Reimagining the Core Competencies of Contemporary Psychoanalytic Therapy: From Freudian Foundations to Fanonian Fundamentals

With the publication of the Holmes Commission Report, contemporary psychoanalysis finds itself at a cross-roads between time honored traditions and "new" ways of thinking about clinical practice in its broader social and political surround. Current discourse is bifurcated between a "neutral" Freud, a relational Ferenczi, or a political Fanon, with debate raging between the importance of neutrality and relationality, the interpersonal and the political, the couch and the streets.

This presentation rejects the terms of this debate, providing a historically grounded review of Freud's writings cross-referenced with first-person accounts of his practice, revealing not only a socially conscious Freud, but clinical foundations resembling contemporary practices more than usually assumed. Parallels of this "living Freud" will be drawn with a "living Fanon" who was not only a political revolutionary but a practicing therapist who believed psychoanalysis was "a science of the collective par excellence." Through a theoretical integration of Freud and Fanon, research will be reviewed evidencing how the psyche is not simply intrapsychic or relational, but also social and collective, urging us to reimagine theory and technique in ways that allow the interpersonal and political to emerge organically in clinical practice.

Reimagining the core competencies of psychoanalytic therapy, this presentation concludes with case examples and a series of principles with which training and practice can honor the "old" and make room for the "new," while turning these very terms inside out. Psychoanalysis has always been "relational" and "political," an insight we would do well to return to.

All registrants will receive a copy of the following recommended pre-reading, prior to the event:

Gaztambide, D. J. (2026). The meaning of a home: Decolonizing the dyad in developmental theory, research, and clinical practice. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 43(1), 51–63.

This Program has been approved for 2.5 CEUs for Licensed Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists by the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work.

Daniel José Gaztambide, PsyD, is assistant professor of psychology at Queens College, where he directs the Frantz Fanon Lab for Decolonial Psychology. He is the author of A People's History of Psychoanalysis: From Freud to Liberation Psychology and the upcoming Decolonizing Psychoanalytic Technique: Putting Freud on Fanon's Couch. His research explores colonial mentality throughout the Puerto Rican Diaspora and the clinical and political implications of decolonial, intersectional, and critical race theories. His work on the public policy implications of these frameworks have earned him a presidential citation from the American Psychological Association as part of the Taskforce on Strategies for the Elimination of Racism, Discrimination, and Hate.

Cancellation Policy

For seminar cancellation by participant the deadline to receive a refund is 5 business days before the event. Registration cancellations received prior to the deadline may be eligible to receive a refund less a $10 service charge to cover our processing fees. Cancellations received after the stated deadline will not be eligible for a refund. Refunds will not be available for registrants who choose not to attend an event. Cancellations will be accepted via e-mail and must be received by the stated cancellation deadline. All refund requests must be made by the attendee or credit card holder. Refund requests must include the name of the attendee and/or transaction number. Refunds will be credited back to the original credit card used for payment.