Course Description

This advanced course expands upon the foundational psychoanalytic perspectives introduced in AION 201 and 203, offering a deeper engagement with contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice. Topics include the intersubjective turn in psychoanalysis as articulated by Robert Stolorow, Philip Bromberg, and Jessica Benjamin; the intersections between modern psychoanalysis and current research on the neurobiology of attachment; and an accessible introduction to key concepts in Lacanian theory. Through lectures, case discussions, and comparative analysis, participants will strengthen their conceptual framework for working with complex relational dynamics and unconscious processes in clinical settings.

Learning Objectives

Describe the intersubjective turn in contemporary psychoanalysis, as articulated by Robert Stolorow, Philip Bromberg, and Jessica Benjamin, and explain how this shift reconceptualizes therapeutic action as co-created within the analytic relationship.
Analyze complex relational dynamics in treatment—including enactment, dissociation, rupture, and recognition—using intersubjective and relational psychoanalytic frameworks to refine moment-to-moment clinical responsiveness.
Differentiate contemporary psychoanalytic perspectives from classical drive- and ego-psychological models by articulating how modern theories integrate attachment research and affective neuroscience into psychodynamic formulation.
Apply advanced psychoanalytic concepts—including key Lacanian ideas (e.g., subjectivity, desire, symbolic mediation)—to enhance clinical understanding of unconscious process, language, and relational impasse, without relying on technical jargon or abstraction.

The Aion Institute is approved by the California Psychological Association to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The Aion Institute (AIO279) maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Click for full course description

AION 301 Advanced Theories and Technique in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy