Conference of Europe, the Middle East and South Africa
A Challenging Treatment in Challenging Times:
Subjective Body Experience in the Treatment
About the Program:
This five hour* clinical conference features a case presentation by Paolo Stramba Badiale followed by the discussions of Amanda Kottler, Gudrun Prinz, Karina Goldberg and Neslihan Ruganci. The discussants will react to the clinical material, responding to interactions of the patient and analyst. After an interchange between the panelists, conference participants will be able to send in questions via the zoom platform which will be managed by Edna Lahav who will serve as moderator.
*The main presentation with the presenter and discussants will be 3.5 hours in duration. After which, participants will move to small zoom groups for further discussion, available in English, Italian, Turkish and Hebrew.
Saturday, November 21st, 2020 3pm GMT
Case Abstract by Paolo Stramba-Badiale
Hope and Uncertainty. The Subjective Experience of the Body During the Covid-19 Pandemic
The case depicts Marica, a patient diagnosed with a severe form of lymphoma which implicates a sequel of surgical interventions of the face. As a matter of fact, the patient undergoes real transformation of the face’s sensory balance and of other body parts, which generates a depressive withdrawal and a deep psychic, and physical pain. Moreover, Mrs. M is forced to cover her face with a mask. This condition, especially the use of a face mask and social withdrawal, in the month of March 2020, intersects with the explosion of the Covid-19 pandemic. During our sessions, we consider the change of the subjective components of shame and mortification in being seen, in favor of a more positive regulation. The emotional derailment in being seen, which had so far damaged the subjective feeling of “inhabiting her own body”, finds in the experience of a mandatory face mask and the lockdown an emotional holding, which favors, during our now in-remote sessions, the rising of new and generative narratives.