Brown Bag Lunch Series

A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Autism with George Grant, LPC

November 15, 2023 12:00 – 1:00pm

On Zoom – 1 CE

In 1975 Donald Meltzer formulated Adhesive Identification and described this concept in relation to his theory of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mr. Grant will discuss the three types of patients who fall within Meltzer’s spectrum theory. It is felt that all three groups of patients exhibit “adhesive identification,” which is closely connected with mimicry, shallowness, and externalization of values and is different from projective identification, while both adhesive and projective types are are viewed as forms of narcissistic identification. There are many theorists grappling with the multidimensional and symptom variable nature of ASD. It is agreed that autism studies are, by nature, multi-discipline and encompass fields of neuroscience, psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, learning specialties. Mr. Grant offers an opportunity to look at this controversial subject from a respected theorist’s perspective on the relationship between attachment, neuroscience, and identity: Donald Meltzer.

The classical world hinted at the contrasting natures of autism and psychosis in Ovid’s “Echo and Narcissus.” Bernard Crespi and Christopher Badcock (Crespi & Badcock, 2008) suggested much the same notion in their diametric theory of autism and psychosis.

Recently, neuroscience has placed autism at one end of a scale of developmental neural pruning, when the brain sloughs off synaptic connections or accumulated, but no longer needed learning, and psychosis at the other. There is too little neural pruning in the former, and there is too much in the latter. This leads to specific functional and personality presentations in each case.

The under-pruned autistic brain calls for socio-emotional interaction that differs from that needed by the excessively-pruned brain of someone in psychosis.

We will be considering:

• The concept of contact functioning as a relationship preservative intervention.
• Interventions to promote a sense of safety.
• Interventions addressing stimulation regulation techniques in the face of meltdowns or withdrawal, and strategies for maximizing the power of intuition and imagination.

Course Objectives – Participants will be able to:

• Identify the three types of patients in Adhesive Identification.
• Understand narcisstic identification as it pertains to Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• Design therapeutic interventions based on contact functioning for an underpruned brain.
• Describe the importance of intuition and imagination in interventions with patients on the spectrum.

George Grant, LPC

Mr. Grant started working life as an electrical engineer in telecom. During the telecom bust of the early 2000s, he turned the crisis into greater meaning by becoming a high school physics teacher. In an effort for this recovering engineer to better understand his students, he started taking a class each semester in the evening at ACAP in Livingston, NJ, in 2007. Today, Mr. Grant has an MA in Mental Health Counseling from the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, holds an ABAP-accredited psychoanalytic certificate from ACAP, is a licensed professional counselor, and is a state-certified psychoanalyst in the State of NJ.

He has retired from teaching, has a growing clinical practice, and has been one of the founding members of iStrive, a program for young adults on the spectrum who have aged out of other programs. He has also recently facilitated groups part-time at the JCNV for three years and works for Monmouth Integrative Counseling. Mr. Grant also holds a BSEE and an MBA and has endorsements in teaching mathematics and physical science at the secondary level from NJ.

For questions or information email Susan Carnes at [email protected] or call 862-216-2400

ACAP is an approved provider for:

Art Therapists

Counselors

Marriage and Family Counselors

NJ Psychoanalysts

NJ Social Workers

NY Creative Arts Therapists

Psychologists

Nurses