62nd Annual Conference

Workshop 9
Projective Identification Goes to the Movies

Chair:

Joseph Shay, Ph.D., CGP, Director, Psychological Service & Training, Cambridge, MA

This workshop examines the concept of projective identification using movie clips. Included are segments from Six Feet Under, Good Will Hunting, The Simpsons, Rebel Without a Cause, Breakfast Club, Rambling Rose, and others. Objectives include sharpening the definition, recognizing its presence in group therapy, and learning to intervene more effectively when it exists. (Rated “R”)

demonstration-didactic-sharing of work experiences-experiential

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Define projective identification

2. Cite different definitions of projective identification

3. Identify projective identification in action in group therapy

4. Explain how to intervene more successfully when projective identification is present

5. List common countertransference reactions in the presence of projective identification

References:

1.  Grotstein, J.S. (1981) Splitting and projective identification. Northvale, NJ: Aronson.

2.  Klein, M. (1946). Notes on some schizoid mechanisms. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 27, 99-110.

3.  Ogden, T. (1982). Projective identification and psychotherapeutic technique. New York: Jason Aronson.