“The Affective Center of Analysis: I Feel, Therefore I Am”

About the presenter:

Merton A. Shill JD., LLM., Ph.D., FIPA is in the private practice of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy in Ann Arbor and is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he supervises psychiatric residents in the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Clinic. He is a graduate adult analyst and has had advanced training in child and adolescent psychoanalysis. He has been a Peer reviewer for Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. His publications concern analyst self-disclosure, father absence and castration anxiety, the Attachment-Exploration balance in infancy, the Psychological Mindedness Scale, ADHD, signal anxiety and intersubjective ego psychology. His most recent publications are a contribution to the Adolescent Casebook, edited by Kerry and Jack Novick and a discussion in a forthcoming issue of Psychoanalytic Inquiry on the omission of affect in Hartmann’s theory of ego adaptation.

Practice Gap/Need and Course Description:

There is insufficient clinical knowledge of the significance of both patient and analyst affective interactions and insufficient use of this information to deepen the immersion of the patient in the treatment process. There is a traditional focus on cognitively oriented interpretations and more recently a relational focus on descriptions of relational processes. What has been lacking is knowledge of affective interaction and strategies to utilize this affective significance for therapeutic change. Two consecutive sessions with two different patients will be presented to illustrate the affective processes between patient and analyst in psychoanalysis, — the Affective Center.

After attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the underlying interactive affective interchange between patient and analyst
2. Formulate a clinical intervention that maximizes the opportunity for this affective interaction to contribute to the therapeutic action of the treatment.

PHYSICIANS: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of American Psychoanalytic Association and Michigan Psychoanalytic Society. The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ (1 credit equals 1 hour). Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION FOR ALL LEARNERS: None of the planners and presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s)* to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

*Financial relationships are relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.

Updated July 2021

PSYCHOLOGISTS:  The Michigan Psychoanalytic Society is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  The Michigan Psychoanalytic Society maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

SOCIAL WORKERS:The Michigan Psychoanalytic Society is an approved provider with the Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative.

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