close attention

A brand new two-year hands-on program in clinical immersion for developing psychotherapy expertise

close attention is an offering of the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis designed for clinicians who would like to enhance their skills as psychotherapists.

The program’s focus is entirely clinical. It helps students develop a keener sense of what is happening in their clients’ minds and how they can be of help.

The psychodynamic approach underlying the program assumes that helping clients better understand what they are thinking, feeling, and experiencing—including matters outside their immediate awareness—can enable them to live more effectively and satisfyingly. For clinicians, this means developing the capacity to help clients discover themselves in the moment and within the therapeutic hour. The heart of the work is not maneuvering the client, but getting to know the person—a more difficult proposition than it may appear.

The program focuses on the nuances of the individual session and uses a variety of learning formats. Assigned reading is kept to a minimum. Students regularly present their work orally and in writing as a basis for learning, and faculty members also share their own work.

The key to the work is close attention: both to clients’ minds and to clinicians’ own minds as they respond to clients.

Meeting Schedule and Location

Classes meet on Thursday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis, 4545 42nd Street NW, Suite 209, Washington, DC 20016.

2012–2013 Academic Calendar

• Classes begin September 6, 2012.
• No classes on November 22, December 27, or January 17.
• Classes end May 23, 2013.

To Discuss the Program

Sharon Alperovitz

Telephone: 202-387-8776
Email: sharon.alperovitz@gmail.com

Robert Winer

Telephone: 301-229-0600
Email: rjwinermd@yahoo.com