Psychoanalytic Thinking with Dr Don Carveth

Correction: not a one-way progression from knowing to being but a dialectical integration of knowing and being. Although my technique has always been relational (vs. still face, cold fish, abstinence, neutrality, non-self-revealing), Freudian and Kleinian work on enhancing self-understanding remains essential, as does the conscientious critique of the superego. In liberating conscience one is emancipating the true self.

First as a Freudian, then a Kleinian, the technique was "enlightening." With Winnicott, Kohut and Bion it shifted from knowing to being.

What is the difference?

In his 1905 essay on psychotherapy Freud elaborates the distinction between painting (pouring on) and sculpture (chipping away). Classical defense and resistance analysis seeks to emancipate the true self.

While Freud, Klein and Kohut speak of internalizing good objects, Winnicott speaks of the "going-on-being" of the true self that should not be impinged upon or abandoned.

Guilt evasion. Types of guilt. Conscious/unconscious, Persecutory/reparative, Justified/unjustified, Survivor or success guilt, Collective guilt, etc.

Just as Klein and Grinberg distinguished two kinds of guilt, J. Rejd Meloy distinguished two kinds of pstychopathy,, primary and secondary; amd Sidney J. Blatt distinguished introjective and anaclitic depression; so we need to distinguish persecutory and reparative shame.

Dr Carveth begins by describing the difference between the narcissistically based superego from the object-oriented conscience. He sees the former as culturally derived and the latter as biologically given. We discuss how in the clinical situation persecutory guilt, i.e., superego, may often be emphasized to defend against the vulnerabilities associated with loving and being loved. We consider the use and overuse of the concept of trauma in contrast to intrapsychic conflict, and he distinguishes between empathy and sympathy. He shares his view that the edges of our political parties are imbued with the self-certainty born from the paranoid position. Ultimately, he concludes, "I'm not afraid that analysis will disappear – people who have problems with their soul will seek out soul doctors."

Dr. Carveth discusses the differences between guilt that reflects concern for the other and alternatively self-abuse that serves narcissistic purposes. The former relates to Klein's depressive/reparative stage, labeled 'conscience' by Carveth, and the latter derives from the paranoid/schizoid position, labeled 'superego'. We review varying technical approaches to each of these clinical presentations and note that the countertransference provides vital guidance in understanding the state of the analysand's mind. We close by considering how the capacity to bear guilt may be a measure of the maturation of a civilization.

Freud, Lacan, Mead and Christianity on narcissism.

Carveth/Lusensky: Is Psychoanalysis a Path to Salvation?

A Freudian and a Jungian dialogue about psychoanalysis and Christianity

In this episode, Dr Carveth speaks with Jakob Lusensky on the Psychology & The Cross podcast.

Don and Jakob discuss Don converted from Jung to Freud, his writing on the importance of differentiating conscience from the superego, and what we can learn from Jesus and the bible about psychoanalysis. See the full show notes on the Psychology & The Cross website: https://psychologyanthecross.transistor.fm/episodes/e09-jesus-was-the-first-psychoanalyst-with-donald-carveth

Subscribe to Psychology & The Cross YouTube channel for video versions of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMTxf19HOr9ut_m9tkuK_Rg

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses splitting.

Don goes on to discuss a problem in Kleinian theory of development, and how Klein attributes the capacity to split of infants under six months of age.

That said, splitting is a complex cognitive capacity to abstract and generalize that can only arise with symbolization, sometime in the second year of life.

This is not a problem for the Kleinian theory of the mind of older children, adolescents and adults, but only for its theory of infant development.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth is interviewed by Aodhán Moran regarding his latest book Guilt: A Contemporary Introduction. Purchase the book: https://www.routledge.com/Guilt-A-Contemporary-Introduction/Carveth/p/book/9781032382661

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán for podcast production at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

Follow Aodhán here: https://twitter.com/aodhanpmoran

In this episode, Dr Carveth questions whether or not the psychoanalytic theory of acculturation is anything more than a projected castration phantasy. Was the turn away from guilt and the superego in psychoanalysis part of the neo-liberal attack on regulation?

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán for podcast production at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth wrestles with the question: is Tragic Man Guilty? He then goes on to discuss the superego as aggression turned on self or deployed against scapegoats, and how authoritarians are marching under the banner of the superego.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán for podcast production at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth teases apart Marxism and Leninism. For Don, they are not the same thing. He then goes on to discuss democratic Marxism, social democracy, and anti-authoritarianism.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán for podcast production at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses the "Woke" authoritarianism and the new Puritanism. A PDF of the talk is here: https://www.doncarveth.com/_files/ugd/8ad211_dd32806eb3bc4e2ea8866bfd08e0cee9.pdf

Presented to the British Psychoanalytic Society on May 30, 2023.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán for podcast production at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses self-esteem regulation, Freud's ego-ideal, and conscience.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses mourning from a Freudian & Kleinian perspective.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses reality testing by diving into philosophical realism vs. radical constructivism, the three worlds hypothesis. interpersonal reality-testing, transcending narcissism in science and in personal life, illusions, & delusions.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

Here is the chart of Kernberg's model of the emotional and psychological development mentioned in this lecture: https://bit.ly/3wMbXP7

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses Kernberg's theoretical and clinical contributions.

Don dives into Kernberg's Ego Psychology/Object-Relations approach, his rejection and then the introduction of Klein, his "trojan horse" strategy and his contribution to the theory of sex and marriage.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses The Sins of the Fathers.

The analysands of corrupt analysts are suspected of being corrupt too unless they undergo the ritual purification of a second analysis with an analyst in good standing.

But do bad parents always have bad kids?

Do good parents always have good kids?

Does this socially deterministic theory make sense?

Are there no biological factors?

Are there no choices with consequences?

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth critiques the ideology of the "Still Face" in psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy, & psychoanalysis.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses psychoanalysis as meditation: Observing ego. Inner watcher. Symbolic subject vs. Imaginary Ego. Deconstruction. Disillusionment with disillusionment.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses psychoanalysis as biological, psychological and social evolution.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth frames psychoanalysis as religion. The human psyche is characterized by two levels of functioning— primary and secondary process (Freud), PS and D (Klein) —so all religion, spirituality and mysticism are similarly split.

But so is psychoanalysis itself.

There is primitive and mature religion, spirituality and mysticism— and primitive and mature psychoanalysis.

Mature versions of all these things share a common goal: to promote authentic personal transformation from narcissism to object love.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth delivers a lecture on his paper, 'Psychoanalysis is Spirituality' to the Michigan Psychoanalytic Society at its 45th Annual Conference.

The paper was published in the online journal Vestigia, Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2020: pp. 49-61 and can be accessed by clicking here.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth dives into Schizoid Personality Disorder. Don describes the patient as detached, introverted loners who move away from rather than toward or against others.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr. Carveth discusses the Oedipus complex as a universal, narcissistic trauma.

Dr Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. If you'd like to inquire about Aodhán's services, contact him here.

In this episode, Dr Carveth discusses the analytic cure as conceived by the different psychoanalytic schools of thought: Freud, Klein, Bion, Lacan, Winnicott, Kohut, et al.

Dr Don Carveth works with Aodhán Moran to produce this podcast. Contact Aodhán at aodhanpmoran@gmail.com.

In this episode, Dr Carveth details transference neurosis as the defining element of psychoanalysis per se, as distinct from psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

In this short episode, Dr Carveth revisits masochism. Yes, I wanna spread the news That if it feels this good gettin' used Oh, you just keep on usin' me Until you use me up Until you use me up

In this episode, Aodhán Moran interviews Dr Carveth on death.

In this lecture, the eighth in the Clinical Series, Dr Carveth discusses psychoanalysis as the deconstruction of literalized myth.

Instead of getting caught up in the derivatives of the core unconscious phantasy or myth, analysts should listen for what is behind the conflicts and inhibitions it generates and deliteralize or deconstruct the core phantasy from which the repetition compulsion derives. Envy and aggression as grounded in a phantasy of lack, rationalized by Lacan instead of analyzed as phantasy.

In this lecture, the seventh in the Clinical Series, Dr Carveth discusses Freud, Fairbairn, and Berliner on masochism, focusing on Berliner's paper, 'The Role of Object Relations in Moral Masochism.'

In this episode, the sixth in the Clinical Series, Dr Carveth delivers a lecture on his paper, 'Phantasy, Dreaming and Awakening in Psychoanalysis' to the Chicago Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology. Don touches on psychosis and involuntary daydreams.

In this lecture, the third in the 2017 Bion series, Dr Carveth returns to the text by Neville and Joan Symington, "The Clinical Thinking of Wilfred Bion", discussing Bion's idea of the grid.

In this lecture, the second in the 2017 Bion series, Dr Carveth focuses on the text by Neville and Joan Symington, "The Clinical Thinking of Wilfred Bion."

In this lecture, the sixth and final in the 2015 Freud and Beyond series, Dr Carveth introduces Heinz Kohut work, discussing the evolution of Self Psychology, the evolution of the Self-Object, and the Disruption-Repair cycle.

In this lecture, the fifth in the 2015 Freud and Beyond series, Dr Carveth discusses the tragic and romantic in psychoanalysis.

In this lecture, the fourth in the 2015 Freud and Beyond series, Dr Carveth discusses mind-body dualism, centring around Donald Winnicott's transitional area. We need breaks from reality. Winnicott believed the transitional area is where religion, art, and play are rooted.

Welcome to Psychoanalytic Thinking, where we explore psychoanalytic thought from inception up through to modernity.

Join distinguished professor and 40-year veteran psychoanalyst Dr Don Carveth for engaging lectures on psychoanalysis. Known for his clear communication style, Don's grasp of the literature comes through in the thought-provoking opinions he provides. This podcast will facilitate a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.

Donald L Carveth, PhD, RP, FIPA is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Social & Political Thought at York University in Toronto. He is a training and supervising analyst in the Canadian Institute of Psychoanalysis, past Director of the Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis, and past Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Psychoanalysis/Revue Canadienne de Psychanalyse.