Donald Kaplan: Freud with Humor

Donald Kaplan was my psychoanalytic mentor and one of my first teachers at the NYU Postdoctoral Program for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. I was surprised and thrilled by the way he taught Freud with a delightful mix of erudition and humor. I was always drawn to Freud's genius and to this day do not understand analysts who facilely dismiss or criticize Freud. Being in Donald's class solidified my love of Freud, and it has not wavered since that time. I have taught Freud in a number of institutions—academic and psychoanalytic—as well as private seminars. Like Donald, I never tire of teaching Freud, especially since it gets me to reread Freud and discover new ideas that I missed in prior readings. I especially love watching students and candidates beginning to realize that their lives and selves are rooted in the vast unconscious. It is as if they are developing eyes to see into another dimension.

Donald showed me how much fun it can be to teach. I learned so much from him. After I took his class, I wanted more. Along with fellow candidate Fern Cohen, I studied Freud's theory of dreams (the famous chapter 7). Wanting to learn even more from Donald, I became his supervisee for an additional three years. By then I considered him my teacher, my mentor, and my friend. I could call him any time about a question I might have about Freud or a reference I couldn't track down. He always got back to me within a day with the needed information. He was a caring individual, and he had no trouble showing it.

I'd now like to share some of the wisdom and humor I gleaned from Donald's teachings. Before beginning class, he removed his expensive gold Rolex watch and placed it carefully before him. This gesture signaled that he had entered the moment and was ready to stand and deliver, peppering theory with colorful clinical illustrations and characteristic humor. A memorable story involved his description of a formal analysis with a female patient who brought her dog to ses