with
Howard Levine, Ofra Eshel, Riccardo Lombardi
Joshua Durban, Anne Alvarez, Avner Bergstein
Judy K. Eekhoff, Robert Caper, Leopoldo Bleger
Sebastian Thrul, Steven Jaron
Teresa Abreu & Csongor Juhos
FREE ASSOCIATION LISBON
February 7 and 14, 2026
15h-17h Lisbon time
MY MELTZER
by JOÃO SOUSA MONTEIRO
Donald Meltzer's hopes for the survival of psychoanalysis rested on the capacity of the next generation to learn from their own experience with the aid of internal teachers. Meltzer's writings are often said to be difficult by students without personal experience of his teaching. Yet Meltzer himself said his motto was ´simplicity'. To have a glimpse of how Meltzer's ideas are used in current psychoanalytic practice, we invited the Portuguese psychoanalyst João Sousa Monterio, who had extensive experience with Meltzer.
Monteiro met Meltzer for the first time in 1985. He worked under his supervision in Oxford every month for 13 years for more than 400 hours. He participated in clinical seminars by Meltzer in Oxford, London, Florence, Paris, Barcelona, and Lisbon. He published Long-Term Psychoanalytic Supervision with Donald Meltzer: The Tragedy of Triumph (Routledge, 2019).
In 2021, the Portuguese Journal of Psychoanalysis published an interview Monteiro made with Meltzer in 1985. In that conversation, the two analysts, among other issues, explored questions about the aesthetic impact of the mother's beauty on the infant, which compels the infant to form symbols, and our resistance to thinking. We invited João to discuss how he understands and uses these ideas in his writings and clinical work.
In the first seminar, João will discuss his interpretation of Meltzer's ideas on the Claustrum, and in the second seminar, he will discuss the concept of Aesthetic Conflict.
João Sousa Monteiro is a psychoanalyst with a private practice in Lisbon. He has produced five radio programs focused on psychoanalysis, featuring discussions with notable analysts, including a co-founder and former president of the Portuguese Psychoanalytic Society. These programs have led to the publication of four books, one he authored and three that he edited. Recently, he published Bions' Theory of Dreams (Routledge, 2023). Currently, he is preparing four new books, Donald Meltzer's Theory of Aesthetic Conflict - An Extended Investigation, The Fundamental “Basic Assumption” of Psychoanalysis, The Importance of the Music of the Voice in Psychoanalysis, and Failed Analysis in Supervision with Donald Meltzer.
REGISTRATION
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Attending MY MELTZER by João Sousa Monteiro depends on your agreement to the Registration Terms and Conditions.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The official language of any event is English. AI-assisted automatic subtitles will be available in most of the languages.
CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS
You can cancel anytime by emailing us at people@freeassociation.pt with your bank details. Please note that a 50€ cancellation fee will be applied.
AUDIO RECORDING, FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
The Free Association Lisbon will record the seminars. The recordings will be available for participants for two weeks. Participant recordings of any part of the conference are strictly forbidden.
RIGHT OF REFUSAL
The Free Association Lisbon reserves the right to decline to register any individual without further explanation. Meeting registrations are strictly personal to the individual who purchased them and are non-transferable under any circumstances.
By registering, you agree to these rules.