[SPR26] Bearing Loss: Psychoanalytic and Literacy Perspectives

Bearing Loss: Psychoanalytic and Literacy perspectives

takes Place The fourth Monday of every month

january to may, 2026: 1/26, 2/23, 3/23, 4/27 and 5/25 | 7:00-8:30pm EST  | Fully Online Workshop Series

Presenter:

Dr. Sandra Buechler is a Training and Supervising Analyst at the William Alanson White Institute. She is the author of Clinical Values: Emotions that Guide Psychoanalytic Treatment, (Analytic Press, 2004), Making a Difference in Patients’ Lives, (Routledge, 2008), which won the Gradiva award. She is also the author of Still Practicing: The Heartaches and Joys of a Clinical Career, (Routledge, 2012), Understanding and Treating Patients in Clinical Psychoanalysis Lessons from Literature, (Routledge, 2015) Psychoanalytic Reflections: Training and Practice, (IPBooks, 2017) Psychoanalytic Approaches to Problems in Living, (Routledge, 2019), Poetic Dialogues (IPBooks, 2021) and Erich Fromm: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge, 2024).

Description:

Loss can be seen as an aspect of all human experience. Confining our focus to concrete losses limits our understanding of its place in our lives. Loss is everywhere. It is in the moments we first intuit the limits of another's empathy. It is in the recognition of what is unrealistic about our dreams, hopes, ideals, and ambitions. How does grasping loss's ubiquity affect life experience? This course compares psychoanalytic and literary perspectives on bearing loss. A central premise is that cross disciplinary study can enhance our understanding of what the poet, Elizabeth Bishop, has called "the art of losing."

Learning Objectives:

Session 1: Expressions of Sorrow

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Explain how the process of mourning is affected by its emotional context.
• Describe some ways the body expresses grief.
• Discuss some therapeutic approaches to helping someone bear grief.

Session 2: Grief in Short Stories

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe some popular misunderstandings about "normal" grieving.
• Discuss ways mourning differs from depression.
• Explain ways "working through grief" has been understood by short story writers.

Session 3: Sorrows in Clinical Practice

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe what is meant by the "ordinary tragedies" in treatment.
• Explain how the treatment frame disconfirms magical fantasies.
• Discuss some of the losses that are inherent in the clinician's role.

Session 4: Let Be: Dialogues with Hamlet

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the concept of "unmanly grief" in Hamlet.
• Describe how Hamlet's mourning is affected by its interpersonal context.
• Explain how Hamlet illustrates the human need to be witnessed. 

Session 5: I shall Go Mad: Poets in Dialogue with 'King Lear' 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Discuss how Lear's losses magnify each other. 
• Explain Lear's feeling of "filial ingratitude" and the inter-generational conflicts in the play.
• Describe how Lear becomes more aware of human suffering and more capable of love.

Timeline and Requirements:

The course will take place on the fourth Monday of every month from January to May, 2026. This workshop series is presenter-led and is a fully online experience. This will be conducted synchronously online via Zoom from 7:00-8:30pm (ET). 

CE Sponsorship: Pending approval

Fees and Policies: 

Payment is due by credit card at registration. Refunds will be granted only up until registration closes at 5pm on January 26th. No refunds will be granted for errors on the participant's part (such as incorrect name/email upon registration, login failure, scheduling conflicts, etc.).

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. If you need to request an accommodation or ask a question about accessibility, please contact wcas.cece@bc.edu.

Additional offerings from the Woods College Office of Continuing Education and Community Engagement can be found on our website.