Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Forward
Sun, Soil and Rain: Research on Patient Growth in Psychotherapy - Brin Grenyer, PhD (Webinar live online) (Sheila Hafter Gray Memorial Lecture)
2025-26 Friday Night Guest Lecture Series - Sheila Hafter Gray Memorial Lecture
The Sheila Hafter Gray Memorial Lecture is underwritten by ACPEinc and honors Dr. Gray's role in advancing the importance of psychoanalytic education.
The mechanisms of patient change have been described in detail by prominent psychoanalytic thinkers over the last 130 years. These descriptions form the basis for analytic training and are often grounded in the wisdom learnt from single case studies. Along with these papers on technique is a growing set of empirical research studies demonstrating psychoanalytic psychotherapy across multiple groups of patients is an effective treatment for mental health disorders. In parallel to these traditional therapy descriptions and outcome studies, has been another form of research: psychotherapy process research. Process-outcome studies aim to discover if patient changes observed in treatment can be understood in more detail using validated research measures applied to empirical data - usually transcripts of audio or video from therapy sessions. This talk overviews 30 years of studies from the author's and other research groups that includes studies of transference, attachment, mastery of self-understanding and self-control, and emotional and cognitive change. Recent work will be highlighted describing changes in Erikson's psychosocial maturity conflicts - particularly the resolution of Mistrust and Constraint and growth of Industry and Affiliation studied over 5 years of treatment for patients meeting criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder. A final reflection will be learnings from a subsample of patients who do not improve over time.
Target Audience
______ Introductory ____x__ Intermediate ______ Advanced
Learning Objectives
1. Compare various methods for conducting psychoanalytic research, especially contrasting case study with process-outcome methods
2. Describe methods for quantifying key analytic constructs including transference, attachment, and psychosocial maturity conflicts
3. Identify specific challenges in research in borderline personality disorder, especially in relation to patient non-response
Brin Grenyer, PhD, is senior professor of psychology at the University of Wollongong Australia, director of the Project Air Strategy for Personality Disorders, and president of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders. He is an active practicing clinical psychologist at Northfields Psychology Clinic. His early psychoanalytic supervised training combined thinking from the Tavistock Clinic (with Peter Blake) and Menninger Clinic (with Lester Luborsky). He is a recipient of the College of Clinical Psychologists Ian M Campbell Memorial Prize for contribution to the scientific and professional status of clinical psychology in Australia, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to psychology.
Austen Riggs Center Inc. adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. All those at Austen Riggs Center involved in the planning of this activity, including the presenter(s) listed above, report they have no relevant financial relationships with an ineligible company*.
The views and opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the Austen Riggs Center.
* An ineligible company is any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Available Credit
- 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
ACCME - As a Jointly Accredited Organization, The Austen Riggs Center, Inc. designates this learning activity for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.50 APA
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, The Austen Riggs Center, Inc. designates this learning activity for 1.50 continuing education credit(s) (CE) for psychology. Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
Austen Riggs Center, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0115.
- 1.50 ASWB-ACE
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, The Austen Riggs Center, Inc is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organization, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Austen Riggs Center maintains responsibility for this. Social workers completing this Online live will receive 1.50 continuing education credit(s).
Austen Riggs Center, Inc is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0843.
- 1.50 Contact Hours/ ParticipationA certificate of attendance for all Learners.