The Yiddish Analyst: a new class (via telephone)
Thursdays beginning October 10th 12 noon-1 pm (10 weeks)
$440 (this class is held via telephone)
· What are the Jewish roots in our field?
· What influence does being Jewish or being part of any religion play in the practice of psychoanalysis?
· What role does Bible, Talmud, Jewish legend and classical Jewish thought have in our profession?
· Our deep devotion or by contrast, estrangement to the culture of our family and tribe: how does that help and/or hinder our work?
· Tensions between Christian and Jewish ideas of Messianism: its implications for psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.
· Separation and merger in religion and culture
· Is Psychoanalysis religion’s ultimate antagonist?
· How have Judaism and Psychoanalysis used symbols, myth and metaphor to arrive at a deeper level of truth?
· Materialism in religion and in psychoanalysis
· The tension between psychoanalytic discovery and prescriptive belief
For the past many years I have worked as a psychotherapist, as a teacher and a leader of supervision groups. At the same time I have been in lifelong immersion in Talmud and classical Jewish texts. I have found the tensions between these two world perspectives difficult to articulate at times, sometimes painful and mostly delightful and always stimulating.
In the course of my supervision work I found that many analyst colleagues had a deeply felt connection to Judaism and Jewish identity. In fact. Many an analyst will reference foundational Jewish concepts. For instance, the cultural premium placed on a person to verbalize feelings and ideas. Some will use revered principles like “shalom bayis” as a framework for harmony and social cohesion. This was true even for those completely at odds with the fundamentals and tenets of the faith, those who had chosen Buddhism or other faith (or non-faith) perspectives. Still more surprising, many non-Jewish colleagues experienced a deep longing and identification with the Jewish tradition.
Some were tortured by conflicting tensions, ideas and identities, others celebrated them. Nearly all who articulated their complex positions vis-à-vis family, tribe and community, were strengthened by them. In fact, the more they permitted themselves to fully put these sometimes gorgeously complicated “taboo” feelings into words, the more their range and ability to work with patients increased as did their satisfaction and progress in the field. In my experience, a fully experienced and acknowledged dissonance will take the form of jagged poetry and can turn a barrier into a link.
Would you like to talk about things that are important to your work and your life against the backdrop of readings by psychoanalytic and literary thinkers such as: Freud, Arlow, the late modern psychoanalytic thinker, Dr. Lesle Rosenthal, Michael Eigen, Martin Bergmann, Dr. Joseph B. Soleveichik and American Jewish writers, Saul Bellow, Bernard Malamud and Phillip Roth?
If so, register by email to me at simon.feuerman@gmail.com or better yet, call at 973-249-8111 (this class is held via telephone)
My Mother, My Father, My Money
A 10-week Tele-class for therapists (particularly for those interested in leaving managed care) and anyone interested in their relationship with money
Beginning Tuesday, October 1st 12 noon – 1 PM EST (10 weeks)
$440
For the past many years I’ve worked as a psychotherapist and run supervision groups for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists I’ve met many a brilliant person, professionally and personally attuned, who had a poor practice or had extraordinary difficulty making money, and people who would appear to be fairly incompetent, ill-attuned and perhaps unable to metabolize anyone’s pain at all, who seemed to do marvelously well.
What influences were at work here? The fickle hand of fate? Good “money genes”? It’s impossible to know, but in any case, most of us have (at least) a little difficulty with money. A few of us have a lot of money, others need to make a lot of money but feel guilty about making it or even trying to make it. Rich or poor many are in pain about it. They even find that the pain impedes their ability to provide the best treatment or to enjoy life.
I am interested in the idea that people may unknowingly place themselves at a distance from what they want especially when it comes to money. I have led this course many times with pleasure and if you are curious about this issue as I am, I invite you to join me
This is an original and exciting class with a lively syllabus that
includes readings from fiction and psychoanalytic literature on money
designed to help both patient and therapist make progress in life and in treatment.
Participants are encouraged to share cases and thoughts and feelings in
the class.
Not sure if this course is for you?
Talking about where money intersects with your personality, family history, identifications and dis-identifications with rich and poor is nearly always an experience that is helpful to our work with with people and in life.
To register Call 973.249.8111 or email
simon.feuerman@gmail.com
I hope that you will join me on Tuesday at 12 noon, EST. This class will
meet the same time every week for 10 weeks. I’d be pleased for you to call
and share with me your thoughts, feelings and hopes for the course.