In this book, Lisa Feldman Barrett presents a new neuroscientific explanation of emotions, overturning the widely held belief that emotions are automatic, universal, and hardwired in different brain regions. Instead, she argues that emotions are constructed in the moment through a unique interplay of brain, body, and culture. Barrett's theory, known as the 'Theory of Constructed Emotions,' suggests that emotions are highly individualized and vary by culture. The book explores how this new understanding has significant implications for fields such as psychology, medicine, law, parenting, and national security. Barrett uses clear, readable prose and practical examples to make her complex theories accessible to a broad audience.
In this memoir, Stephanie Foo recounts her life after being diagnosed with complex PTSD, a condition resulting from continuous trauma over years. Despite her professional success as a radio producer, Foo struggled with panic attacks and the lingering effects of physical and verbal abuse, as well as neglect by her parents. The book details her efforts to heal herself by interviewing scientists and psychologists, trying various therapies, and investigating the effects of immigrant trauma in her hometown of San Jose, California, and her birth country, Malaysia. Foo's narrative is both a personal account of trauma and a critical analysis of how societal structures compound individual suffering, offering hope and practical insights for those seeking to heal from similar experiences.
This book offers a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying mentalization-based therapy with parents. It explores the concept of mentalization, the capacity to understand one's own and others' mental states, and its crucial role in parenting. The book provides a framework for assessment, formulation, treatment, and supervision, incorporating rich clinical examples and vignettes. It addresses challenges and opportunities across developmental phases, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, offering practical strategies for clinicians. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of cultural context and the interplay between epistemic trust, vigilance, and injustice in therapeutic interventions with parents.
Between the World and Me is a personal and literary exploration of America's racial history. Written as a series of letters to his 15-year-old son, Samori, Ta-Nehisi Coates reflects on his own experiences growing up in Baltimore, his education at Howard University, and his career as a journalist. The book delves into the realities of being Black in America, including the historical and ongoing impacts of slavery, segregation, police brutality, and mass incarceration. Coates shares personal anecdotes and historical insights to prepare his son for the challenges he will face as a Black man in America, while also offering a broader critique of American society and its treatment of Black bodies. The book is a powerful and emotional exploration of identity, history, and the struggle for racial justice[2][3][4].
Peter Fonagy's work on attachment and human development significantly advanced our understanding of the interplay between early relationships and mental health. His research highlights the crucial role of secure attachment in fostering healthy emotional development and the impact of insecure attachment on mental well-being. Fonagy's contributions to mentalization theory emphasize the importance of reflective functioning and the capacity to understand one's own and others' mental states. His work has had a profound impact on clinical practice, informing interventions aimed at promoting secure attachment and improving mental health outcomes. Fonagy's research continues to shape our understanding of the complex interplay between biology, psychology, and social context in shaping human development.
Working with Parents in Therapy: A Mentalization-Based Approach, by Norka Malberg, Elliot Jurist, Jordan Bate, and Mark Dangerfield (American Psychological Association, 2023) presents parenthood as a developmental process that can be supported by a mentalization-based model of intervention. The authors first provide an overview of mentalization (i.e., making sense of the mental lives of ourselves and others) and its related concepts, as well as guidance on assessment, formulation, treatment, and supervision from a mentalization framework. They then review challenges and opportunities for parents across development, with rich case examples and vignettes for each developmental phase.
Dr. Jurist, who has doctorates in both philosophy and clinical psychology, brings a philosophical lens to our discussion of this book. We talk about mentalization and its development, as well as its role in culture, psychological health, and parenting.
About the Guest:
Elliot Jurist, Ph.D., Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology and Philosophy at the Graduate Center and The City College of New York, CUNY. From 2004-2013, he served as the Director of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at CUNY. From 2008-2018, he was the Editor of Psychoanalytic Psychology, the journal of Division 39 of the APA. He is also the editor of a book series, Psychoanalysis and Psychological Science, from Guilford Publications, and author of a book in the series, Minding Emotions: Cultivating Mentalization in Psychotherapy, from the same publisher (the book has been translated into Italian, Chinese and Spanish, and was named best theoretical book in 2019 by the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis). He is the author of Beyond Hegel and Nietzsche: Philosophy, Culture and Agency (MIT Press, 2000) and co-author with Peter Fonagy, George Gergely, and Mary Target of Affect Regulation, Mentalization and the Development of the Self (Other Press, 2002), the latter of which has been translated into five languages and won two book prizes. He is also the co-editor of Mind to Mind: Infant Research, Neuroscience, and Psychoanalysis (Other Press, 2008). His research interests concern mentalization and the role of emotions and emotion regulation in psychotherapy. In 2014, he received the Scholarship Award from Division 39 of the APA, and in 2024, he was given the Leadership award from the same organization. He also writes a Substack newsletter Mental(izing) Health, in which he elaborates on the relevance of mentalization in art, government, culture, philosophy, and other wide-ranging topics, as well as in the mental health world. He is currently writing a book titled When Therapy Met Memoir, which is about references to therapy in contemporary memoirs. Along with his wife and two children, he lives with two ancient, insubordinate dachshunds, one of whom smiles.
Links:
Emily Pichler is a clinical psychologist practicing in Burlington, Vermont.
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