Freud Academy Affiliate of A.S.F.P
Student area


   +55 11 5198-6497  1309 Coffeen Avenue STE 1200, Sheridan Wyoming 82801

Module IV – Orthodox Freudians and the Revival of the Tradition

Categorias: Intermediate
Wishlist Share

About the course

General Objective: To deepen the study of classical Freudian psychoanalysis through the contributions of orthodox Freudians, analyzing how they revisited, consolidated, and expanded the fundamental concepts established by Freud. To explore the role of object relations, psychic organization, and defense mechanisms in the construction of personality and the formation of symptoms, considering the impact of the theoretical formulations of Karl Abraham, Otto Fenichel, Edward Glover, Melanie Klein, Anna Freud, and Erik Erikson. Investigate how these authors contributed to the understanding of the stages of psychosexual development, defense mechanisms, and clinical structures, promoting a technical and theoretical deepening of the dynamics of transference, resistance, and symptom formation in analytic practice.

 
Show more

Course content

Karl Abraham
Present Karl Abraham's contributions to the development of the psychoanalytic theory of psychosexual phases, highlighting the relationship between fixations at specific stages of development and the formation of neurotic symptoms and psychic structures in adult life, including the influence of this model on Erik Erikson's thinking about psychosocial development.

  • Karl Abraham – Psychosexual Development and Personality Structuring

Otto Fenichel
<p>Objective: To explore Otto Fenichel’s contribution to the systematization of the theory of the neuroses, highlighting an understanding of defense mechanisms, the formation of neurotic symptoms, and the role of drive dynamics in psychic functioning, based on the classical Freudian tradition.</p>

Edward Glover
<p>To present Edward Glover’s contributions to an understanding of the compulsion to repeat, resistance, and the role of the superego in the maintenance of neurotic symptoms, highlighting how these phenomena manifest in clinical practice and how the management of transference and resistance can promote the symbolic elaboration of psychic conflicts.</p>

Melanie Klein
<p>Present the concept of object relations in Melanie Klein’s theory, exploring how early experiences with the primary object (mother) influence the formation of identity and the organization of the psyche. Examine the role of introjection and projection in the construction of internal representations, highlighting the functioning of the primary defensive mechanisms in the schizoparanoid position and its transition to the depressive position.</p>

Anna Freud
<p>Present the contributions of Anna Freud to understanding psychic functioning and defense mechanisms. Explore how she systematized and expanded the concept of defense mechanisms described by Freud, deepening comprehension of the role of the ego in the organization of personality and in the elaboration of psychic conflicts. Examine how defense mechanisms operate in childhood and adult life, highlighting the role of the ego in mediating between unconscious desire (id), the demands of reality (ego), and moral censorship (superego).</p>

Erik Erikson
<p>Present the contributions of Erik Erikson to psychoanalytic theory, highlighting his proposal regarding psychosexual development as an extension of Freud’s theory of psychosexual phases. Explore the eight stages of psychossocial development proposed by Erikson, analyzing how each stage involves a central conflict that influences the formation of identity and the functioning of the psyche in adult life. Examine how the resolution (or failure to resolve) these conflicts shapes character, affective bonds, and the subject’s capacity for adaptation.</p>

Suggested Readings
Provide students with a solid theoretical foundation on the contributions of orthodox Freudians to psychoanalysis, enabling a deeper understanding of psychic development, defense mechanisms, symptom formation, and identity construction. Reading these fundamental works offers an integrated view of Freudian formulations and the theoretical expansions introduced by Karl Abraham, Otto Fenichel, Edward Glover, Melanie Klein, Anna Freud, and Erik Erikson, supporting the clinical practice and interpretation of psychic phenomena in analysis.

Earn a Certificate

Earn a certificate upon completing this module

selected template
Dashboard