PCC staff which will require intervention and/or action on the part of the staff. Visit  www.p-c-c.org/ethics for PCC's procedural guidelines for handling such grievances.

Special Needs: Facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. If you have a special need and plan to attend the conference, please contact the PCC Office by phone at (310) 478-4347 or via email at 0ffice@p-c-c.org. Special needs requests will be fulfilled if received one week prior to the event, which will ensure we have ample opportunity to meet your needs.

Commercial Support Disclaimer: The planners and presenters for this event have not received commercial support for this event nor are there any relevant financial relationships between the sponsors, presenters, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.

Financial Support Disclaimer: The planners and presenters for this event have no financial relationships to disclose.

Continuing Education Membership: Any person who attends a PCC Continuing Education conference shall become a Continuing Education Member for one year. The registration fee for the conference covers the cost of membership. A Continuing Education Member will be provided with a PCC newsletter as available, and the option to participate in periodic forums to discuss continuing education offerings. Continuing Education Members will also be eligible to attend Continuing Education planning meetings. 

Confidentiality:  By registering for this educational event, attendees agree to strictly maintain confidentiality of any clinical material shared and will not distribute or convey such confidential material outside of the conference. 

Program Planners

Infant Observation Committee: Persila Conversano, PsyD (chair); Diane Garcia, PhD, Shirley Gooch, PhD, Lisa Hilger, PsyD, Shari Saperstein, PsyD, Leigh Tobias, PhD (members); Jason Snyder, LMFT (candidate representative)

Continuing Education Committee: Philip Lance, PhD (co-chair); Leigh Tobias, PhD (co-chair); Jennifer Kunst, PhD (member and CME coordinator); Chris Minnick, MD (member and CME chair); Persila Conversano, PsyD, Stacey Nicklas, PsyD (members); Yelena Kashtuyeva, LMFT and Jason Snyder, LMFT (candidate representatives)

Registration for Virtual Attendance

General Admission: $100

Current Candidate/PPP Admission: $50

PCC Candidates-in-Seminars admission: Free