Program Title: Analytic Psychotherapy in “The Plague Year”: Mixing Memory and Desire
Provider: The Wellness Collaborative
Presenter: Peter Burmeister, MA, Pre-licensed psychotherapist and psychologist
Delivery Format:
Live synchronous training. Participants may attend either in person at The Summit, 19 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester, VT, or virtually via live interactive webinar. Real-time participation and discussion are included.
Continuing Education Credit: 1.5 ASWB CE Hours
Program Description
This 90-minute live training examines psychoanalytic and depth-psychological perspectives relevant to clinical work with anxiety, uncertainty, and collective stress. Using the metaphor of “The Plague Year” and the COVID-19 pandemic as contextual reference points, the program explores foundational and contemporary theories of the unconscious and their application to psychotherapy practice.
The training compares Freud’s topographical model of the psyche with Jung’s conceptualization of the unconscious as both retrospective and anticipatory. Additional concepts include Wilfred Bion’s theory of reverie in the analytic encounter, Robert Langs’ perspectives on death and unconscious communication, Jean Gebser’s epistemological constructs, and integrative reflections connecting analytic theory with contemplative traditions. Emphasis is placed on clinical relevance and the therapeutic relationship, particularly in work with clients experiencing existential anxiety, ambiguity, and collective trauma.
Participants will examine how large-scale external stressors may activate unconscious processes and will explore relational and analytic techniques that support attunement, symbolic thinking, and reflective clinical presence.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate Freud’s and Jung’s conceptualizations of the unconscious and describe their implications for psychotherapy practice.
- Explain Wilfred Bion’s concept of reverie and apply it to clinical work with clients experiencing anxiety and uncertainty.
- Identify ways in which collective stressors (e.g., pandemics, sociocultural instability) may activate unconscious processes in clients.
- Apply analytic and relational principles to enhance therapeutic attunement and clinical responsiveness in sessions addressing existential distress.
- Target Audience: Licensed social workers, counselors, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and other behavioral health professionals.
Level: Intermediate (foundational familiarity with psychodynamic theory recommended)
Content Area: Clinical Practice
Attendance & Certificate Policy
Participants must attend the full 90-minute live session and complete the program evaluation to receive CE credit. Certificates are issued immediately upon completion of attendance verification and evaluation.
ASWB Continuing Education Statement
The Wellness Collaborative is an approved provider of continuing education for social workers through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program.
As an ACE provider, The Wellness Collaborative is authorized to offer continuing education courses that meet professional social work standards for ethics, clinical practice, supervision, and professional development.
Our approval as an ACE provider demonstrates that our programs meet rigorous standards for educational quality, instructor qualifications, and participant support.
Provider Name: The Wellness Collaborative
ACE Provider Number: 2004
Approval Period: 5/30/2025-5/30/2028
Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit.
Grievance Policy: Complaints or grievances regarding this training may be submitted in writing to The Wellness Collaborative at [insert official contact email].