Seminar 9
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2002-2003 Schedule
 

Appalachian Psychoanalytic Society
 

presents
 

Michael Guy Thompson, Ph.D.
 

THE AMBIGUITY OF CURE:
A SCREENING AND DISCUSSION OF THE PSYCHOANALYTIC FILM,
NINETEEN NINETEEN
 

Saturday, May 17, 2003
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
 

Medical Conference Room #1
Fort Sanders Medical Center
19th Street and Clinch Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37919
 

Welcoming Mental Health
Professionals of All Disciplines
 

SCHEDULE
8:30 AM Registration
8:45 AM Seminar Begins
11:00 AM Break
11:15 AM Program Resumes
1:00 PM Conclusion and Evaluations
 

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION
In this special half-day video film and discussion event Dr. Michael Guy Thompson, the San Francisco psychoanalyst and author, will screen "Nineteen Nineteen," starring Paul Schofield, Maria Schell, and Frank Finley (as the "voice" of Sigmund Freud).  This remarkable British feature film was originally released in 1984.  Directed by Hugh Brody, the film explores the effects of Freud's analytic technique via the recollections of two former patients who meet for the first time to reminisce about their respective analyses.  Based on Freud's treatments of the Wolf Man and a young homosexual woman, the film poses a number of critical questions: What, precisely, is analysis supposed to relieve?  What role does happiness play in the outcome?  Why do some people obtain dramatic change while others are no better off than before?  These questions are difficult even for analysts to answer, yet Brody has found a way of addressing them that is both original and mesmerizing.  Before the video presentation, Dr. Thompson will give a summary of Freud's views about the termination of therapy and the elusive relationship between suffering and happiness.  Following the film, Dr. Thompson and his wife, Dr. Sharada Thompson, will lead a discussion of the film with the audience, exploring such questions as the goal of therapy and the enigmatic nature of the psychoanalytic treatment experience. 
 

SEMINAR GOALS
At the conclusion of this seminar, attendees will:
  1. Be aware of Freud's views concerning the ambiguous nature of psychoanalytic treatment and its termination.
  2. Understand the role of happiness in the outcome of psychoanalysis.
  3. Appreciate the effects of psychoanalysis long after termination of treatment.
  4. Appreciate the limitations of psychoanalytic treatment as well as its strengths.
 

PRESENTERS
Michael Guy Thompson, Ph.D., received his psychoanalytic training from R. D. Laing and associates at the Philadelphia Association, Ltd., in London and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Wright Institute, in Berkeley.  Dr. Thompson is Personal and Supervising Analyst and on the faculty at the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California, San Francisco, and a faculty member at the California School for Professional Psychology, Berkeley.  Dr. Thompson is Past-President of the International Federation for Psychoanalytic Education, and President of the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology.  He is author of The Death of Desire: A study in Psychopathology (1985), The Truth About Freud's Technique: The Encounter with the Real (1994), and The Ethic of Honesty: The Fundamental Rule of Psychoanalysis (in press), as well as more than 50 journal articles and book reviews on phenomenology, psychoanalysis, and schizophrenia.  Dr. Thompson practices psychoanalysis in San Francisco.

Sharada Thompson, Ph.D., received her psychoanalytic training at Free Association, Inc., in San Francisco and her Ph.D. in psychology from the Center for Psychological Studies in Berkeley.  Dr. Thompson has practiced Buddhist meditation for over 30 years and is on the Board of the Shambala Center in Berkley.  She has an interest in integrating Buddhism, phenomenology, and psychoanalysis in her clinical practice and has lectured widely in this area.  Dr. Thompson practices psychoanalysis in San Francisco and Berkely.
 

PARTICIPANTS
This seminar is open to all APS members and interested mental health professionals who are not members.  It is not limited to individuals practicing in a predominately psychoanalytic mode.
 

CONTINUING EDUCATION
Continuing education credits (4.0 credit hours) will be offered by the Appalachian Psychoanalytic Society.  Upon completion of workshop evaluation form, a certificate will be provided.  This serves as documentation of attendance for all participants.  Psychologists will have their participation registered through Division 39.  Division 39 is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists.  Division 39 maintains responsibility for the program.