Projective Identification: A Deep Dive into its Clinical and Societal Manifestations

This course will delve into the concept of projective identification and explore its power in illuminating a broad range of phenomenon.

This field is required.
This field is required.

4 Sessions: Mondays, Apr. 6, 13, 27, 2026; May 4, 2026
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 PM ET

All courses will take place online. Seminar sessions are not recorded
Registration Deadline: April 4th, 2026

Registrants are expected to be able to attend all sessions in their entirety. Should your availability change, please contact the BPSI Team (team@bpsi.org) to remove your course registration and allow other interested participants to attend.

Projective Identification: A Deep Dive into its Clinical and Societal Manifestations
 
This course will delve into the concept of projective identification and explore its power in illuminating a broad range of phenomenon. This includes its role in the analytic relationship, romantic and familial relationships, as well as group and societal dynamics. Societal dynamics to be explored include racism and mass incarceration. Readings will include both classic and contemporary papers on projective identification. Ultimately, this course will provide participants with a deep understanding of what may seem like an elusive concept and illustrate its pervasive utility. 

 

Instructors

Tamara Feldman, PsyD

Tamara Feldman is a clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst and couple’s therapist in Wellesley. She serves on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis and the Psychoanalytic Couples and Family Institute of New England. She has also taught several courses at the Tavistock Center for Relationships in London. Her recent publications include ‘The Elusive Nature of Neutrality: The role of values in couple therapy’ published in Family Process and ‘The Allure the Patient’s Objects: Countertransference Pitfalls and Possibilities’ published in Psychoanalytic Psychology. She has a particular interest in Kleinian theory and its application to couple’s therapy. 

This course will be open to licensed clinicians or clinicians on the path to licensure. Continuing Education credits are not offered for this course.

 

Scholarships are available for BPSI programs.

FEE:
$375 Course Fee
$350 Early Bird (available until 03/27/2026)
Use Code at Checkout: EB2026PI
$50 Early Career Clinicians, Residents and Students

 

Explorations in Mind: Community Education at BPSI is made possible by the generous support of BPSI Members and friends. To make a gift to BPSI, contact Carole Nathan (cnathan@bpsi.org or 617-266-0953 x101),
go to www.bpsi.org, or send mail to BPSI, 141 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459.

 
Program Administrator
Jackson Doty: jdoty@bpsi.org

Program Chair
Natasha Lifton, PhD: natashalifton@gmail.com
Linda Emanuel, MD, PhD: l-emanuel@northwestern.edu
 
Event Cancellation Policies & Procedures
Any program participant requesting their individual program registration be canceled, must submit their request in writing via email to Jackson Doty at jdoty@bpsi.org. For fee-based events, a request for cancellation (and refund using the original form of payment) must be received no later than 48 hours in advance of the event. Requests received later than 48 hours prior to the event will not be processed or accepted. All approved refunds are subject to a $10.00 administrative fee. If BPSI cancels an event, all registrants will receive a full refund of fees paid (no administration charge) no later than two business days following the scheduled date of the event, using the original form of payment.
 
Grievance Policy
Please address any questions or concerns about your experience at this or any program or event you have attended at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute to the Program Chair(s), via the Senior Administrator/Continuing Education Administrator, BPSI, 141 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459; team@bpsi.org; 617.266.0953.
 
The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Inc., 141 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459, does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin or handicap in the admissions to or administration of its educational programs, scholarship programs or employment.