Description
About the Analytic Mindset Course
This online Analytic Mindset course may be applied toward our Certificate of Advanced Study in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy if desired. The course consists of reading Stephen Seligman’s 2014 article, “Paying Attention and Feeling Puzzled: The Analytic Mindset as an Agent of Therapeutic Change,” published in Psychoanalytic Dialogues.
What is the analytic mindset in psychoanalysis, and what mindset may be most helpful in facilitating therapeutic change? Drawing on relational psychoanalysis and nonlinear dynamic systems theory, Seligman applies concepts from dynamic systems thinking to the analytic process. He examines the roles of “calibrated disequilibrium” and “engagement with indeterminacy” in processes of change, the value of “feeling puzzled,” and the challenge of simultaneously paying close attention to the therapeutic process while remaining fully engaged in it.
Article Author and Course Instructor
The article is authored by Stephen Seligman, D.M.H., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco; Training and Supervising Analyst at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis and the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California; and Clinical Professor at the NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. He is Editor Emeritus of Psychoanalytic Dialogues and the author of Relationships in Development: Infancy, Intersubjectivity, and Attachment. His writing has extensively explored psychoanalytic theory and practice, relational psychoanalysis, infancy, attachment, and development.
The article was selected by Dr. Michael J. Gerson, an experienced psychologist, psychoanalyst, and Marriage and Family Therapist in California. He has trained clinicians for over 40 years through private practice, community counseling centers, and graduate psychology programs. A professor emeritus, Dr. Gerson has extensive experience in the therapeutic process and in translating complex theoretical concepts into clear ideas that clinicians can apply to their own work.
CE Credits
This course earns 2 continuing education credits.
The Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Conflicts of Interest or Commercial Support
There is no commercial support or other potential conflict of interest for this program, presentation, or instructor.
Commitment to Diversity and Accessibility
We are committed to respecting diversity in all of its forms, including age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, language, socioeconomic status, religion, and disability. We also strive to make all of our activities accessible to individuals with special needs or disabilities. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding any of our programs.
Sources and Relevance
Our programs and teaching methods are supported by current, empirically-based scientific literature, and are designed to provide continuing education that is relevant to psychological practice, education, and/or research, so that psychologists may maintain and expand their ability to serve the public and contribute to the profession.
Target Audience
Our courses are designed for postdoctoral-level psychologists; this course is an intermediate-level course. Mental health professionals, educators, and researchers have a variety of educational backgrounds and needs—if you have any questions about whether this course could benefit you and/or would be appropriate for your level of training, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Course Schedule
This course will be available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you will be able to pace yourself in a manner that is comfortable for you.
Course Format Summary
The Analytic Mindset course consists of reading the journal article:
Seligman, S. (2014). Paying attention and feeling puzzled: The analytic mindset as an agent of therapeutic change. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 24(6), 648–662. https://doi.org/10.1080/10481885.2014.970966
Please note that this article is not open access and is not included with the course. Participants must obtain access independently, either directly from the publisher or through a personal, institutional, or library subscription.
Cost and Refund/Cancellation Policy
The cost of the course is $20. This does not include the journal article (see Course Format Summary above). Your satisfaction is important to us. If you are not satisfied with a course, please let us know—we will cancel your order and gladly offer you a full refund.
