Impulse is a community newsletter produced by the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP) and distributed electronically at no cost to subscribers. 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 Willow Banks, Psy.D.

Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their exceptional community service in the field of psychoanalytic psychology? The NCSPP 2023 Community Service Award seeks to honor individuals or mental health organizations that have shown outstanding dedication to building stronger communities and promoting social well-being. We believe that this crucial work often goes unnoticed and want to acknowledge those who have invested their time and energy into this cause. Nominations of individuals or organizations led by people of color are encouraged. Nominees should demonstrate excellence in leadership, creative commitment to social welfare, and a strong dedication to community service. 

by San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (SFCP)

DIALOGUES IN CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOANALYSIS: DARIAN LEADER IN CONVERSATION WITH ISRAEL KATZ

Saturday, October 28, 2023
10:00 am – 11:30 am

What is madness? Is everyone mad? How has Lacan expanded the approach to psychosis? And, what are we talking about when we talk about jouissance? Is it painful pleasure, pleasurable pain, or something else? Darian Leader and Israel Katz will discuss these matters and more in this upcoming Dialogues program.

by Nicholas Hack, Psy.D.

A CROWDED ROOM

Sometimes I look around the consultation room – me in my chair and my patient on the couch – and I’m surprised by just how crowded it is.

I’m used to listening to-and-for the gang that my patients bring. Some of the voices from their past – usually the people in whose eyes they saw a version of themselves – are loud and easily identified. “I think we’re hearing your dad right now,” I might say to somebody. Or, to another, “It sounds like your mom taught you that painful lesson well, and even though you disagree with it and she’s gone now, you keep it alive within yourself.” These people and ghosts come to mind quickly. 

INTENSIVE STUDY GROUP (ISG)

LONGING TO BELONG: EXPLORATIONS OF BELONGING AND NOT BELONGING

November 17, 2023 - May 24, 2024
Fridays, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Virtual Event

You can learn more about the individual ISG courses and register here: https://ncspp.org/events/intensive-study-group-longing-belong-explorations-belonging-and-not-belonging

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

CALL FOR ANNUAL WRITING AWARD SUBMISSIONS 

This is a call to all graduate students and early-career clinicians! The NCSPP Board is looking for original papers for the NCSPP Annual Writing Award. This award was created to support new voices in the field of psychoanalysis, and winning authors will receive a cash prize of $250. The winning paper will be published in fort da, NCSPP’s journal, and will be presented at a Scientific Meeting with an invited discussant.

Classifieds: 

SUNNY PSYCHOTHERAPY OFFICE (SF). With waiting room, 12th floor of the Flood Building. Contact Pirouz Ganji, pirouzganji@gmail.com or (415) 562-7689.

SPACE FOR RENT (CENTRAL BERKELEY). Historical landmark, 325 sqft available for meetings, classes, tutoring, special events (no therapy). Five blocks from BART. Two bathrooms. Call (510) 845-1767.

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.   

Appointment Book: 

Introductory Event: Longing to Belong
Sun, Oct 1 / 11:30 am – 1:00 pm / Zoom
NCSPP / (415) 496-9949 / Carolina Bacchi, Psy.D., et al. / $20 - $40

Winnicott, Creativity, and the Place Where We Live
Wed, Oct 4 (begins) / 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm / 444 Natoma St / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / M. Mulkey, MFT / free

Early Career Case Conference – San Francisco
Wed, Oct 4 (begins) / 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm / 530 Bush St / San Francisco
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / P. Alexander, Ph.D., et al. / $300 - $500

Working with Parents
Thu, Oct 5 (begins) / 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm / 444 Natoma St / San Francisco
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / L. Brown, LCSW; A. Wallerstein Freidman, LCSW / $55 - $60

2023 – 2024 San Francisco Yearlong Program
Fri, Oct 6 (begins) / 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm / Zoom
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / C. Schneider, Ph.D., et al. / $805.50 - $896

MODE: An Update from the Clinical Point of View
Sat, Oct 7 / 10:00 am - 11:30 am / Zoom
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / M. Leuzinger-Bohleber, Ph.D. / free

The Visible and Invisible in Anorexia
Mon, Oct 16 / 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm / Zoom
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / D. Cosenza, Ph.D.; F. Castrillon, Psy.D. / free - $45

FOCUS ON – Opera on the Couch
Wed, Oct 18 (begins) / 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm / Zoom
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / S. Goldberg, M.D., et al. / $65 – $170

2023-2024 East Bay Yearlong Program
Fri, Oct 20 (begins) / 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm / 1672 University Ave / Berkeley
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / G. Daniels, MFT, et al. / $1,287 - $1,430

Darian Leader — In Conversation with Israel Katz
Sat, Oct 28 / 10:00 am - 11:30 am / Zoom
SFCP / (415) 563-5815 / D. Leader; I. Katz, M.D. / $35 - $40

The Neuroscience of Long-term Memory Formation and Change
Sat, Nov 4 / 9:00 am - 12:00 pm / Zoom
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / C. Alberini, Ph.D.; M. Zellner, Ph.D. / $15 – $95