Sam Guzzardi, LCSW
Holding Laplanche Lightly: An Introduction to the Work of Jean Laplanche through the Lens of Two Queer Treatments
From Queer Studies to Black Studies, from psychoanalysis to literature, the work of Jean Laplanche is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. However, because of his reputation and the inaccessibility of some of his written works, many feel intimidated or put off by the possibility of engaging actively with his scholarship. The course is designed for clinicians and thinkers who consider themselves “Laplanche-curious,” anyone interested in hearing more about Laplanche’s ideas even if they may be skeptical at the prospect of engaging with concepts that seem lofty or opaque. This course will focus on clinical examples from the treatment of two queer patients to illustrate the fundamental concepts in Laplanche, as well as to consider areas of overlap between queer theories and Laplanche’s ideas.