Impulse is a community newsletter produced by the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP) and distributed electronically to subscribers at no cost. We envision Impulse as an integrative source for local news, events, and thinking of interest to the psychoanalytically inclined. Our goal is to be your guide as you explore the Bay Area's rich array of analytic resources.
We invite you to become a member of NCSPP, if you are not already. And, we welcome you as a subscriber to Impulse. Join us as we highlight the exceptional diversity of psychoanalytic thought and practice in Northern California.
by Natasha Oxenburgh, Psy.D.
I’m honored to introduce myself as NCSPP’s new President. I’ve been involved with NCSPP over the past few years as a member of the Education Committee and currently as its Chair. I would also like to warmly welcome our new President Elect, Sullivan Oakley, Psy.D., and Treasurer, Sydney Emerson, Psy.D. Both have a real passion for psychoanalytic thinking as well as longstanding commitments to psychodynamic work in community mental health and forensic settings. Sullivan has also been serving as the Chair of NCSPP’s Intensive Study Group. Together, we have formed a new Executive Committee, a subset of our Board.
Through my time on the Education Committee, I’ve helped develop and participate in many of our courses. One thing I’ve consistently heard is a desire for more community. Psychology can be a lonely profession and many members have expressed the need for more opportunities to think together in ways a psychoanalytic orientation uniquely supports, as well as simply to be together (ideally in person!).
by Psychoanalytic Couple Psychotherapy Group (PCPG)
MORE ABOUT NO-SEX COUPLES: LOW DESIRE, DISCREPANT DESIRE & LOST SEXUAL ATTRACTION
Saturday, May 23rd | 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Online via Zoom
The PCPG Community Education committee is excited to announce that Dr. Suzanne Iasenza will be back to present a follow-up to last year’s highly popular spring event (Common Dynamics & Sexual Narratives in No-Sex Relationships).
When couples haven’t had sex in a long time, they often feel hopeless and therapists often feel unsure how to help. This presentation is a deep dive into the conscious and unconscious reasons for no-sex relationships, including low sexual desire, desire discrepancy, and lost sexual attraction. It will utilize a narrative relational approach that integrates psychodynamic and systems thinking.
Register here!
by Ben Diamond, Psy.D.
CROSSING THE ISLAND
There’s an old Jewish joke about a man marooned alone on a desert island. When rescued, he shows the visitors his handiwork: his dwelling, his fishing platform, and his synagogue. On the other side of the island, another synagogue. What gives, they ask. That’s the one I don’t go to, he replies.
We all have places we don’t go to. Our public life is suffused with cruelty that has always been there and is now more explicit than it has been in a long time. There is great pressure to clarify publicly which side we are on; not only to condemn oppressive forces (and they are legion), but also to state that we, as clinicians and people, stand on the side of The Good. This impulse is laudable at one level, and, at another, defends us from inner experiences of aggression and sadism that can be animating and clinically meaningful. We need these experiences to move potently in the world, and welcoming them can help us become more fully alive.
It is tempting to let Bad Others hold what we’d rather not admit to–that there is a cruel streak in each of us. To say, “But I’m one of the good ones.”
by Niki Clay, NCSPP Administrator
SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY!
Become a new member or renew your lapsed membership today and receive a 20% discount on your first year of membership! Use code SPRING2026 at checkout to receive your discount.
This is a particularly exciting time to be involved with NCSPP. Efforts to increase the diversity of our organization are falling into place, and we’re exploring the roles our membership might play in applying psychoanalytic thought in the broader community. We also have a lot of exciting events planned this month, including the return of our renowned Annual Lecture with Jamieson Webster, Ph.D., and Francisco González. M.D., on May 16th, 2026. Being a member gets you discounted entry to all our events.
NCSPP has a longstanding tradition of providing varied and enriching educational opportunities for its members. Our current selection is no exception: The months ahead are filled with a variety of creative programming thanks to NCSPP's hard-working committees. We encourage new members to participate in these programs and explore getting involved with a committee along the way.
Please visit www.ncspp.org to learn more about all the benefits that NCSPP membership includes. Should you have additional questions, contact Niki Clay directly at info@ncspp.org.
Old couches, new books, hot jobs, cool internships, office rentals? List them in Impulse's Classifieds for a modest fee. Please see our submission guidelines for details.
PINC Second Fridays - Untangling: A Memoir of Psychoanalysis
Fri, May 8 / 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm / Online via Zoom / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / J. Peters, Ph.D. et al. / $0 - $20
Flights of Imagination in Critica
Sat, May 9 / 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm / Private Residence / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / L. Palter, MFT et al. / $0
Jamieson Webster: Psychoanalysis in Times of Catastrophe
Sat, May 16 / 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm / 2150 Allston Way / Or Join Live Online
NCSPP / (415) 496-9949 / J. Webster, Ph.D.; F. González, M.D. / $45 - $135
Navigating Political Crisis and Transforming Fear
Sat, May 30 / 9:00 am - 12:15 pm / Online via Zoom / Berkeley
TPI / (512) 294-1837 / J. Lopez-Urbina, LCSW / $115 - $140
Neuropsychoanalysis: Deepening the Therapeutic Experience
Sat, May 30 / 9:00 am - 12:00 pm / 530 Bush St. / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / M. van den Engh, M.D.; M. Zellner, Ph.D. / $25 - $65
The Dissociated Body: From Freud’s Hysteria to Contemporary Technophilia
Sat, May 30 / 10:00 am - 4:00 pm / 2837 Claremont Blvd. / Berkeley
NCSPP / (415) 223-1674 / P. Goldberg, Ph.D. / $75 - $225