Neuropsychoanalysis and Deepening the Understanding of Subjective Experience

Neuropsychoanalysis is an interdisciplinary field that supports dialogues among neuroscientists and psychodynamic clinicians. From the Neuropsychoanalysis Association (NPSA) website: “The brain is the organ of the mind. If we want to fully understand mental life, we must integrate the findings of neuroscience with all levels of the mind. Neuropsychoanalysis is interested in the neurobiological underpinnings of how we act, think, and feel.”

Individual, neurobiological differences shape each of our ways of perceiving, experiencing, and understanding. These aspects are often an overlooked area that shapes intrapsychic meaning. This presentation will review neurobiological underpinnings and explore child and adult clinical material to illustrate how neurodevelopmental information is useful in the clinical setting by expanding the understanding of a patient’s “experience of” and helping the therapist to empathize more fully with the patient’s experience.

Contact Elree C. Smith for student link or with questions: esmith@icsw.edu