In this one-semester Foundation Course, students will be introduced to concepts that lie at the heart of psychoanalysis: the unconscious, repetition, the drive, and transference.

The Foundation Course will be of theoretical nature, complemented with participation in the CLA Clinical Workshops. In three-half hour, monthly seminars, along with biweekly clinical workshops, this course is suitable for both those who intend to pursue the CLA Training in Psychoanalysis and others with a more general interest.

1. Theory of the Unconscious
   Participants are introduced to the foundational concepts of Freud’s work, their elaboration by Jacques Lacan, and their application in clinical practice. This involves a comprehensive study of the formations of the unconscious and its formations, the epistemological, philosophical, and clinical questions they give rise to.
2. Theory of the Drive and Sexuality
   The theory of the drive and infantile sexuality. This subject includes a close study of the structure of the drive, Lacan’s unique theory of the object, and the complex topic of sexual identity.
3. Theory of Discourse and Repetition
   Freud’s theory of repetition and Lacan’s extension, which situates it as the effect of language on the speaking being. Lacan gives the name “Discourse” to the particular social bonds that are possible as the result of this effect, arguing the “Analyst’s Discourse” marks a new form of social bond possible for the speaking-being.
4. Transference
   This area of study involves a close examination of Freud and Lacan’s theory of transference, which is fundamental to the appearance of repetition compulsion in psychoanalytic practice.