Dear Colleagues,

Happy November. We have just had the Members' Mambo in late October. It was wonderful to be with old and new friends at the Swedenborgian Church. For those of you who attended, let us know if you liked having the Mambo there, or if you would prefer having it at someone's home. The other possibility, of course, would be to have it at the Funston Street SFPRG home. Let us know what you think so we can plan next year's Mambo to your liking.

Speaking of members, we are in the middle of a membership drive. We encourage all of you who are established members to rejoin and those who have yet to join to please become members.

We are planning an active Spring course schedule. David Auld is doing a beautiful job taking over the helm of the Education Committee. Patsy Wood, who worked tirelessly as the previous chair, is helping generously with the transition. Read On

The Education Committee is hard at work setting the schedule for the upcoming 21st Annual International Control Mastery Conference. It will begin with a day-long, intensive workshop on Saturday, February 28, presented by George Silbershatz and Kathryn Pryor.

The following Monday through Friday (March 2 - 6) will feature seminars on a wide range of topics for both new clinicians to Control Mastery Theory as well as experienced practitioners. We especially want to encourage our members to attend the March 2nd report on current research in Control Mastery Theory.

Please mark your calendars; conference coordinator John Gibbins will be providing more details in a flyer to be mailed by early 2009. We think it will be a great event and look forward to seeing you there.

David Auld, Ph.D.

Education Committee Chair

The "March Workshop" is no more. The workshop has been renamed to better fit its function, as the "21st International Control-Mastery Conference". It will take place at the SFPRG Presidio offices during the first week of March, 2009, from Monday the 2nd to Friday the 6th.

A kick-off workshop will be offered on Saturday, February 28th, in which George Silberschatz and Kathryn Pryor offer an "Introduction to Control Mastery" at the Jewish Community Center.

Then, over three dozen SFPRG members who have responded to the call for presentations will be offering more than twenty afternoon and evening sessions, in addition to leading two daily morning conferences for participants.

The afternoon core presentations will be on such topics as pathogenic beliefs, plan formulation, patient testing, and SFPRG history and therapeutic technique.

Specific presentations will also be offered on the following topics:

• pathological compliance
• sexuality
• trauma
• unfinished childhood
• romantic love (the advanced course!)
• early developmental trauma theory
• rapid problem identification
• multicultural issues
• family therapy
• intimacy and couple therapy
• child and adolescent treatment
• the role of emotions
• treatment by attitudes
• why kids do the very thing that drives their parents crazy

Individual consultations and case conference opportunities will be afforded the participants, as well as discussion related to the specific presentations. The 21st International CMT Conference is designed to provide both an introduction to the theory for new participants and a chance for experienced practitioners to refresh their comprehension of the theory.

Each day's schedule will allow ample opportunity to renew and/or initiate acquaintances within the SFPRG community, and will end with libation, hors d'ouvres, and conversation.

In addition, there will be two special evenings to which all are cordially invited: on Monday, following a welcoming reception for all conference participants and SFPRG members, George Silberschatz and John Curtis will report on current research.

On Friday, following a closing reception there will be a festive evening of pizza and "Control Mastery at the Movies." We think this will be an extraordinary gathering, and we heartily invite members and interested people to attend.

The Research Committee (currently comprised of myself, George Silberschatz, and Marshall Bush) has been working to identify critical issues in Control-Mastery theory (and psychotherapy in general) that should be the focus of future research. In addition, we are looking at how to promote and support more research through SFPRG. We will be reporting back to the membership as these ideas develop.

We are also interested in archiving all the research that has been conducted on Control-Mastery theory to date, as well as all publications relating to the theory. We would like to have a library of all these materials to make available to the membership as well as to other researchers and clinicians in the field. Toward this end, I ask all members to forward to me references to any clinical or research publications they have authored. This information can be sent to via e-mail to John.Curtis@ucsf.edu or by snail mail to my attention at SFPRG.

As I mentioned in last month's Newsletter, we are currently trying to complete our research on rating pathogenic beliefs and would like to encourage ALL of our readers to participate. There was an excellent response to the self-rating aspect of our research.

However, to complete the project we now urgently need clinicians to make ratings of their own patients. It would be most helpful to have participants with varying levels of clinical experience and familiarity with control-mastery theory. So whether you are an experienced clinician or a therapist in training, please log on to our secure website, where you will find everything you need to participate: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fOl2oUkuu6vFS58UcvGfAg_3d_3d

A few of you have done some ratings of your patients already -- thank you -- but please remember that we need everyone to do ratings on several of your cases (as many as you possibly can). I think you will find this a clinically interesting task and your ratings will be an enormous contribution to the research.

A number of people have asked why so much effort is going into developing measures like the pathogenic belief scale. Historically, our research group has relied on rating scales that require a high degree of conceptual and clinical familiarity with control-mastery theory (e.g., The Plan Formulation Method, rating the degree to which tests are passed, rating the plan compatibility of therapist interventions). Such measures have, of course, been extremely important in our research and we continue to use them.

However, these measures are impossible for anyone outside of our group to use. I believe that we have not paid adequate attention to developing scales and other rating instruments that could be used by investigators, therapists, and teachers outside of our relatively small group. The development of such scales would almost certainly make some of our concepts more accessible to a wider audience of clinicians and researchers. Once we've completed the validation study of the pathogenic belief scale - and we really are on the home stretch - I anticipate that there will be a substantial increase of interest in our concepts and clinical ideas. Please take a few minutes to do these important ratings. Thanks.

George Silberschatz

The SFPRG clinic is up and running. The new trainees have learned the procedures and are getting comfortable with their new surroundings. They are a wonderful group who bring a diversity of skills and expertise to the clinic.

So far this year we have provided didactic training on Medications newly presented by Larry Hetrick. The group really enjoyed his lecture, learned important information and hope he returns as a regular to teach them more. Marshall Bush gave several weeks on testing and research he is doing. Lynn O'Connor taught about working with drugs and alcohol from a control mastery standpoint and described the research she is currently doing. Ginger Rhodes is in the process of talking about trauma and vicarious traumatization.

Our case conferences have been chaired sequentially by Alan Rappoport, Marcia Herman and Barbara Sapienza. Each presenter has brought a great deal, shown the group how varied we all are, exposed the trainees to the richness of the theory and shown off the wide range of the group's knowledge. Thank you all for helping out.

We have been focusing on letting others know about our clinic and have been working on outreach to the people in the Presidio. Laura Fannon, Ph.D. and I went to SF State to give a presentation. We talked with the group who is providing services at the clinic. Their clinic operates under a short terms model and many of their students need longer term treatment. They welcomed our presentation asked interesting questions and put us on their referral list .

Please help us promote the clinic in any way you can. Let me know if any of you would like to be added to the training list or supervisors list. I can be reached through my office at 510-527-1943.

Carol Drucker, Ph. D., Training Director

Steve Ross writes: "Is there any research about the applicability of CM theory to drug and alcohol counseling? I could see how the dynamics of addiction might obfuscate testing, therapist inference, and even identification of pathogenic beliefs."

This is such a great question.

In her research, Lynn O'Connor has found a strong relationship between survivor guilt and substance abuse, but I don't know of any research regarding actual Control Mastery treatments of substance abuse cases. However, in the cases in my own practice where this has been an issue, I've found our theory to be really useful for helping these clients get clean and sober and move forward toward their developmental goals.

First, since people who get involved with substance abuse often have difficulty feeling connected to others, the relationship aspect of our theory is extremely important for these clients. Feeling accurately seen and not disapproved of, CM therapy may be the first time they've ever been in a relationship where they felt safe to be themselves. (Of course that safety may take time to develop.)

The guilt and shame (both rational and irrational) that accompany substance abuse necessarily compound the irrational guilt, pathogenic beliefs and identifications, and unconscious compliances the client has from their life experience. The therapist's sensitivity to these issues can help us pass our clients' tests around deserving to do the work that's required to get sober. Read On

Alan Rappoport recently gave a 45-minute interview on Control-Mastery theory which is now posted on the web and available for online listening, or for downloading and listening to on an ipod or other device. (Click on the link below this article for the interview.)

The content is at the introductory professional level, and it might be a nice way for people to get acquainted with the theory. There is an extensive writeup of the interview at the same location.

The interview will be featured on the website until December, then it will be available on that page in the "Recent Entries" list for about four months, and then it will be available indefinitely under the "View Full Archive" link on that site. There are a number of interesting interviews there, including Jeffrey Young on Schema Therapy, David Barlow on Panic Disorder, Irving Yalom on Death Anxiety, and Otto Kernberg on Transference Focused Therapy. Read On

We have renamed the March Workshops the 21st Annual International Control Mastery Conference and the planning committee for that Conference is now ably chaired by John Gibbins. The 21st Annual CMT Conference is coming together with the finishing touches to the schedule and will be out soon on the Website and in fliers. Our International CMT Conference is a tremendous opportunity to come and learn about Control Mastery Theory in an intensive, intimate way.

Participants will study transcripts of cases, present at case conferences, present to individual supervisors, and attend a wide range of workshops including core seminars for new attendees, research colloquia, and clinical applications to new and returning participants.

It is one of the most cherished experiences of the year for those of us who are long-term participants and teachers. It gives us the opportunity to meet people new to Control Mastery Theory and to reconnect with our friends and colleagues from all over the country and all over the world. We will conclude this year's International Conference with a spectacular social event capped by a surprise cinematic offering.

On February 28, the Saturday just prior to the beginning of the International CMT Conference, George Silberschatz and Kathryn Pryor will present a day-long Introduction to Control Mastery Theory.

In addition to this Intro course, SFPRG will offer a conference about Schema Therapy in May with John Curtis and George Lockwood presenting. There will probably be one or two other Spring conferences not yet scheduled in addition to the usual offerings of case conferences and research conferences offered Fall and Spring.

We are developing a Speakers' Bureau for SFPRG teachers to go to local schools and agencies to talk about various topics related to Control Mastery Theory. Please let David Auld, Rob Petitpas, or me know if you are interested in teaching in the Speakers' Bureau Program or if you are affiliated with an organization who would like someone from SFPRG to speak. We have been doing this informally for many years but we are hoping to get more organized in doing outreach to the community.

The Clinic is doing very well. Jessica Broitman is steering the Clinic through another successful year. Carol Drucker is doing a wonderful job as the new Training Director. We have more clients than last year due to better planning for the transition of interns coming and going. We still have room for more clients and welcome more referrals to the Clinic. The Interns are doing a terrific job and the Clinic faculty and staff is very excited about the quality of their work.

Kathie Dunn, in addition to founding and editing the Newsletter, has energetically agreed to help consult to various committees to improve marketing for Education, Membership, and the Clinic.

Claire Arbour is organizing a new Volunteer Committee. Her job is to solicit, train, and organize volunteers to help SFPRG in a variety of tasks including marketing, fund raising, helping put on educational programs, and assisting with research. Anyone who is interested in volunteering or knows people who are, please contact Claire.

Karen Hubble is enthusiastically meeting with her committee on Fundraising to creatively strategize how to raise money for SFPRG to supplement the income provided by the membership dues, the clinic, and the educational program. We are also planning to submit grants to help defray the cost of the clinic. We are actively exploring options for housing for SFPRG after our lease expires.

Peter Schumacher, in addition to his tireless efforts as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee, continues to organize the improvement and development of the SFPRG Website. He is working with Molly Sullivan to review and update the Website content. Peter is also working with Lucy Boas, investigating how to develop web pages for therapist members that we are trying to add as a feature of our website and as a service to our members.

George Silberschatz is doing several research projects, one related to developing a pathogenic belief scale, and another groundbreaking project relating plan compatibility of therapist interventions to patient outcome across a large number of brief therapy cases. These data may be available in the next few months and we look forward to empirical evidence that supports the utility of Control Mastery Theory since CMT is the only model that has a concept of plan compatibility. George, Marshall Bush, and John Curtis make up the Research Committee. If anyone is interested in participating in research, please let John Curtis know. Please send references to papers or unpublished research that has been conducted about Control Mastery Theory to John so the Research Committee can catalogue that work.

Our four new directors are doing a terrific job. Our ten "old" directors are working very hard and also doing wonderful work on behalf of SFPRG. We are planning to add a new director from the ranks of the new interns, and that person should join the Board in the next month.

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and look forward to speaking with you next month.

Steve Foreman

For example, even when the therapist becomes aware that the addiction is obfuscating the treatment in some way, it's still important to hypothesize the client's unconscious plan. A man I treated made it clear in his first appointment, long before I suspected his alcoholism, that he had felt suffocated by his parents growing up and that he didn't want me to "pounce" on him (his word) about problems I saw. When I realized his drinking was a problem, I responded in a very neutral way and just kept working on helping him feel he deserved to have a happier life. Within a few months, he suggested his drinking was hindering his progress and we came up with a plan for him to stop. He has almost a year of sobriety now. I'm sure if I had made an issue of his drinking and told him to stop, he would either have progressed more slowly or may have left therapy.

On the other hand, limit setting is sometimes essential and can pass a lot of tests: e.g. insisting the client attend AA or NA; insisting they stop self destructive behaviors like drinking and driving; and that they not come to therapy under the influence. When it's done in a non-judgmental and caring way, such limit setting can add to the client's sense of safety and deservingness.

A woman I worked with showed me by means of vigorous testing and coaching that she wanted me to confront her at every turn. And when I did, she never failed to say, "You are the only person in my life who has ever been honest with me." To her, confronting her meant that I cared about her. So the treatment has to be entirely case specific, which is another Control Mastery principle that is extremely valuable.

Finally - The repeating cycle of self-destructive impulsive behavior with its aftermath of guilt and shame will continue even after the client is clean and sober, e.g. over- spending, over-eating, etc at times they previously drank or used. It's important to continue helping the client understand the origins of these patterns so they don't become discouraged, believing they're "not getting it". And the importance of the client working with a good sponsor shouldn't be underestimated. Twelve-step programs have a different focus from therapy, and a good sponsor can help the therapist bear the burden of an acting out substance abuser, which sometimes can be too much for just one person to carry.

I'm interested to hear other therapists' experiences working with clients who have substance abuse issues. You can reach me in person at mmetta@pacbell.net, or send your reply to Kathie Dunn to publish in the next issue of the newsletter. Let's share our experience and wisdom.

The editors of Psychoanalytic Inquiry, Joe Lichtenberg, Mel Bornstein and Don Silver, would like to announce the current issue [28:5]:Transformation: Psychoanalysis and Religion in Dialogue. Issue editors: Marie Hoffman and Brad D. Strawn.

Single Issues of Psychoanalytic Inquiry, if they are in stock, can be purchased from Taylor and Francis customer service: 215-625-8900, x771 Subscription information and electronic access to articles are available at Informaworld.com []

SAN FRANCISCO CENTER FOR PSYCHOANALYSIS

Public Lecture Series 2008-2009 Current Events and Their Discontents: Psychoanalyzing Politics, Culture and History In the seminal book Civilization and Its Discontents, Sigmund Freud grappled with the fundamental tensions between civilization and the individual. We at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis welcome you to attend our third annual Public Lecture Series, "Current Events and Their Discontents: Psychoanalyzing Politics, Culture and History."

Current events that fill our newspapers and television screens are often dizzyingly complex. Understanding them demands a blend of multiple perspectives and analysis. Perspectives in our media and public discourse, however, are often limited to politics and economics. Psychoanalysis offers a valuable addition to these points of view because it is rooted in a rich tradition of exploring the dimension of individual and group psychology that lies unexamined beneath the surface of everyday discourse. This series brings creative psychoanalytic thinking to bear on some of our most urgent and complex contemporary issues, including politics, race, cultural trauma and resiliency. The series is offered free of charge; you are welcome to participate in any and all lectures.

Following lectures: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, Isabel Alegria, Elliott Currie, Rachael Peltz and Ray Poggi; Hope, Inspiration and Politics: Reflections on the 2008 Election

Monday, February 2, 2009, Victor Wolfenstein, Ph.D.; Working Through Cultural Trauma

Thursday, March 12, 2009, Jed Sekoff, Ph.D.; Savage Melancholia: The Violence of Unmetabolized Grief

Wednesday, May 6, 2009, Peter Goldberg, Ph.D.; The Effects of Global Social Trauma on Individual Psychology

Registration: Public Lecture Series -- (These lectures are free of charge)

Please send in registration or RSVP to: SFCP, 2340 Jackson St., 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 415-563-5815/FAX 415-563-8406; finance@sf-cp.org