Author Archives: Al

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! “Sarah?” Steph’s voice sounded hollow on the phone. I’d come home at three, and lain on the couch for several hours, exhausted by a simple afternoon at the doctor’s. “Can I come over? We need to talk.” “Why? … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! Petyr spent August in Vermont with his sons, while I continued to cobble together a career. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I worked in Wellesley at the state mental health clinic. Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I met with individual … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! On my return, I found a letter from Cincinnati waiting. Starting with cheery news about her new neighbors in their apartment complex, she went on to describe her frustration with George, who insisted on working every day, even … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! Petyr’s final seminar, “Illness in the analyst and professional wills” almost put me to sleep. Just barely into my 30’s, I didn’t see foresee any need to worry about this in my work. At dinner, I mentioned the … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! The following Thursday, Petyr led us through “Sexual Boundaries: How feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety surround erotic feelings and erotic counter-transference.”  “Sexual feelings between analyst and analysand often present pitfalls in the therapeutic process,” he began. “Analysts … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! During December, Petyr Cohen walked us step-by-step through increasingly fraught scenarios of ethical dilemmas which commonly emerge during analysis. We easily dispensed with the risks of treating other family members of a patient, and receiving, or proffering gifts. … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! My repeated inquiries at the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute finally bore fruit. I met first with Dr. Jacobson, the executive director of the Institute, soon after my return from San Antonio. “The Board has come around to your view … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! Dr. Klein was right, my thesis defense proved anti-climatic. During my zealous preparation, not only had I memorized the entire dissertation, the key points of all 63 references of the references and also new papers more recently published. … Continue reading →

!!!!!*****WORKING DRAFT*****!!!!! In the first three weeks after my miscarriage, I threw myself into a job search and continued preparations for my orals. I knew I was suppressing my feelings about losing the pregnancy, but didn’t think I could put … Continue reading →