A Reading Collective Sponsored by IPI’s Committee on Diversities and Intersectionality meeting virtually on the second Wednesday of the month from October 2024 to May 2025.
Description
This is an exciting time in psychoanalysis. Innovative voices are bringing the collective dimension of psychic life to the center of theory and practice. Historical and sociocultural links, as well as dynamics concerning power, representation, and marginalization, are finally being given their due. The impact of colonization within psychoanalysis itself has been unearthed for critical examination, and reckoning with unconscious bias, both individually and as a field, is increasingly understood as necessary. At the same time, psychoanalytic theories have much to contribute to an understanding of life in the margins. There are those who are shedding light on the revolutionary origins and potential of psychoanalysis, while also speaking candidly about where psychoanalysis has caused harm, especially through the Eurocentric and heteronormative biases baked into the bedrock of our beloved theories. As the Holmes Commission on Racial Equality in American Psychoanalysis states, “the ‘social’ is deeply embedded in and inseparable from the psyche and therefore, is an essential focus for psychoanalytic thought and practice” (p. 14).
In this reading collective, we will co-create a generative space for learning, as we study some of the most vital works of our time on the inseparable links between social and psyche, such as papers by Pratyusha Tummala-Narra, Avgi Saketopolou, Dorothy Evans Holmes, Ralph Roughton, and Lynne Layton. In the words of the late James Baldwin, “not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Whether you are new to these ideas and want to learn more or you are interested in being a part of cultural change within psychoanalysis, this reading collective is meant for you.
Program Dates
The 2nd Wednesday of the month 7:30pm-8:45pm US ET
10/9/24
11/13/24
12/11/24
1/8/25
2/12/25
3/12/25
4/9/25
5/14/25
Program Faculty
Andi P. Eliza-Christie
Chair
Chris Thomas
Janine Wanlass
Karen Sherwood
Benjamin Lang
Bryan Votaw
Registration
In the spirit of creating a collective where relationship building is encouraged and trust is fostered, registration will be capped at 15 participants. Please ensure you are able to attend the entire series of dates before registering.
Fee: The reading collective is a free offering and is for current mental health professionals.
Contact
Please contact Andi P. Eliza-Christie at alexandriaep @ gmail.com with questions about this series.
