Exploring the Social Unconscious with Clinical Psychology

On Saturday, April 12, the Department of Clinical Psychology hosted its spring half-day alumni event, The Social Unconscious in our Theories and Praxis: The Case of Wilfred Bion. Namaste Hall was filled with students, alumni, and mental health professionals who connected over shared ideas and enjoyed a compelling talk by Dr. Karim Dajani, M.A. '95, Integral Counseling Psychology, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Nearly 150 students, faculty, alumni, and other attendees interested in the topic participated in the conference — about one-third in person at the CIIS campus and the rest online.
 

Dr. Dajani is renowned for his work on cultural dislocation and displacement, trauma, othering, and human rights. For this event, he focused on the development and significance of the theory of the social unconscious. He traced its origins in the early days of psychoanalysis, examining how it was resisted and suppressed for many years, and underscored the urgent need to incorporate it into our current theories and clinical practices. He also highlighted how psychoanalysis’ early history was not only dominated by Western perspectives but also shaped by Eastern contributions, which have often been overlooked or erased.

He then delved into the social unconscious within the work of early psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion. He compared Bion’s ideas to the dominant psychoanalytic theories of his time, noting how Bion’s thinking was likely influenced by his upbringing in India, where he was primarily raised by an Indian ayah (nanny). Bion’s theoretical contributions clearly reproduce conceptions and sensibilities discontinuous from the rest of psychoanalysis, which Dr. Dajani linked to the ways his specific cultural context shaped his thinking and clinical work, making him a bridge between Western and Eastern worldviews. Throughout the presentation, Dr. Dajani engaged the audience in lively, spontaneous exchanges, fostering an atmosphere of intellectual energy and enjoyment as they collectively explored these profound ideas.

I heard such heartfelt appreciation and love from attendees. Students came up to me and emailed me after the event expressing their deep appreciation for Dr. Dajani’s work and voice...The event felt like a lifeline in our current deeply troubling world. 
Dr. David Cushman, Clinical Psychology core faculty and event organizer

The second half of the event featured a discussion of two clinical cases presented by current Psy.D. students, Benjamin Gadbaw and Samyuktha Hari. Following their presentations, Dr. Dajani offered reflections on the implications of each case through the lens of the social unconscious. Both Gadbaw and Hari demonstrated great care and impressive research in presenting their case materials.

The audience, including alumni and fellow students, engaged in a thoughtful dialogue, framing their responses through Dr. Dajani’s earlier insights and collaboratively working to process the materials. Dr. David Cushman, core faculty member and event organizer, shared that he “heard such heartfelt appreciation and love from attendees. Students came up to me and emailed me after the event expressing their deep appreciation for Dr. Dajani’s work and voice, and I even received voice messages from appreciative community members who attended the event. The event felt like a life-line in our current deeply troubling world. We are so grateful for Dr. Dajani, Benjamin and Samyuktha.”

The Department of Clinical Psychology’s next event will be its annual fall conference, Notes from the Field, on Saturday, November 8. The conference will feature a keynote address by Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, founder and director of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Child and Adolescent Gender Center.