SFCP Faculty Committee Statement
Philosophy, Ethic, and Aesthetic of Psychoanalytic Teaching
The SFCP Faculty Committee supports an evolving and creative development of psychoanalytic pedagogy. Teaching and learning psychoanalysis means encountering a complex body of knowledge while also interrogating and renewing that body of knowledge. We believe that teaching psychoanalysis is more than teaching ideas — it is also an induction into learning from experience, whether in the classroom, supervision, consultation, or community work.
In our current pluralistic environment, teaching psychoanalysis takes place in a context in which cultural, social, and political factors have become essential elements in our professional theory and practice — elements that link us beyond the intersubjective to the transsubjective, involving social formations that include couples, families, groups, and human systems in general. Teaching psychoanalytically in this multidimensional environment means welcoming and encouraging a robust critique and questioning of theoretical assumptions and clinical approaches. We acknowledge that today’s students no longer view psychoanalytic theory and practice as an unquestionable set of precepts to be passed down, but instead require pedagogical innovations in experiential learning that keep theory and practice alive in the classroom. Our teaching traditions must take these considerations into account and be refreshed, while maintaining a solid transmission of theoretical and clinical knowledge.
We recognize that teaching is not simply an individual activity but ideally done collaboratively with other faculty members as part of the framework of the curriculum. In that spirit, we encourage teachers to design courses psychoanalytically, using conscious and unconscious thinking to come up with readings that include associative links between them, as well as a trajectory of theory. And, we encourage teachers to teach what most intrigues them in their own study of psychoanalysis — to pursue known and unknown areas more intensely. We believe that when teachers make this exploration something mutual with students, everyone can grapple, discover, and make something new out of psychoanalysis.
Finally, we believe that to facilitate the capacity in students to think and engage psychoanalytically, teaching psychoanalysis must involve learning from experience — the subjective experience that members of the group (teacher and students) have with each other and the material. Learning from this kind of experience moves students from knowing and understanding psychoanalysis to being and becoming psychoanalysts.
— The Faculty Committee
Who We Are and What We Offer
Faculty Committee Members
Peter Goldberg, Maureen Kurpinsky, and Deborah Weisinger (co-chairs)
Nancy Beckman, Genie Dvorak, Laurie Goldsmith, Catherine Mallouh, and Patricia Marra
Our Role
The Faculty Committee’s aim is to Support faculty development by offering programs and consultation to expand faculty members’ practice of psychoanalytic teaching. We are involved in:
- Appointing faculty
- Offering consultation to SFCP teaching divisions to promote a participatory teaching culture, broaden awareness and inclusion of the understanding of the diverse cultural and social contexts, and address other issues regarding faculty and teaching as they arise.
- Offering an annual Faculty Retreat that is informed by current trends in psychoanalytic teaching at SFCP and beyond to promote best and deepening practice.
- Offering “Pop-Up” meetings throughout the academic year in response to current pedagogical interests and needs.
Where We Live on the Organizational Chart
The Faculty Committee reports to the SFCP Management Team.
Faculty Consultation
As a Faculty member or as a teaching Division, you may contact the Faculty committee to consult with you on any topic that pertains to psychoanalytic pedagogy and/or your teaching practice. For example:
- Developing a curriculum
- Working with group process
- Teaching a case conference or a didactic course
To contact the Faculty Committee, email Celeste Schneider at celesteschnei@gmail.com
Faculty Support Network
The Faculty Support Network is a peer-resource for those involved in teaching at SFCP. Members on this list work collaboratively with other faculty to share ideas and offer support. The following chart lists members who have volunteered to offer consultation on topics and issues specific to their areas of expertise and interest. This resource operates confidentially, does not make reports, or play any role in decisions taken by curriculum committees or other decision-making bodies in the Center. If you would like to add your name and areas of interest to the list, please contact Celeste Schneider at celesteschnei@gmail.com.
| Faculty Member | Areas of Experience | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Almond |
| Phone 650-321-6637 rjalmond@stanford.edu |
| Nancy Beckman |
| Phone 415-346-9446 ngbeckmanphd@gmail.com |
| Charles Fisher |
| Phone 925-334-2292 charlep@aol.com |
| Jack Giuliani |
| Phone 415-346-0415 giuliani@aol.com |
| Adam Goldyne |
| Phone 415-826-9639 agoldynemd@mac.com |
| Holly Gordon |
| Phone 415-346-4494 hollygordon4@gmail.com |
| Gary Grossman |
| Phone 415-928-4662 gary.grossman@ucsf.edu |
| Zoe Grusky |
| Phone 415-824-8432 zgrusky@aol.com |
| Mardi Horowitz |
| Phone 415-476-7612 mardih@lppi.ucsf.edu |
| Maria Longuemare |
| Phone 415-922-6765 marialonguemare@icloud.com |
| Era Lowenstein |
| Phone 415-695-9656 eraalowenstein@gmail.com |
| Mali Mann |
| Phone 650-867-7461 mannm@stanford.edu |
| Ray Poggi |
| Phone 510-644-3434 rpoggi@mindspring.com |
| Louis Roussel |
| Phone 415-265-4960 ruselou@yahoo.com |
| Marsha Silverstein |
| Phone 510-841-3252 msilversteinphd@gmail.com |
| Beth Steinberg |
| Phone 415-441-5302 besteinberg@comcast.net |
| Neil Talkoff |
| Phone 415-346-9309 neiltalkoff@sbcglobal.net |
| Mitchell Wilson |
| Phone 510-843-4660 mdwmd@comcast.net |
Becoming a Faculty Member
Instructions for Applying
Everyone intending to teach at SFCP (SFCP members, candidates or community members) must first apply to become official SFCP faculty. To do so, please download and complete the faculty application form, then send it to Tina Phu at tina.phu@sfcp.org, who will send it to the Faculty Committee for approval at the committee’s next scheduled meeting. This process may take up to six weeks.
Roles and Responsibilities as a Faculty Member
The main role of the faculty is to teach the courses they have agreed to teach unless there are outstanding circumstances that would preclude them from fulfilling their obligation. Faculty members should let the Curriculum Committee know as soon as possible if they can’t teach their course. And, faculty members need to submit syllabi and teaching materials in a timely manner.
Faculty members are responsible for any evaluations and feedback that are required for their course in the particular program in which they are participating — e.g., PED, PPTP — and to submit these in a timely fashion.
Faculty are obliged to abide by ethical standards. If faculty members encounter any outstanding difficulties with their teaching or class, they should inform the committee that has asked them to teach and obtain consultation when needed. Consultation is available from the faculty committee.
Educational Resources
Faculty are invited to share psychoanalytic educational resources with one another. Below is a list of titles and the faculty member who contributed them.
Provided by Jonathan Shelder, PhD:
Tips for better Videoconferencing (Word document)
Provided by Jonathan Dunn, PhD:
Dunn, J. (2013). Toward A Psychoanalytic Way of Teaching Psychoanalysis. Psychoanal. Review, 100(6):947-971. (available on PEP)
Provided by Laurie Goldsmith, PhD:
M. Fakhry Davids, Internal Racism, A Psychoanalytic Approach to Race and Difference (Red Globe, 2011).
Podcast: Interview with M. Fakhry Davids by New Books in Psychoanalysis: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-books-in-psychoanalysis/id423338807?i=1000513215686
Provided by Mardi Horowitz, MD:
Trauma informed therapy and personalized approaches to patients are always in need of updating, and this manuscript may contribute some teaching principles.
Provided by Mitchell Wilson, MD:
The ethics of psychoanalysis has to do with the essence of the analyst’s activities, functioning, and subjectivity––in short, the status of his/her/their desire to work as an analyst. This bibliography lists many of the seminal texts (books and papers) that constitute this field of inquiry. Quotations from each entry are given. NOTE: This topic is not about boundary violations.
Podcast: New Books in Psychoanalysis––The Analyst’s Desire: The Ethical Foundation of Clinical Practice. https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-analysts-desire