Anti-Therapy Group

Time: Monthly on Sundays, 3-5 PM Eastern Time. (Check time zone converter if you’re in a different location to make sure you get the time right.)
Next dates: TBA
Place: Online. A Zoom link is available on Eventbrite on registration.
Facilitators: Jon Hook & Sarah Haueisen

For at least 70 years, critics of the field of psychotherapy have observed that one of the major roles of the therapist is to make their clients more compliant and productive citizens. Despite numerous attempts at reform, psychotherapy has yet to adequately address this criticism. This group is for practitioners, clinicians, and all interested parties who are skeptical of the ideological commitments maintained and enforced by psychotherapy and related fields. With the understanding that it is impossible to remain ideologically neutral, we will join together in an open forum to discuss:

• The inhumane catastrophe that are modern definitions of mental health and illness.
• The methods psychotherapy uses to make its participants ideal Capitalist subjects.
• Ways of moving forward without giving up or giving in.

November 28th Session

In the Anti-therapy Speaker Series, we invite guest speakers with expertise and passion in issues related to critical mental health and radicalism.

For this month’s Anti-Therapy Speaker Series Ian Parker will join us to discuss his new book “Psychoanalysis and Revolution ” (co-authored with David Pavón-Cuéllar). Psychoanalysis and Revolution is a manifesto that argues for “connecting social transformation with personal liberation, showing that the two aspects of profound change can be intimately linked together using psychoanalysis”. For this event, Ian will discuss his new work and its implications for psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and the radical left. Our discussion will focus on the third tenet of our Anti-therapy group, “Ways of moving forward without giving up or giving in.”

Ian Parker is a psychoanalyst working in Manchester in the north of England. He is a Marxist, and member of different left groups and campaigns. Much of his academic work has been concerned with writing and promoting versions of ‘critical psychology’, different ways of developing theoretical alternatives to mainstream psychology, and practical initiatives to address human distress.

If you’re interested in this topic, please consider joining our Anti-therapy reading and discussion group.

Readings, videos, and links are available on the event page once you register.

REGISTRATION
There are two ways to join:

Patreon Supporter ($20+): If you are an Incite Seminars Patreon supporter at the $20 level or higher, group participation is included in your membership! It will still be necessary to register (for records and communication; page may be pending). If you’re not a regular member of the group, we ask that you also register for the complimentary ticket below so we can share the meeting information. You will also be added to our group discussion on Circle.

Non-Patreon Drop-In Ticket: If you’re curious about the group but aren’t ready to commit your ongoing support via Patreon, you can buy a drop-in ticket for a particular date at the Eventbrite page.