Dreams & Dramas: Freud meets Shakespeare in Italy

(Venice, Verona, Lake Como, the Dolomites, and more)
December 3-11, 2024
26 Continuing Education Credits

A transformative journey through Northern Italy, where the Venetian landscapes inspire you to delve into the works of Shakespeare and Freud.

Earn Continuing Education credits while looking into the fascinating connection between Shakespeare's iconic literary works and the development of Freud’s psychoanalytical theories.

This latest installment in the Traveling in Freud’s Footsteps series leads us to Northern Italy, exploring the haunting and seductive city of Venice and its surrounding regions. For many daydreamers and creatives, these sites have provided centuries of inspiration! For the young Sigmund Freud, he visited in Venice in 1895 and immediately fell under its spell, writing to his wife Martha about discovering what he called the ‘ridiculous magic’ of the place. He visited the northern region extensively over his 24 visits to Italy, also making trips to Verona and Lake Garda.

Shakespeare, who alongside Goethe could be said to be the writer who had the most influence on the father of psychoanalysis, set some of his most important plays withing Italian landscapes. This includes Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and Othello. Taking inspiration from the glorious cities and immersing ourselves in the sounds, tastes, and smells of Northern Italy, we will read and discuss these crucial literary pieces that fostered Freud’s engagements with Shakespeare.

This course will take you on a journey to uncover how Freud incorporated Shakespearean literary themes into his own works to illustrate psychoanalytic theories concerning neurosis and character-traits. We will also engage in collective enactments of select scenes from the above mentioned plays to fully immerse ourselves in the emotion and analysis of these historic stories.

Through daily seminars and discussions, social dreaming, and live readings and enactments with the acclaimed curators of Freud’s Reading Room (a partnership between Freud Museum London & Mind Body Passport), paired with scenic excursions, cultural immersion, and much more!

10% of proceeds will be donated to The Freud Museum London.

 

This program is ideal for:

*No prior knowledge or experience required

Psychotherapists & Mental Health Professionals: Deepen your understanding of Freudian theories through the lens of Shakespearean drama, in the cities that enthralled both personalities – Venice, Verona, Lake Como, and the Dolomites.

Literary and Freudian enthusiasts : Discover how Italy's cultural richness influenced these two iconic figures, and how litterature continues to shape psychoanalysis our understanding of the human mind.

World Travelers: Expand your professional network and learn from diverse perspectives amidst the breathtaking beauty of Italy.

Continuing Education seekers : Earn 26 CE’s with a twist! This program goes beyond traditional coursework, offering a unique blend of travel and scholarly exploration.

 

Lecturers

 

Dr. Leslee Brown, PhD

Dr. Brown is President and Director of Mind Body Passport Inc. designing and leading international trips for adult professionals, offering continuing education credits worldwide. Dr. Brown's interests are multi-faceted, engaging topics of psychology, culture, art, psychoanalysis and social dreaming. She is passionate about weaving many disciplines and interests together and creating an atmosphere of growth and learning. Travel opens ones mind and creates change bringing new perspectives on living life. She also served as The Director of International Seminars and Gastprofessor at Sigmund Freud University, Vienna. International psychology and developing “psychologists without borders” has become her focus. Dr. Brown has been in private practice for over twenty years, has been a research psychologist for The Neurologic Institute and has served on faculty at UCLA Medical School teaching psychology and rapport building techniques to medical students. Dr. Brown was also assistant professor at The Chicago School and Director of Centers for International Studies. Leslee lives and works part time in in Los Angeles, part time in Paris, and the rest of the time is traveling the world.

 
 

Tom DeRose

Tom DeRose is Research Manager at the Freud Museum London. He founded the Freud Museum staff and volunteer reading group in 2015, which has been meeting weekly ever since. His research explores the philosophical aspects and cultural implications of Freud’s theories, and his most recent publications include an article comparing the work of Freud, Wagner, and Nietzsche for the Wagner Journal (July 2017). He is currently writing chapters on psychoanalysis and music for The Bloomsbury Handbook of Literature and Psychoanalysis (forthcoming).

 

Itinerary: Immerse Yourself in the Magic of Italy

  • Explore the hidden gems and landmarks of Venice through tours that reveal iconic sights, including a gondola ride, a journey by private boat to the enchanting island of Murano, and a "cicchetti" walking guide that combines Venetian history with delicious local bites.

  • Unwind in the majesty of the Dolomites, a landscape that inspired Freud himself.

  • On a private guided tour of Verona, the history of Romeo and Juliet will come alive before your eyes by visiting the famous home of Shakespeare’s Juliet and the ancient Verona Arena.

  • Lake Como will be the landscape for delectable food and wine tastings, as well as walking tours through the charming sites of Bellagio (the "Pearl of Lake Como"), Varenna, and the Sirmione Castle.

  • Engage in daily Social Dreaming to explore your own unconscious and foster group connections through this unique and collective practice.

  • Discover the power of travel writing by uncovering insights within Freud's travel letters and writing your own via “Giving Voice to our Unconscious" exercises.

  • Participate in the Mind Body Passport Cabaret, a creative expression session culminating in a celebratory "cabaret" experience.

  • Enhance your journey with optional activities like a Venetian Mask Workshop or a traditional Northern Italian cooking class.

What’s included? All seminars and 4-star accommodations, all excursions with private guides, entrance fees and transportation via Mercedes bus, all breakfasts, and some lunches and dinners. See full itinerary below for details.

Learning Objectives

For those seeking continuing education credits, we will:
Discuss Freud’s fascination with Shakespeare.
Discuss the importance of literature in the development of Freud’s theories.
Describe Freud’s Aesthetic theory.
Discuss how Freud uses Shakespearean characters to develop his theory of ‘character-types’.
Describe Freud’s analysis of a literary theme.
Discuss and apply the concepts of Social Dreaming and how to utilize The Social Dreaming Matrix in psychotherapeutic settings.

Costs

10% of proceeds from this program will be donated to The Freud Museum London.

Pay in full save $200. $5288 ($5488, regular price)

Set up a 7-month payment plan ($700 deposit and seven monthly payments of $694). Register by May 8
For inquiries on custom payment plans, please email us at info@mindbodypassport.com.

For a single room, there is a supplement cost of $1085. If there are no double-shared rooms available, you will need to incur the single room supplement.

Once we receive payment, we will send you confirmation and all preliminary information via e-mail.

With MBP, community comes first:

  • Refer a friend or colleague and we’ll discount you $200 on your next trip.

  • Gather a group of 5 people for this course and we’ll give you yours for FREE!

Questions?
Contact Dr. Leslee Brown for a free one-to-one consultation or e-mail us at info@mindbodypassport.com

Mind Body Passport is approved by the California Psychological Association to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. Mind Body Passport maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Mind Body Passport is also recognized as a CAMFT-approved Continuing Education Provider - certificate’s are awarded upon successful course completion. CE credits are calculated based on lecture and seminar time. Outside activities, tours, and cultural programs are not included.

Health & Safety

The safety and well-being of Mind Body Passport Inc. participants and team are of paramount importance to us. For admission to our courses, we require all participants to be fully vaccinated with CDC-approved Covid-19 vaccines.

Refunds

Travel medical insurance is mandatory for participation. We recommend insurance that includes illness, travel delays, changes, and cancelation. Your insurance must cover personal injury, medical treatment, repatriation, and evacuation expenses.

We recommend insurance that provides “cancel for any reason” coverage, including personal property and trip cancelation. Trip cancelation insurance may be the only means of receiving reimbursement for flights and other non-refundable expenses in the event that the trip is canceled, postponed, or interrupted for any reason by you or us.

Once fees are paid, absent Mind Body Passport’s approval in its sole discretion, no refunds will be issued. MBP reserves the right to cancel any trip or any portion thereof for any reason it deems appropriate including, but not limited to, low enrollment numbers, political instability, and/or health concerns.