The SCIENCE of the ART of Psychotherapy

Where do I begin? I came across Dr. Allan N. Schore in the consulting room (figuratively) & quite rapidly found myself diving into his literary work. Carrying the alias of "the American Bowlby" my antennas were alert towards feeling out if there was merit to the designation. He did not disappoint, in fact I will even go as far as stating that this was a challenging read because of the redundancy yet it was during my "second lap" of reading his work that I was able to appreciate his precision towards language accurately depicting the content. 

Interpersonal neurobiology was dropped into my lap at a time when I had no recognized need and definitely no appreciation for it, while working as a clinical coordinator for the homeless outreach team in the Bronx. I absolutely loved the direct service work I was doing.... and it was while increasing my motivation towards understanding why the adults I worked with refused housing in the dead of winter that I was introduced to the work of Dr. Dan Siegel. Stay with me. The article touched on ways in which our brain processes subjective information, in particular within itself and with others. I paid very little attention to what I was reading, and recall being bored! I had my mind set on uncovering this phantasized secret anecdote that would enhance my skill sets towards getting the chronically street homeless adults to do what I wanted them to do! I was VERY GREEN at the time and had no comprehension of what burn out meant, for my clients or for myself.

Fast forward to 2017, I had a year filled with robust gratifying experiences. It was also when I purchased The Science of the Art of Psychotherapy, which further expanded my understanding of the ways in which parts and systems collude towards communicating within the human body; in conjunction to what I had learned within my herbal apprenticeship a year prior. Picture if you will the delight on my face as page after page validated and matched what I had spiritually been exposed to.... what a fulfilling dessert! I felt validated as a psychodynamically oriented clinician within each page that I turned in this book, as the explicit process of ways in which we communicate, attach and attune to another takes place; in a very Anglo Saxon scientific way. I say that as an acculturated Haitian American woman; Dr. Schore's utilization of neurobiology to give language to the intuitive, empathic, subjective right hemisphere that guides our unconscious processes was affirming based on my American education. He found a way to connect the dots in a linear manner. Within my culture and nuclear family we were taught very early in life that the brain is essentially numerous systems operating as one and in an even more exact manner, there's what we have access to (logic, critical thinking, ego) and what we have to will ourselves to bring into conscious awareness (memories, instincts, drives, the "unknown"). And within that, the integration of herbs/plants, crystals/gems & rituals in alignment with astronomy all play a part in accessing the "divine" right hemisphere while preoccupying the needs of the left hemisphere. Those teachings were en grained at an early age to be explored, accepted or rejected. Argumentum ad populum. 

The timing of this post comes 2 months after completing the book pertaining to the parallels within my life. As I expand my network, which invariably consists of other clinicians, I find myself impatient towards staying in conversation with those who are out of awareness as it pertains to their impact on the dyadic relationship in the consulting room. I am human, and what a journey it has been collecting the experiences, knowledge and language that encapsulates that which is the therapeutic relationship.      Dr. Allan N. Schore has done some truly groundbreaking work, and his psychoanalytical disposition is going to provide immense traction towards the masses having access to this information; oh the power of information! I highly recommend this as a reading to anyone who has the time and patience towards the scientific aspects of brain to brain communication and its impact on the therapeutic relationship.

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"To dare to be aware of the facts of the universe in which we are existing calls for courage."

-Wilfred Bion

Assata: An Autobiography

It's a rarity that I've had a book in my hand 2-3 chapters deep into it, to then come to the realization that not only have I read the book before but with that realization, committed to rereading it. Assata: An Autobiography was one of those books. I found myself drawn to her life, her story, her being right on the heels of co-planning my mothers birthday trip to Cuba. I fantasized about my feet following the rhythm of bata drums in unison with my shoulders & arms, mirroring my mothers energy in an open green meadow near the coastline; with the ebb & flow of all that is under, in, and above the waters of the Caribbean Sea. Would Assata be a bystander watching our white skirts twirl with the breeze? Would Assata offer us Saoco to keep our thirst at bay? Would Assata welcome us whole heartedly to the land that abundantly gave her warm refuge?

I did not enjoy reading her autobiography but it was a necessary read. The reality of the atrocities experienced by Assata were gripping pertaining to the incorrigible institutes that attempted to keep her body, mind and spirit captive. I reiterate that I did not enjoy reading her autobiography. The realities of the 60's & 70's that milked the essence of the black experience for those who  were "woke" & active participants in the progression of human rights for people of color was an experience that I preferred to dissociate from. I found myself irritable while crossing the pages in reference of her hospitalization after being shot in the stomach, agitated at my desire for her to have a fair trial while repeatedly under siege to an all white jury, and attached to my cognitive dissonance at the notion that this Queen was a victim in a land that gave zero fucks about her or her lineage. To be referred to and held in spirit as a Queen and for the subjective observer in me to objectively take in the ways in which she was disrespected over and over again was heart breaking. Yet, as a young black woman living in America, in the present, there isn't a choice in liking or accepting or integrating in parallels within her experience and mine. It just is. That's at the core of why I did not enjoy reading her autobiography. It was too real. In fact, during this reread I found myself inspired to write poetry in response to Assata's spirit pouring across the pages; in an attempt to sublimate the incited anger towards the privileged who get to read a work of this kind detached from the racial experience that one can only experience if they are a person of color.

Ms. Shakur put her humanness and dysfunctional beginnings front and center of her story pertaining to her upbringing, failures and family dynamics. She was no saint and at no point in the book did she attempt to present herself as anything less or more. There was no sugar coating, cherry on top or creme in the middle. Assata fully articulated an understanding of her value & worth to herself and it's incongruence with her value & worth as a black woman in America. 

My 1 criticism of this piece was her decision to not include how she actually escaped! At times I am nosy and at times I am simply curious! She not only deserves a round of applause but also recognition for being a true magician in her own rite. I hope that we cross paths in Cuba.

FAVORITE ASSATA SHAKUR QUOTES

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“Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them” 

“Before going back to college, i knew i didn't want to be an intellectual, spending my life in books and libraries without knowing what the hell is going on in the streets. Theory without practice is just as incomplete as practice without theory. The two have to go together.” 

Coasting in the Countertransference: Conflicts of Self Interest between Analyst and Patient

This was a holiday goodie and I wrapped up my notes on this non-fiction literary work right at the cusp of 2017's last mercury retrograde & full moon. It matters to highlight this as my mind brings me full circle to the emergence of my curiosity towards analysis. Lets venture to the past..... not only was I mortified at the aspect of one submitting their mind to an attuned other, but also submitting oneself to different self states within an array of emotions and thoughts that [with most] would prefer to stay buried in the unconscious.  Yet I jumped into the abyss; it brings to mind the David Bowie scene in Labyrinth when he sang Within You. And yet, Dr. Hirsh catapults his intimate experiences front and center pertaining to that exact maze of understanding oneself as an analyst, supervisor & colleague. Kudos to analyst out there - there is nothing easy about the work that you do.

To get knee deep in "the shit" Dr. Hirsh unsheathes aspects of the profession that are cringe worthy and at the core, the humanness of the analyst! In my [Haitian] heritage it’s equivalent to shinning a spotlight on the mortality of a mambo or houngan, it’s already implied! Yet the implicit intimacy of the helper-helpee dyad does not call for the human attributes of the professional to rear an ugly head. Dr. Hirsh utilizes a variety of clinical examples to highlight his authentic self and ways in which striving for preferred relational configurations, emotional needs & finances seep into the work.

I related to the clinical examples in one form or another and gawked at the notion of parallels within the supervisory role (I took detailed notes in that specific area!) The self interest that was soapboxed rang no alarm,  despite being on the receiving end of the couch. As a psychotherapist with a curiosity towards contemporary psychoanalysis, and as a clinician practicing through relational and interpersonal foundational beliefs I truly believe that a vast majority of clients (I prefer to use the term client, as patient overtly implies sickness) know of the “self interest monster”, especially within pop cultures depiction of mental health professionals present day. With shows like Gypsy, In Treatment, Couples Therapy, & Iyanla Fix My Life individuals are getting a taste of therapy from their own couch before stepping into their 1st session. The times are changing, especially with an influx of millennials, people of color & 1st generation Americans experiencing an increase in access mixed with a decrease in stigma towards mental health services. 

Dr. Hirsh stepped forward with honest communication and laid the footwork for open discussion pertaining to why and how coasting bewitches both parties in the room; along with explaining the impact that choices therapists make (or choose not to) impact clients. In a field saturated by individuals who have devoted their time, energy & funds into knowing themselves, how can the aspect of self interest be so shocking to readers within the profession? Is it shocking? There’s a narcissistic air within the tone of the literature that is unyielding and captivating in its allure because of those 2 questions.

I enjoy reading the last page of a book and being disappointed that it has ended. There’s an insatiable desire to read more of Dr. Hirsh’s work while sitting in this one a bit longer. He will undoubtedly rest in my mind during moments of emotional withdrawal, pre-initiation of disequilibrium inducing anger in sessions and aha moments of profound insight at the curtail of an enactment. I am in awe at how delightful of a read this was.

*I shoot my thank you into the ether to Ms. Griffin for sharing.

Lilith's Brood

1 of my all-time favorites..... granted I have a loose scope of what gets tagged as a "favorite", but Lilith's Brood holds a special place on the list. This trilogy comprised of Dawn, Adulthood Rites & Imago turned me out to the evocative creativity of sci-fi. Reading her work is like diri kole ak pwa wouj ansanm ak poulet (my ideal Haitian comfort food); I draw in comparisons to food because of the reward & comfort that Octavia serves, it parallels indulgence. May she rest in continued peace.

The storyline is nothing short of mastery integrated in with divine ingenuity. Yes, divine ingenuity! My words can barely capture this Queen's artistry.

I desired my own Ooloi connection though my imagination was the victim of constraint in picturing the world Octavia created. Dawn alone, as 1/3 of this work, can be labeled a classic and I'm hopeful in dreaming that this piece of literature will find its way into classrooms. Octavia attempts to draw out the fantasy of a future utopia while avowing the human condition within that matrix. Even as genetic offspring of humans our innate behavior is as cyclical as the sky is blue.... is it blue?! 

Kudos to my friend, scientist, herbalist, artist, fellow alum & kindred spirit for putting me on (Tati your taste in novels is impeccable!)

One Hundred Years of Solitude

The commitment to the story line invigorated my imagination, I had to commit to this beautiful piece to truly appreciate it. Marquez furnished the life and times of the Buendia family entranced with animism, mysticism, and a whole lot of other ism's that held my attention. There is no shortage of oddity & magick in this novel, alongside the weaving in and out, pertaining to love and all of its messiness and glory. I am inspired to read more from Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as he truly captures the essence and eloquence of that which cannot be described with words alone... yet he does it! Truly enjoyable read for those that enjoy getting lost in history and unrequited love.

Wicked

Oh how I underestimated the vivacity of the story line! The wit, the parallels concerning the times we're living in pertaining to politics & the overarching archetypes. I much prefer when my imagination is allowed to depict the physical essence of a character, hence I opted to reread this classic prior to seeing the overly advertised play for the 1st time. I literally see an advertisement every time I ride the subway.... kudo's to their advertising team.

What started as a depiction of Elphaba as the leading antagonist soon turned into my own self identification and sideline cheerleading for her to "win". And in the background Gregory Maguire weaved in the beginning stages of genocide pertaining to the eradication of Animals and the lack of notice by most of the characters. Ring a bell?! 

Elphie had a feel to her that was reminiscent of a friend from high school whose actions in the here and now are a result of past, painstaking experiences.  Her disposition towards secrecy and isolation reeled me in, while her warmth-driven out only by Fiyero-haunted the remaining pages. I was hooked by her enchanting demeanor and rejection of essentially everyone and everything; Maguire has earned my attention and I look forward to reading the remaining 3 books in the series. Plus I love witches so how could I not write about this beautiful literary piece! 

If you've read it in your adolescents or childhood, I highly recommend reading it as an adult. Two snaps & a twist!