Institute: The Politics of Emotion: Working with Social, Political, and Environmental Concerns in Group from an Experiential Dynamic Therapy Perspective

AGPS Institute

The Politics of Emotion: Working with Social, Political, and Environmental Concerns in Group from an Experiential Dynamic Therapy Perspective

Facilitated by: 

Charles Couchman, PhD, CGP

Critical approaches to psychotherapy (e.g., feminist, anti-colonial, and climate-aware therapies) emphasize that mental health concerns are caused, in part, by social harms such as inequality, discrimination, authoritarianism, and the climate emergency.

Our natural emotional reactions to these harms include protective love towards those at risk and rage towards those responsible. There is evidence that people with power teach us that these emotions are unacceptable, leading to anxiety and the use of defense mechanisms that pacify and divide us, fostering neurosis in ways that make us easier to oppress and exploit. This is a form of what feminist philosopher Alison Jaggar referred to as emotional hegemony—political control through emotional control.

Because emotional hegemony is, at heart, a social wound, group therapies that support corrective emotional experiences with others may hold special promise in helping clients with recovery. Experiential Dynamic Therapies (EDTs) also may have much to offer in this task. EDTs involve a sophisticated, focused approach to integrating emotional impulses while at the same time helping clients manage anxiety and set aside defenses. While EDTs were originally developed as individual approaches, they have been adapted into group treatments that have shown strong empirical effectiveness.

This institute will focus on making use of concepts and techniques derived from EDTs when exploring social, political, and environmental concerns in group. After a didactic and discussion-focused introduction to emotional hegemony and EDTs, participants will engage experientially as a group, increasing their capacity to stay present with clients in “outlaw emotions” while also testing out these recently reviewed EDT skills.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Charles Couchman is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Austin, Texas. He has been providing individual and group psychotherapy from a psychodynamic perspective for over 25 years, and before private practice served as the Training Director and Group Coordinator at St. Edward's University's Health & Counseling Center. Dr. Couchman has a long-standing interest in the application of psychology to problems of oppression, exploitation, and the climate emergency. He presents professionally on climate and political anxiety, the importance of emotion to climate and political action, and keeping space for the political in psychotherapy. As an activist, he is an organizer with Extinction Rebellion Austin and provides regenerative workshops to activist and environmental groups.

What Are Group Institutes?

Institutes are a highly experiential form of small group teaching led by experienced instructors. They are intended to develop therapy skills relevant to leading groups. They often offer a chance to explore a particular theme in greater depth or to experience a different theoretical approach. Institutes are primarily designed for mental health professionals who have clinical psychotherapy experience. While institutes are not therapy, they are process-oriented and it is expected that they may stir feelings spanning the whole range of human experience. Members agree to attend the entire group, to participate actively, and to respect the confidentiality of the other members. The secure environment of these small groups allows for rich cognitive and deep emotional learning about group process and oneself, not to mention a chance for personal and professional renewal.

Objectives:

 Attendees will be able to:

1: Explain emotional hegemony from an intrapsychic conflict perspective that is compatible with Experiential Dynamic Therapies.

2: List two concepts or techniques from Experiential Dynamic Therapies that can be integrated into group psychotherapy.

3: List two of their own emotional reactions to exploring social, political, and environmental concerns.

Event Schedule:

(including lunch and breaks, as needed) 

Friday, 2/13/26, 2-6pm

2:00-2:30pm: Welcome/Introduction

2:30-3:30pm: Didactic

3:30-3:45pm: Break

3:45-5:15pm: Experiential

5:15-5:30pm: Break

5:30-6:00pm: Discussion & Wrap-Up

Saturday, 2/14/26, 8:30-12:45pm

8:30-10:00am: Experiential

10:00-10:15am: Break

10:15-11:45am: Experiential

11:45am-12:00pm: Break

12:00-12:30pm, Discussion & Wrap-Up

Location given at registration. The location is wheelchair accessible.

CEUs available for social workers, LPCs, LMFTs, and psychologists.