FREE ASSOCIATION LISBON

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to a three-day in-person event in Portugal from July 30 to August 2, bringing together up to 60 psychoanalysts and candidates for a shared, in-depth exploration of our clinical practice.

 

This gathering is more than just a meeting; it's an intimate working space designed to foster rich and thoughtful discussion around ongoing psychoanalytic processes—cases that are alive, in motion, and evolving. Jonathan Sklar will lead the large group, as we collectively reflect on the complexities and nuances of analytic work as it unfolds, sharpening our clinical sensibilities and deepening our analytic stance.

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Core Themes of the Event

Across the three days, we will engage in three to five detailed psychoanalytic clinical presentations of analysis of 3-5 sessions weekly ,each proceeding from a clinical  history and two sessions. Dialogues focusing on essential psychoanalytic processes, including:

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• The cultivation of free association in both patient and analyst, and the creation of a space in a group setting where the unexpected can emerge.

• The transference and countertransference matrix, including its negative and erotic dimensions, and how these inform the direction of the work.

• Negative capability: sustaining uncertainty and ambiguity without premature closure.

• Working with dreams, examining unconscious material, and process.

• Clinical considerations around the setting and frame, and how they influence the analytic container.

• Developing and maintaining an analytic state of mind amid intense affect and complex interpersonal dynamics.

• Resistance: its creative and defensive meanings, and how it can be thought about rather than conquered.

• The importance of adapting technique to the level of pathology, ranging from neurotic to more primitive levels of functioning, including cruelties and paranoia.

• How we construct and time interpretations, and what it means to speak into the unconscious. 

 

We will discuss in detail actual clinical material from ongoing psychoanalytic processes, presented by three analysts and/or candidates. This format allows us to stay close to the clinical moment and privilege process over theory.

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The Setting

Our time in Portugal and time together will not be limited to clinical work. Portugal—full of light, history, culture, and gastronomy—will serve as a backdrop to informal conversations, shared meals, and time to enjoy one another’s company.

 

There will be opportunities to explore, engage in informal peer discussions, and rest in between the intensity of our working sessions. You are not just a participant, but an integral part of this collaborative environment.

 

We look forward to a gathering that is as intellectually enriching as it is personally, where we can think together, hold complexity, and allow ourselves to be affected by one another’s work and presence. This event is not just an opportunity for professional development, but also a unique chance for personal growth and meaningful connections within our community.