Seminar
Understanding and Treating Personality Disorders Through Fairbairn's Object Relations Model
A four-hour live online seminar with David P. Celani, PhD: Fairbairn's object relations model applied to personality disorders and treatment-resistant patients.
Saturday
October 4, 2025
7:30 am - 8:00 pm EDT
- Live online · Virtual Live
- 1 session
Continuing education: 15.00 CE hours for NYS Psychologists, NYS Social Workers, and the APA (covers most mental health professionals outside of NYS);6.00 CE hours for Licensed Psychoanalysts
About the seminar
This four-hour seminar will introduce the attendees to Fairbairn’s metaphor of the human psyche as it applies to personality disorders: Borderline, Narcissistic, Obsessive, and Hysterical. Fairbairn’s model departs from classical drive theory and instead conceptualizes psychopathology as rooted in early relational trauma, dissociation, and developmental arrest.
Fairbairn proposed that the psyche forms through internalized experiences with primary caregivers — some growth-promoting, others rejecting or hostile. To preserve a bond with a rejecting parent and avoid the psychological devastation of abandonment, the child unconsciously splits off traumatic experiences, forming dissociated internal structures: the antilibidinal ego (associated with rejection and criticism) and the libidinal ego (associated with hope and idealization). These ego states remain unknown to the central ego, and under specific conditions, one or both may emerge to dominate conscious experience and behavior.
Each personality style emerges from a unique constellation of defenses against early relational failure. For example, the obsessive patient remains embedded in the punitive antilibidinal ego; the narcissistic patient inhabits the libidinal ego and identifies with the exciting object; the borderline individual oscillates between both states; and the hysteric patient alternates between idealization and devaluation in pursuit of a redeeming object.
Dr. Celani will demonstrate how the therapist is able to use a carefully constructed narrative, co-constructed by both therapist and patient, to gradually explore which events had been dissociated, while the presence of the therapist as a good object dampens and replaces the original parents. Without the attachment of the patient to the therapist, the recall of the dissociated memories would cause emotional chaos. A careful description of the technique of creating and maintaining a narrative that uncovers past traumas, while simultaneously supporting the patient will be demonstrated.
A central focus of this seminar will be the application of Fairbairn’s model to the treatment of personality disorders, with particular emphasis on resistance to treatment, which Fairbairn saw not as superficial opposition but as an expression of deep structural attachments to internalized bad objects. Participants will learn about three specific sources of resistance grounded in Fairbairn’s model:
1) The patient’s avoidance of acknowledging the extent of early relational trauma, often resulting in angry defenses of the very parents who harmed them, or even premature termination of therapy if the clinician confronts these realities too quickly.
2) The tenacious emotional bonds between dissociated ego structures and their internal objects, including the antilibidinal ego’s refusal to relinquish its mission to gain approval from the rejecting parent, and the libidinal ego’s idealized clinging to the hope of love from the “exciting object.”
3) The patient’s transference-driven resentment toward the therapist, who is unconsciously expected to conform to the internalized parental template. Participants will explore how to address these false expectations without intensifying resistance, and how to gradually dismantle these internal structures through attuned clinical work.
This seminar will help clinicians identify shifting ego states, assess transference patterns, and work with highly dissociated material using Fairbairn’s developmental and relational framework. Case vignettes and clinical illustrations will guide participants in applying the model to a range of treatment-resistant presentations.
Who Is This Seminar For?
This seminar is designed for mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychoanalysts, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and others. While specialized knowledge of object relations theory is beneficial, the seminar will provide sufficient context for clinicians with general psychodynamic training.
Learning objectives
At the end of the seminar, participants will be able to:
- ✓Describe the central features of Fairbairn's object relations theory, including the formation of the central ego, libidinal ego and antilibidinal ego
- ✓Explain how early relational trauma and dissociation create enduring ego structures and resistance to treatment
- ✓Identify and interpret three primary forms of resistance, including emotional bonds to rejecting and exciting objects and the projection of parental expectations onto the therapist
- ✓Assess personality organization in borderline, narcissistic, obsessive and hysterical disorders using Fairbairn's structural model
- ✓Distinguish the defensive strategies of each personality type and their relationship to early object experiences
- ✓Analyze transference dynamics and recognize shifts between dissociated ego states in clinical settings
- ✓Apply Fairbairn's model to deepen case formulation and develop effective interventions for developmental arrest and treatment-resistant patients
Instructor
David P. Celani
PhD
Dr. David P. Celani specializes in Fairbairnian theory, translating complex psychological concepts into practical clinical applications accessible to both professionals and parents.
He is the author of multiple peer-reviewed publications on Fairbairnian theory and its application to personality disorders and the treatment of developmental trauma. His books include Fairbairn's Object Relations Theory in the Clinical Setting, The Illusion of Love: Why the Battered Woman Returns to Her Abuser and Leaving Home: How to Separate from Your Difficult Family, all published by Columbia University Press. His most recent book, Ronald Fairbairn: A Contemporary Introduction, was published by Routledge in 2024.
Continuing education
15.00 CE hours for NYS Psychologists, NYS Social Workers, and the APA (covers most mental health professionals outside of NYS);6.00 CE hours for Licensed Psychoanalysts
APA (covers most mental health professionals outside of NYS), NYS Psychologists, & NYS Social Workers
15 CE hoursObject Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
Understanding and Treating Personality Disorders Through Fairbairn's Object Relations Model - David P. Celani, PhD
September 20, 2025
OnlineJoint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Amedco Joint Accreditation Provider Number: 4008163
Professions in scope for this activity are listed below.
Psychologists
This course is co-sponsored by Amedco and Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amedco maintains responsibility for this program and content. Maximum of 15.00 hours.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Psychologists/Counselors: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA (LEP ONLY), MD, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NH, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY
MI: Accepts courses from APA for Psychologists. No general CE requirement for Counselors.
OK: Accepts APA credit for live, in-person activities but not for ethics and/or online courses.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for MFTs: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, MD, ME, MO, NE, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WDC, WI, WY
AL MFTs: Credits authorized by NBCC or any other state licensing agency will be accepted. MA MFTs: Participants can self-submit courses not approved by the MAMFT board for review. MI MFTs: There are no CE requirements for MFTs in MI.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Addictions Professionals: AK, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY (held outside NY ONLY), OK*, OR, SC, UT, WA, WI, WY
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Social Workers: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, ME, MN, MO, NE, NH, NM, OR, PA, VT, WI, WYNew York Social Workers
Amedco SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0115. 15.00 credit hours.
New York Psychologists
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0031. 15.00 hours.
Licensed Psychoanalysts (LPs)
6 CE hoursNational Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an Approved Provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychoanalysts. #P‑0019. 6.00 hours.
National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0168. 6.00 hours.
Suggested readings
Armstrong-Perlman, E.M. (1991). The allure of the bad object. Free Association,2, 343–356.
Diaz, J. (2017, November 20). Waiting for Spider-Man. The New Yorker, 17.
Du Plessix-Gray, F. (1995). Starving children. The New Yorker, 51.
Celani, D.P. (1996). The illusion of love: Why the battered woman returns to her abuser. Columbia University Press.
Celani, D. P. (2007). A structural analysis of the obsessional character: A Fairbairnian perspective. American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 67(2), 119–140.
Celani, D. P. (2010). Fairbairn’s object relations theory in the clinical setting. Columbia University Press.
Celani, D. P. (2014a). A Fairbairnian structural analysis of the narcissistic personality disorder. Psychoanalytic Review, 101, 385–409.
Celani, D. P. (2014b). Revising Fairbairn’s structural theory. In G. Clarke & D. Scharff, (Eds.), Fairbairn and the object relations tradition (pp. 397–409). Karnac.
Celani, D.P. (2016). Fairbairn’s theory of change. Psychoanalytic Review,103(3), 341–370.
Celani, D.P. (2020a). Applying Fairbairn’s object relations theory to the psychological development of Anders Breivik. Psychoanalytic Review, 107(4), 337–365.
Celani, D.P. (2020b). Fairbairn’s metaphor of the human mind and the trauma bond (Conference handout).
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1952). Psychoanalytic studies of the personality. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1958). On the nature and aims of psycho-analytical treatment. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 39, 374–385.
Goodwin, D.K. (1994). No ordinary time. Touchstone.
Greenson, R.R. (1971). A dream while drowning. In: Explorations in Psychoanalysis, (pp. 415–423), 1978. International Universities Press.
Harrison, K. (1997). The kiss. Random House.
Kopp, S. (1978). An end to innocence: Facing life without illusions. Bantam books.
McLaughlin, J.T. (1998). Power, authority, and influence in the analytic dyad. In O. Renkck, O. Ed, Northvale Knowledge and Authority in the Psychoanalytic Relationship(pp.189–222). Jason Aronson.
Mitchell, S.A. (2000). Relationality: From attachment to intersubjectivity. The Analytic Press.
Odgen, T.H. (1990). The Matrix of the Mind: Object Relations and the Psychoanalytic Dialogue. Jason Aronson.
Odgen, T.H. (2010) Why Read Fairbairn. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 91, 101–108.
Porter, K.A. (1948). The necessary enemy. In The Collected Essays and Occasional Writings of Katherine Anne Porter (pp.182–186). Houghton Mifflin.
Schafer, R. (1998). Authority, evidence, and knowledge in the psychoanalytic relationship, In O. Renick (Ed.), Knowledge and authority in the psychoanalytic relationship (pp.227–244). Jason Aronson.
Seinfeld, J. (1990). The bad object. Aronson.
Skolnick, N. J. (2006). What’s a good object to do? Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 16(1), 1–27.
Skolnick, N.J. (2014). The analyst as a good object: A Fairbairnian perspective. In G.S. Clarke & D.E. Scharff, Fairbairn and the object relations tradition (Chapter 19). Routledge.
Oct 4 - Oct 4, 2026 · Live online