EARLY OBJECT RELATIONS IN PRACTICE

A TWO-YEAR EDUCATION PROGRAM

OCTOBER 2023 – JUNE 2025

Centre for Psychoanalysis: Clinic & Theory (Belgrade, Serbia) is announcing a two-year education program on the topic of Early Object Relations in Practice.

THE AIM OF THE PROGRAM

The aim of the program is to help participants to develop the capacity to recognize early emotional states, to understand them, and learn how to manage them in their own practice.

Early states of mind are a powerful incentive and an important foundation for the psychological development and personal expression. They influence strongly the development of patterns in early childhood which will further define the manner in which a person forms relations with his/her surroundings, solves problems, learns, tolerates obstacles, pain, and anxiety.

Disturbances in early relations (parent-baby) bring suffering and can significantly thwart the development of personal abilities. They can also become the obstacles in establishing mature relations with other family members, peers, professional and other relations in the world. Often, they are a source of complex problems in the domains of applied psychotherapy (all helping professions) as well as in psychotherapy/ psychoanalysis where they can block or bring failure in therapy. One of the key contributions of object relations theories is the advanced understanding of those early stages, as well as in the radical change of techniques used in psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and related approaches developed from this particular understanding.

The practice of psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and related fields, primarily depends on the capacity of the therapist to hear, feel, and understand deeply the person he/she is trying to help, by listening firstly to his/her own emotional states. The aim of this program is to enhance the sensitivity of the participants, to widen and deepen their emotional range primarily through reflecting on their own personal experiences (See the description of individual seminars).

PROGRAM CONTENT

The education program will be spread over two academic years during which it is possible to select between several theory and clinical seminars, as well as the independent program Baby Observation. It is possible to attend the theory and clinical seminars independently. Nevertheless, the participants of the Baby Observation program are required to attend the seminars on the teachings of Melanie Klein and Donald W. Winnicott. Clinical seminars will be held in closed groups.

It is recommended to attend the “core” seminars together: Baby Observation, Melanie Klein Seminar, Donald W. Winnicott Seminar, and one of the clinical seminars.

The start of the program is planned for October 2023. Seminars will be structured in trimesters:

YEAR ONE

YEAR TWO

October – December 2024 January – March 2025 April – June 2025
Baby Observation 2 (10)
Baby Observation 2 (10)
Baby Observation 2 (10)
Contributions of Contemporary Kleinian Theory (10)
Contributions of Contemporary Kleinian Theory (10)
Contributions of Donald W. Winnicott and Followers(10)
Clinical Seminar 2 (5)
Clinical Seminar 2 (5)
Clinical Seminar 2 (5)
Working with children, adolescents and parents 2 (10)
Working with children, adolescents and parents 2 (10)
Working with children, adolescents and parents 2 (10)
Psychoanalytic Attitude 2 (5)
Psychoanalytic Attitude 2 (5)
Psychoanalytic Attitude 2 (5)

The average time needed for the attendance of core seminars (Baby Observation, Melanie Klein, Winnicott, and Clinical Seminar) is 4 hours per week.

Each session will have a duration of 80 minutes. Seminars will be held outside of regular working hours. All seminars will take place online, via a Zoom platform.

THE LANGUAGE

All seminars will be held in Serbian except for the Psychoanalytic Attitude Seminar that will be in English (with a translator if required).

WHO IS THE PROGRAM FOR?

The seminars are meant for all interested parties, disregarding their profession or experience, as well as for those already working in helping professions or preparing for them. They are also helpful to practicing psychotherapists / psychoanalysts of different schools who will form a separate group if there are sufficient demand.

READING MATERIAL

A reader of required readings will be provided for each seminar.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All potential candidates should send to registracija@psihoanaliza.edu.rs a short letter with the explanation why they want to attend the seminar, their CV, and two recommendation letters by professionals who are informed about the candidate’s work/personality. On the basis of those documents a long list of candidates will be created and they will be invited for an interview to assess the suitability of the chosen seminar for their professional development, as well as the candidate’s readiness for the chosen seminar(s).

APPLICATION DEADLINE

June 10th, 2023

LECTURERS

Dr Brankica Aćimović, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, Member of the Belgrade
Psychoanalytical Society, Member of Centre for Psychoanalysis: Clinic & Theory, Belgrade.

Dr Gordana Batinica, Psychiatrist, Training and Supervising Analyst of the British Psychoanalytical Society, Child Psychotherapist, Member of Centre for Psychoanalysis: Clinic & Theory, Belgrade.

Michael Mercer (Majkl Merser), Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society. Past Vice President of the British Psychoanalytical Society.

Dr Tanja Nešić, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Clinical Psychologist, Member of ACP UK, London.

Dr Biljana Pirgić, Child Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, Member of the Belgrade Psychoanalytical Society, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Member of Centre for Psychoanalysis: Clinic & Theory, Belgrade.

Dr Marija Stojković, Psychiatrist and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Parent-Child Psychotherapist, Member of UDAPS, Belgrade, and ACP UK, London.

PRICING

Prices are for individual sessions and per person:
1 seminar: 45 EUR
2 seminars: 2×23 EUR
3 seminars: 3×15 EUR
4 seminars: 4×15 EUR 
5 seminars: 5×15 EUR

 (In case of attending the “core” seminars: Baby Observation + Melanie Klein / Winnicott + Clinical seminar monthly costs are 180 EUR)

NOTA BENE: For participants with financial difficulties the Centre will provide further discounts and financial assistance.

Please contact us for more information: kontakt@psihoanaliza.edu.rs