Newsletter – November 2024 Vol 1 Issue 2


BREAKING NEWS

Dear IMI Alumni,

I am proud to share with you a short course that will be presented by MISA in 2025.Apart from hosting bi-annual conferences since 2010, MISA has been active over the last decade with short courses in the Masterson Approach for each of the Disorders of the Self. In February 2025, another one of these 4-month courses will be on offer, this time on the treatment of the Schizoid patient. Prospective students of this course can look forward to a condensed but well thought through syllabus in the psychoanalytic treatment of the Schizoid Disorder of the self, as well as personal supervision with a faculty member. Kindly refer to the attached flyer. Over the past 5 years we have rolled out condensed courses regarding the treatment of NPD and BPD, using the Masterson Approach, and saw it fitting to offer one for Schizoid treatment next year. The course will aim to skill and equip the therapist with the theory and practice with patients with a schizoid intrapsychic structure, and familiarise them with the Masterson Approach. It’s introctory and a possible gateway to the 3 year programme. It will be offered in Cape Town over a 4 month period, as well as online for those not in the area (and internationally).

Please circulate this to those who might be interested.

Sincerely yours,

JP Theron
Clinical Psychologist- Kliniese Sielkundige
MISA Chair
+27 82 8811 340


A TRIBUTE TO JUDITH PEARSON


By Dr. Anne-Marie Lydall

In our last issue, Dr Pearson described how she started what was then The Masterson Institute’s first postgraduate 3 year program in 1986. After completing her training and completing two years of supervision with Dr. Masterson, she joined the faculty of the Institute. She describes her training and supervision with James Masterson as a thrilling and illuminating experience. Upon the retirement of Dr. Ralph Klein, she was appointed Clinical Director of the Institute.

In the years that have followed, she has been at the helm of IMI providing secure guidance with a clear and unwavering vision of bringing the wisdom of Dr J.F. Masterson to new generations of psychoanalytically oriented therapists. Her intellect has provided brilliant insights especially in her writings and her dazzling contributions at numerous conferences over so many years.


By Carolyn Bankston

I owe so much to, my mentor and friend, Judith Pearson. It has been such a privilege to know her for the past 23 years. I attended my first peer group with her, shortly after 9/11. I flew into NYC and saw smoke billowing from the site from my airplane seat. The profundity and solemnity of this event had a much different emotional valence from the following 23 years of exciting, profound insight and discovery, both intellectual and emotional, that was guided by Judith. Quite simply, I would not be the person nor therapist I am without her. A true mixture of astounding intellect, passion, compassion, steadiness and commitment, Judith took the helm of the institute and kept us “alive” in so many ways. Most important to me is her contribution to my development in teaching. It is a passion for me that was a true test of courage in the beginning years. I’ll never forget Judith saying to me, “It’s time to come out of the closet,” before my first presentation at a conference. I am out and so pleased! Judith, thank you for your part in fostering and supporting my development.

Carolyn Bankston, LCSW, is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Faculty Member at IMI where she teaches and supervises students.


By William Griffith

Dr. Pearson’s unwavering commitment to the way of thinking of Dr. James Masterson as well as how she put his work into practice, has always been the light that has guided us through the fog of uncertainty. Under her guidance, the IMI has had eight graduating classes and the 9th is currently entering the 3rd and final year. At times she was teaching at 5:30 in the morning two days a week, always with vigour and energy. Her motto always was “Just Do It”, words that reflected in her approach to life and the curiosity that she showed in people and their lives. In a world that is marked with madness and acting out, Dr. Pearson is the sage archetype that transformed, guided and touched us to individuation as therapists in our own right. For that we are thankful. I want to thank each and every one that makes the IMI what it is today. We call on all our Alumni to keep touch and stay tuned for what we are planning for 2024.

William Griffith took over the role of Director of International Masterson Institute in September 2024. He was instrumental in the inception of the Masterson Institute South Africa. He practices in Cape Town. He is a Psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Clinical Psychologist.


By Dr. Meral Aydin

Dearest Judy Pearson, she is much more than a clinical director. When she invited me to join the Masterson training program, she offered me an enormous play area for “being with” and able to meet people with whom I can speak my internal language. She inspires and encourages us in many ways with her wise knowledge both emotionally and theoretically. The way she writes is so praiseworthy, defining all complex terms with deep and crystal clarity. I want to take this opportunity to express my feelings about Judith that she is one of the most precious and fundamental people in my life.

Dr. Meral Aydin is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Clinical Psychologist. She was instrumental in bringing Masterson to Turkey and is is Director of the Masterson Institute in Turkey where she teaches and supervises. She practices in Istanbul.


By Maggie Down

Dr. Pearson has had a profound impact on my professional life. She was a stimulating and inspirational teacher during my training, and since I graduated, she has been my supervisor and, in time, a mentor for my role as director of Masterson Australia. I am extremely grateful for her guidance. As an ‘elder’ within the Masterson community, she carries the lineage to its founder, Dr. James Masterson, with extraordinary passion and clarity. Her remarkable clinical expertise, both theoretical and applied, has been instrumental. She has held a deep commitment to her vision for the Masterson Institute to expand beyond its national boundaries and become an international presence, playing a crucial role in establishing the international body and steering it through its fledgling stages to a place of solidity and stability. Dr. Pearson provided encouragement and mentorship to therapists from different countries (including myself), helping them to form operational divisions of IMI. As the Institute took shape, she has shouldered a great deal of responsibility with grace and generosity, while role-modelling healthy ‘containment’. Her decision to pass the baton to the next generation and retire from the leadership role is timely and well-deserved. I am appreciative of all that I have learned from Dr. Pearson and for her enduring legacy.

Maggie Down is the Director of Masterson Australia. She is a psychoanalytic therapist and Faculty member of IMI where she teaches and supervises. She has practiced in Perth for over 40 years.


By Candice Dumas

I am privileged to have come to know Dr Pearson as a lecturer, supervisor and a mentor. Her commitment to her patients, the Masterson approach and the Institute is admirable and inspiring. Bion wrote, “when two characters or personalities meet, an emotional storm is created” – Dr Pearson is able to enter the storm and remain steady. My fondest memories are of time spent together in person, both in New York and in Cape Town.

Candice Dumas is a Clinical Psychologist . She finished her IMI training in 2012 and has been an IMI Faculty member since 2015. At present her roles include teaching and supervising students. She practices in South Africa.


By Dr. Loray Daws

When Anne-Marie asked me if I would like to write about any memories of Dr Pearson, I couldn’t wait to put pen to paper. It was Christmas evening, 2005, and after all the festivities and being unable to sleep, I continued my ‘perpetual search’ for training institutes able to accommodate distance learning possibilities. During my clinical training in the mid-1990s, I came across the edited works of Dr. Masterson and Dr. Klein, at that stage referred fondly to as the blue book, and was immediately attracted to the clear and common sense approach to the schizoid and other disorders of self.

I had read Guntrip in my pre-graduate years but felt Dr Klein clarified many developmental areas with such compassion and clinical insight that I was hooked on the work. Add to this the Real Self and works such as the Emergent Self, and I knew I had found a unique voice, method, and clinician. After the South African Institute was underway, I would later learn that the University of the Witwatersrand also studied Dr. Masterson in the 1980s, but embargos and the dollar-rand exchange rate made it impossible to invite Dr. Masterson to lecture in South Africa.

But returning to the fateful Christmas evening, I stumbled on the Masterson Institute and introduced myself to Dr Pearson with the vague hope that some contact may be possible. To my surprise, Dr. Pearson wrote back the following day, clearly very knowledgeable about South Africa (Dr. Pearson has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of anything anthropological).

So, we started the possibility of building an online program that follows their Friday afternoon Masterson training course. I was excited about the prospect since even before the S.A. Masterson group formally commenced in January of 2017, no psychoanalytic psychotherapy training program worked as the one Dr. Pearson, and I envisioned, that is, through long-distance technology (Skype). By March of 2006, in correspondence with Dr Pearson, I planned to meet the faculty and Dr. Masterson to discuss the possibility of developing a satellite Masterson cohort in South Africa.

It was also very fortunate that William Griffith, given our work together at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, spontaneously and fortuitously joined me, and we formally met Dr Pearson, Dr Masterson, and selected faculty by July of 2006. Soon after, we were fortunate to have put together a training cohort consisting of Paul Shiel, Carolyn Bankston, and Daleen Macklin, and the rest is history…

Through all the stages of the possibility, Dr. Pearson had unwavering faith and trust in our ability to build the program from the ground up, remained ever-present and helpful through every step and difficulty that would arise either through technology (we used Skype even before it had a million users) or financial hardship.

Dr. Pearson also served as my principal supervisor through my three years, and the additional two, to serve as a faculty member. Although supervision was late on Wednesday evenings (9 pm and in daylight saving 10 pm!) I was always enthused and energized by D.r Pearson’s perceptive reading of the client, her respectful support in understanding Masterson’s theory, the technique, and my counter-transference difficulties with astounding percipience and sagacity.

I remain indebted in ways I cannot truly express. Dr Pearson remains a central presence in my thinking about Masterson and psychoanalysis, an innovative clinician who provided me with both an education and unending support. She is loved.

Dr. Loray Daws, Ph.D., D.Psa, Reg. Psych. (Can), Reg. Clin Psych., (SA) Loray is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist currently in private practice in British Columbia, Canada. He is founding member of the South African and British Columbia Masterson Institutes as well as a faculty member of the International Masterson Institute in New York.


NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

By William Griffith

It is with sadness that I want to reflect on the loss of Carla Lippi (South Africa) and Eric Timewell (Australia).

Carla’s deep sense of respect and intuitive mind always reflected when one was in conversation with her. Carla will be missed and leaves behind a memory of caring and understanding.

Eric was a dear friend, his love for philosophy, theory, roses and people was unmatched. During the heyday of HIV/Aids in the 80’s, Eric was one of the few that worked, treated and helped people dying from the virus. At a time when the HIV positive person was shunned by loved ones and society, Eric relentlessly worked beside the dying. Celebrate him for that, and know that Eric is loved with his whole heart.


By J.P. Theron

Perhaps similarly to how Bion’s work found its way into Europe and the South Americas, so did Masterson’s work give South Africa (and many others since) a way of working with pre-oedipal dynamics, previously not sufficiently addressed by university qualifications alone. Masterson’s work found its way to Loray, after which he and William needed to pay a visit to the US for this to happen, and not the other way around!

This year marks the 17th year of South Africa’s involvement in the International Masterson Institute, which has seen 16 therapists graduating from the 3 year training programme to date. Quite a few of these graduates have continued their involvement with IMI as faculty members (teaching and supervising new students), but many stay connected and have been participating through reading groups and conferences, as will hopefully be the case next year end of August when MISA will host another conference in Cape Town. We wish to see all the familiar faces (local and international), as well as some new ones at this event! Watch this space for final dates.

I need to take this opportunity to mention that we will sadly be missing our latest graduate, Carla Lippi, who passed away in July this year, and with whom we were looking forward to have a collegiate relationship for many years to come. Her creative outlook on therapeutic impasses, always done with a witty sense of humour, made for valuable contributions and a pleasure to teach and supervise. We are poorer as a community without her. May you rest peacefully Carla.

Lastly may I wish everyone a happy and restorative festive season and we are looking forward to collaborate and connect with fellow Mastersonians in the New Year to continue to set forth and develop the invaluable work as guardians of the real self.

J.P. Theron is a Psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Clinical Psychologist and a Faculty member, both teaching and supervising. He recently became took on the role Chair for Masterson South Africa, where he practices. He describes himself as an avid reader of Eigen, Philips and Object Relations Theory.


By Maggie Down

The Masterson Australia graduate community continues to meet regularly for peer support and to deepen our understanding and integration of Masterson theory. All members note the significant value of building peer connection post-training to further grow our capacity as Masterson therapists. We benefit from the knowledge and expertise of senior Masterson therapists invited as guest facilitators. In our meetings with Candace Orcutt, we identified a common theme to case discussions around our intuitive focus on the use of the therapist’s self – specifically, the countertransference processes involved in the evolution from non-verbal intersubjectivity to the use of words in reciprocal dialogue. Another 8-week Clinical Study Group on Disorders of Self is planned for next year in Perth, WA. The study group aims to foster awareness of the Masterson Approach and offers local psychotherapists and other mental health professionals an understanding of disorders of self from an intrapsychic perspective, as well as insight into the effectiveness of Masterson psychotherapy in treating these disorders.

Maggie Down is a psychoanalytic therapist and Faculty member of IMI where she teaches and supervises. She has practiced in Perth for over 40 years. She is the Director of Masterson Institute, Australia.


By Dr. Meral Aydin

Dr. Meral Aydin is pleased to once again announce two new graduates of the Masterson Institute in Türkiye who have completed their training.

We congratulate Gizem Sozsahibi and Seren Cakirkaya.

Always a very busy Institute, there is a second Couple Therapy Training which has begun in November.

Dr. Meral Aydin is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Clinical Psychologist. She was instrumental in bringing Masterson to Turkey and is is Director of the Masterson Institute in Turkey where she teaches and supervises. She practices in Istanbul.


REFLECTIONS FROM OUR STUDENTS

By Dr Nicole McGuffin

As a student at the International Masterson Institute, I’ve been struck by how the theoretical concepts come alive in our clinical discussions. Learning about the disorders of the self through Masterson’s developmental, object-relations approach has helped me understand my patients in a much deeper way. What I especially value are the small group supervision sessions where we can explore complex cases and see how the theory translates into practical therapeutic interventions. While the learning curve is steep, having supportive faculty and fellow students who share this journey has made the experience both challenging and rewarding. I can’t imagine going back to practicing psychotherapy without this knowledge and experience. It’s by far the best and most extensive training I’ve had in my career.

Dr. Nicole McGuffin is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in Colorado. She is the author of the upcoming book Understanding Your Attachment Style. She is currently completing her second year as a student of IMI.


THE QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

THE ABANDONMENT DEPRESSION

By Dr. Judith Pearson

Judith has wanted to pose a question that she has been mulling over. It concerns the vicissitudes of separating and individuating and the resultant anguish of the abandonment depression. What propels people to do it.

We know that we are instinctually and evolutionarily programmed to fight for our biological survival, but what is the motivating push behind the need to preserve our psychological survival as a unique self-expressive being.

It was Tuesday, a busy client day for me, and I had just ended the work day with yet another patient suffering from the intense pain of the abandonment depression as they moved ever forward on their journey toward separation and individuation, “it’s so hard, “ she said , tearing up, “ but I know I have to keep going, or I will never truly be myself.” “This is the agonized cri-de-coeur of most of those with whom we work”, I thought. “They are anguished in their fight to separate and individuate from those whom they love, and upon whom they were once dependent not only for emotional sustenance, but also for their actual survival. In addition, for many, there is an overwhelming sense of guilt that by separating and individuating, they are doing irreparable harm to their loved others. Thus Masterson’s profound observation that those who work through their separation-individuation issues must inevitably experience the feeling that they will die, and that their process is also killing the other. And yet, our patients come to us, propelled by some imperative to be their real selves. It is not difficult to comprehend the extreme pain attendant on separation-individuation when it entails the risk of conflict,, withdrawal of love and approval and even exile from those upon whom one depended for life itself. “But,” I wondered, “from whence comes this other fierce drive, equally painful when not fulfilled, to actualize one’s own unique self. Why do people put themselves through the agonies of the abandonment depression and all the grief and guilt and fear it entails to at last feel they have become their real selves!

We know there is an instinctive push toward preserving our biological selves. But do we know what forces lie behind the acute need to fight for the preservation of our psychological selves –and what creates the pain engendered by not being who we really are.- a pain that in some cases is so acute that we will endanger our biological selves in order to stay consonant with our true values and beliefs. Is this also instinctual? Does it convey some evolutionary advantage that outweighs the difficulties and dangers standing for ourselves imposes? I know the question, but not the answer. So I would be happy to hear any thoughts or information anyone has with regard to this issue. My final thought was that when I walk my dog I often have a definite direction in mind that I want us to walk in. She, however, makes it quite clear by pulling on her leash, or actually lying down and not moving that she wants to do it her way, and no treat in the world will dissuade her.


COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS

We would love to hear from you, our readers especially how you make sense of this conundrum. Your thoughts and contributions will make the newsletter come alive! Leave a Reply in the box below!

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A PIECE TO PONDER

INDECISION AS A MECHANISM OF CONTROL IN THE SCHIZOID PERSONALITY DISORDER

By Dr. Meral Aydin

Until you make a decision, you retain control over all possible options. However, once a decision is made, you relinquish control over not only the currently available options but also any that may arise later. Decision-making is the act of giving up control over alternative possibilities. Decision-making is an ability unique to volitional beings. As a volitional entity, a person’s decision-making process involves both internal dynamics and the brain’s operating mechanisms. Information relevant to the decision is evaluated through both internal knowledge and external realities. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies have shown that the brain activates different networks based on whether the individual is at rest or stimulated by external triggers. The Salience Network evaluates external stimuli through internal references, activating either the Default Mode Network (DMN)—active when a person is not occupied with external stimuli—or the Central Executive Network (CEN), which processes responses to external stimuli requiring cognitive action.

Given this background, it is crucial to discuss the structure of Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD). In this article, I will explore the indecisiveness experienced by individuals with SPD—describing it as a vast, endless black hole that traps them within their internal worlds. Furthermore, I aim to demonstrate how indecision serves as a mechanism of control within these individuals’ internal frameworks.

Any decision represents the entry into an overwhelming matrix of potential negative outcomes. To prevent themselves from feeling bad due to a poor choice, they mentally simulate and take control of every possible negative scenario. In this way, indecision becomes a tool for prolonging the evaluation process, allowing them to retain control over potential outcomes for as long as possible. Until a decision is made, they maintain control; once they decide, however, they relinquish control over all other options.

Why do schizoid individuals construct such complex internal labyrinths that ultimately become inescapable? For them, the greatest fear is the possibility of feeling bad outside their control. During their developmental years, they likely did not grow up in environments where emotional needs were met, where their feelings and existence were acknowledged, or where their emotional expression was encouraged. Many have experienced neglect, trauma, or even abuse. Without guidance from emotionally supportive adults, they have had to navigate both their inner emotions and external experiences alone, often in fear. This emotional isolation leads them to feel lost in life and, in some cases, disoriented in the physical world.

Many schizoid individuals also experience heightened anxiety, dissociation, or hyperactivity as coping mechanisms—attempting to manage their anxiety through constant activity or excessive talking. These individuals often describe themselves as living behind a fog or veil, hypersensitive to external stimuli. Indecisiveness draws them into a cycle of procrastination, as decisions require initiative and self-assertion—actions that leave them feeling exposed. Even after making a decision, they continue to analyze it, punishing themselves internally through relentless self-criticism. For the schizoid individual, the harshest judge is within. Even their best decisions are subject to endless scrutiny, resulting in a perpetual cycle of analysis and self-punishment. This tendency toward over-analysis often makes schizoid individuals highly capable in their professional lives, excelling as writers, scientists, artists, or psychotherapists.

Yet, despite their functionality, they remain trapped in an analysis-judgment loop. As a result, they tend to procrastinate whenever possible, only taking action when absolutely necessary. In such cases, they fulfill tasks as obligations, without integrating their personal desires or identity into their actions. If given a responsibility—assuming they are not in a regressive state—they will complete it impeccably. However, their actions remain devoid of personal engagement, as they separate their duties from their sense of self. Schizoid individuals oscillate between two extremes in relationships: indecisiveness or sudden immersion. Despite their rich fantasy lives, they long for intimacy and affection but are simultaneously terrified of betrayal or rejection. When they form close connections, they dream of seamless, ever-deepening relationships without conflict or separation. However, their need for absolute trust coexists with persistent insecurity. Once someone makes a mistake or triggers their sense of mistrust, the schizoid person begins to retreat, analyzing every detail for potential threats. Unable to end relationships directly, they often wait for the other person to initiate separation.

Schizoid individuals oscillate between two extremes in relationships: indecisiveness or sudden immersion. Despite their rich fantasy lives, they long for intimacy and affection but are simultaneously terrified of betrayal or rejection. When they form close connections, they dream of seamless, ever-deepening relationships without conflict or separation. However, their need for absolute trust coexists with persistent insecurity. Once someone makes a mistake or triggers their sense of mistrust, the schizoid person begins to retreat, analyzing every detail for potential threats. Unable to end relationships directly, they often wait for the other person to initiate separation.

Dr. Meral Aydin is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Clinical Psychologist. She was instrumental in bringing Masterson to Turkey and is is Director of the Masterson Institute in Turkey where she teaches and supervises. She practices in Istanbul.

We would love to hear your views: please send your contribution to anne-marie@lydall.co.za or candicedumas@hotmail.com or leave a comment below.

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A TREASURE TO LISTEN TO

A Podcast with Dr. Carolyn Bankston


THE BASIC POSITION

The Masterson Approach to the Treatment of the Schizoid Disorder of the Self 2025

This short-course focusses on the treatment of an often misunderstood, misdiagnosed and overlooked patient population, and includes the theory, psychoanalytic practice and treatment of patients presenting with a Schizoid internal structure.

The Masterson Approach (developed by James F. Masterson and colleagues) aims at providing the therapist with sound clinical knowledge and conceptualisations of the Disorders of the Self – in this case the Schizoid – which enables the therapist to better position and orientate themselves for successful intervention and treatment.

The programme consists of 6 classes presented over a 4 month period by MISA faculty who are internationally trained in The Masterson Approach.

Participants will present case material throughout the course that will be discussed and learnt from, as well as a final case formulation and presentation to display their knowledge obtained. A minimum of 10 individual supervision sessions with a faculty member are required for completion of the course.

Dates: 15 February 2025 – 14 June 2025 (fortnightly Saturday mornings) Venues: Vredekloof Clinic, 2 Koorsboom Cres, Vredekloof, Cape Town, 7560 Online, if located elsewhere.

Cost: R7000 (excluding supervision) Early bird fee: R6000 if signing up before 1 December 2024 32 General CEU’s in Level 1 have been awarded for this course.

For more interest or information (course outline, reading material, etc.) please email, phone or Whatsapp:

JP Theron
jpt.therapist@gmail.com
0828811340

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