Community Meeting Highlights, Jan. 11, 2025

From Clinical Director, Joseph Scalia III, Psya.D.

We have now had our third monthly Community Meeting, on January 10, 2025. It was a fine gathering. Highlights that I took away include the following.

– What is a psychoanalyst? What characteristics does a psychoanalyst have? What constitutes “the end of analysis?” How do different psychoanalytic schools of thought theorize answers to these questions?

– How do we think differentially about praxis, here considered to be how theory and practice inform each other? This definition of praxis should be distinguised from a synonym of practice, the latter being its frequent meaning. How do the varying schools of thought uniquely conceptualize technique?

– Likewise, what is psychoanalysis? What does it mean to “make the unconscious conscious?” What is the difference between the analysand’s narrative – the conscious story they tell – and what we might hear as disguised messages from the unconscious? What are the clinical effects of one versus the other?

– What is a community? What is a group? How do groups, or institutes – for example, those of psychoanalysis, or of the humanities, or ecology or education – go awry in terms of group dynamics? Group resistances of idealization, or scapegoating, or collective hysteria come easily to mind as ways groups can unconsciously and compromisingly cohere.

– What is the place of psychoanalysis in today’s world? How is it that psychoanalysis has been marginalized by the mental health, or “behavioral” health institutions? Likewise, how is it that psychoanalytic institutes and associations have prevailingly opted out of public positions about the state of the world? Might culture inform psychoanalysis as much as psychoanalysis can inform culture?

– And how do we “grow” CCMPS? What do we offer, and do we offer something unique that would call potential students to consider affiliating with us? And, if so, how do we communicate this to the world?

As can be seen by the extent of the topics above, it was a rich meeting. We missed those of you who didn’t, or couldn’t, attend. Please watch for new zoom link URL’s that are sent out within a few days of each meeting, as these will be different ones for every gathering. If you are unsure, reach out to Executive Director Lynne Scalia for assistance, at either staff.ccmps@gmail.com or 406-581-5969.