Clinical Moments is a monthly series that explores pivotal moments in ongoing analytic treatments. Each session features a case presentation by a different analyst, focusing on a clinical moment that provides clinicans with an opportunity to think psychoanalytically about the material and deepen their understanding through shared insights. Whether you're seeking to refine your clinical skills or broaden your understanding of psychoanalytic work, Clinical Moments provides a rich forum for learning and professional growth.
Join us for an insightful exploration of the delicate balance between connection and misalignment in therapy.
May's Theme: Longing to Be Understood: Attunement, Misattunement, and the Therapeutic Process
In this month’s clinical discussion, we will explore the psychoanalytic concept of attunement—the therapist’s capacity to emotionally connect with and understand the patient’s internal world. Focusing on a case in which the patient’s deep yearning to be perfectly understood stemmed from early experiences of inconsistent caregiving, we will consider how this longing shaped the transference and became a central theme in the treatment. The discussion will also examine the unavoidable misattunements that arise in any therapeutic relationship and how these moments, rather than being failures, can offer rich opportunities for repair, growth, and mutual collaboration.
Clinical Moments is an in-person event only.
When
Where
CEUs
Cost
Educational Objective(s)
- Discuss the impact of early maternal abandonment and narcissistic caregiving on adult relational patterns.
- Identify transference and countertransference dynamics in patients with high sensitivity to misattunement.
- Apply strategies for navigating and repairing therapeutic ruptures in long-term psychoanalytic treatment.
Presenter Information
Scott Boles, Ph.D.
Dr. Scott Boles is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalyst in private practice who works with children, adolescents, adults, and couples, as well as provides individual and group supervision to mental health professionals. He is a member of the San Diego Psychoanalytic Center, teaches in their Child and Adult Training Programs in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis, and serves as an Adult Training and Supervising Analyst.
Maya Klein, Ph.D.
Dr. Maya Bristow Klein is a Psychologist and Psychoanalyst in private practice, specializing in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis for children, adolescents, and adults. She is a faculty member at the Oregon Psychoanalytic Center and a Clinical Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Science University, where she supervises and teaches trainees. Dr. Klein is also the founder of Pathformers.com, a video-first platform dedicated to childhood mental health education.