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 Candice Turner, Psy.D.
Happy December, dear community!
Despite a trying year on a social, political, and financial level, our organization has begun to pick up some steam, and, I think, started to shake off the dust from COVID. We have welcomed several new committee chairs and members, increased our attendance at events and programming, and started to see membership grow again. And many of our committee members have committed to yet another year and for that, we are so grateful! I would like to take this opportunity to thank our community for staying engaged and writing in with your ideas and interests. This really helps us understand you and create the kind of programming and content that meets the community's needs; thank you! Additionally, I want to publicly thank our Board and Committee Members for working through the unique challenges we have faced these past few years, seeing the bigger picture of what NCSPP means to our community and profession, and continuing to show up with hope, fresh ideas, and smiles. It all matters, and I am so grateful for you!
by Luba Palter, MFT
I am writing this editorial before the results of the 2025 election are in. This post will come out on December 1st, weeks after the results and the aftermath of that announcement are out in the open for all to digest. Many of my patients, almost in tandem, stated, “Either way it will be a shit show.” But for now, in November, we all wait.
December Luba will be privy to information that November Luba does not yet know. I imagine seeing my words in print in December will reflect the privilege of innocence and hope of the November Luba. This kind of split of two Lubas makes me think of my patients who refer to themselves as a “we.” When younger experiences are unbearable, they are split off into a different self that is tucked away until it is safe to come out. When feelings are so terrifying, they become a separate, often one-dimensional character that hides out in some corner of the mind ready to attack its host. Some have described experiences of someone or something scurrying through their bodies without showing its face, not unlike a ghost or a shadow that carries with it a distinct mood and weight. It leaves remanences of its presence without revealing oneself fully.
by San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (SFCP)
COALITION FOR CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK (CCSW) IS OFFERING A COURSE ENTITLED: FOUNDATIONS OF PSYCHODYNAMIC CLINICAL WORK IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SETTINGS.
This 18-week course is designed for all clinicians practicing in diverse community mental health and social work settings who wish to strengthen their theoretical foundation. We welcome those who are interested in understanding how psychodynamic thinking can be applied in relevant ways to enhance effective and gratifying work. This course is a space to think together about the clients and systems with which we work, and how a psychodynamic approach can be utilized in any public or community mental health setting. For students already well versed in psychodynamic thinking applied to community mental health, we offer a second year of 18 weeks as well.
25 CEUs available per year.
by Nicholas Hack, Psy.D.
LEADING THE WAY, OR GOING ASTRAY?
A patient tells me that their wellbeing is their top priority. “It’s the most important thing. Nothing else matters.” A few minutes later they tell me something else is their top priority. “I’d say it’s the most important thing to me. Nothing else really matters.” Again, later in session I’m told another part of their life is their top priority. Again, like an echo bouncing back, “It’s the most important thing to me.”
With some people this would have felt like a refinement, an evolution in their awareness of what their values truly are. I’ve certainly gone through these moments myself, when suddenly the things that really matter stand out in technicolor against the gray backdrop of life.
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.
The Role of Racism in Who Gets To Be a Child
Sun, Dec 8 / 10:00 am - 11:30 am / Zoom
NCSPP / (925) 939-7500 / D. Cushman, Psy.D. / $30.00 - $70.00
Visiting Scholar Donnel Stern: The Subject is Social
Sat, Dec 14 / 10:00 am - 12:00 pm / Zoom
PINC / (415) 288-4050 / D. Stern, Ph.D. / free - $40.00
Foundations of Psychodynamic Clinical Work in Community Mental Health Settings
Thu, Jan 9 / 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm / Zoom
SFCP / (415) 519-3267 / S. Melo, LCSW, et al. / $277.50 - $370.00
The Creation of the Kinship Object, 7.5 CE event (5 weeks)
Fri, Jan 17 / 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm / Zoom
NCSPP / (415) 496-9949 / L. Koshkarian, Ph.D. / $112.50 - $337.50
The Unconscious Goes to School: A Class About Teaching
Fri, Jan 24 / 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm / Zoom
NCSPP / (415) 496-9949 / R. Newcombe / $60.00 - $140.00