Topic: Greeting and Understanding the Imprisoned Self

Presenter: Jeanne Magagna, PhD

Jeanne Magagna, PhD, was Head of Psychotherapy Services at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London for 24 years. She received qualifications as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Family Psychotherapist, and Adult Psychotherapist at London’s Tavistock Clinic, where she now teaches as a part-time lecturer.  For most of her career, she has worked as a specialist consultant in inpatient and outpatient services with children and adolescents who deal with problems such as psychotic anxieties, self-harm, suicidal ideation, depression, and eating disorders.  She teaches, and formerly was coordinator of training, at the Centro Studi Martha Harris Tavistock Model Child psychotherapy training program in Italy. She has edited several books, including The Silent Child: Communication without Words (Routledge, 2019) and wrote, A Psychotherapeutic Understanding of Eating Disorders in Children and Young People (Routledge, 2021).

Description:  Jeanne Magagna’s presentation revolves around her treatment of a 13-year-old suffering from anorexia nervosa.  After the first several sessions, Dr. Magagna observed that “nothing I could say or do seemed to feel any good to her.”  To Dr. Magagna, it appeared that she, the therapist, felt like "poison food" to the patient.  She notes that there are many patients who “barricade themselves” and shut themselves off from therapists and indeed from everyone in their lives.  As part of trying to understand her countertransference, Dr. Magagna looked into her own life and her own experiences with intimacy and distance.  Gradually, in part through the use of the patient’s drawings and dreams, Dr. Magagna managed to understand and build a relationship with the patient’s imprisoned self.  Using this case, and also with reference to others, Dr. Magagna shares her analysis of the imprisoned self.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the presentation, attendees will be able to:

1. describe the nature of the imprisoned self;
2. identify how they might be able to get access to a patient’s imprisoned self.

Admission is free. Continuing Education Credits are offered exclusively to Society members in all membership categories and those intending to join.

Physicians: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of American Psychoanalytic Association and the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category I Credit(s) ^TM . Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Psychologists: The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute is approved as a continuing education sponsor for Psychologists by the State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The Institute designates this continuing education activity as earning 2.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit. CE Sponsor License #268.000091

Professional Counselors: The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute is approved as a continuing education sponsor for Professional Counselors by the State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The Institute designates this continuing education activity as earning 2.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit. CE Sponsor License #197-000202.

Social Workers: The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute is approved as a continuing education sponsor for Social Workers by the State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The Institute designates this continuing education activity as earning 2.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit. CE Sponsor License #159-000122.

Marriage and Family Therapists: The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute is approved as a continuing education sponsor for Marriage and Family Therapists by the State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The Institute designates this continuing education activity as earning 2.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit. CE Sponsor License #168-000204.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION FOR ALL LEARNERS: None of the planners and presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s)* to disclose with ineligible companies* whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. *Financial relationships are relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.