Child Colloquium Series

All who work with adolescents are familiar with the harshness of the adolescent superego, where relentless perfectionism, a drive to be productive, and a refusal of kindness or empathy torment the teen and color the treatment relationship. We understand this severity developmentally, as the superego is still in the process of integration into the personality. The adolescent superego must tame the upsurge in sexuality and aggression ushered in by puberty and the pressure to separate from both the internal and external parents as the teen struggles with dependency and independence.

As the teen’s superego is never satisfied, the therapist can also be experienced as the never satisfied superego, our observations taken as finger pointing and demands for the patient to correct themselves. In addition, the beam can swing and we can be as scrutinized and critiqued as the self was a moment ago. This contaminated atmosphere is actually a boon for therapy, as the superego is now not only in the adolescent’s head, but is also in the relationship where we can explore it.

In this talk we’ll explore the struggle for the therapist to contain her experiences, the dynamics underlying this enacted relationship, and therapeutic approaches to addressing the flipping cruelty. Process material will be shared in small groups so that participants can “be in the room” with the treatment situation.

Holly Gordon DMH is a Training and Supervising analyst at SFCP who has a practice in San Francisco where she sees adults, couples and adolescents. She is Associate Clinical Faculty at UCSF and runs a private case conference study group focused on case formulation. Holly volunteers at Friends of the Children SF, where she consults with mentors of at-risk children in Bayview-Hunters Point. She and Friends of the Children mentors presented this work at two Child Colloquia, both on promoting containment and mentalization in situations of violence and trauma.

Ann Martini, LCSW is a child, adolescent and adult analyst who was trained as a clinical social worker with an expertise in working with children and families.  She is on the Faculty at SFCP, where she is a training analyst and a child and adult supervising analyst.  She is interested in the continuities between child and adult analysis and co-taught the Child and Adult case conference at SFCP 7 years.  She was a founding member of The Palo Alto Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy training program (PAPPTP), where she serves on the Guidance committee.  Ann has a private practice in Campbell where she sees children, adolescents, adults and parents in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. She has a special interest in working with young children, including toddlers and preschoolers, and their parents.  Ann runs a long standing child and adolescent psychotherapy consultation group.