Time, Language, and Embodiment by Mary Lynne Ellis

Time, Language, and Embodiment by Mary Lynne Ellis

In my talk I shall explore the significance of time in the therapeutic relationship and how an attentiveness to this is a vital catalyst for change. I shall reflect on the limitations of spatial metaphors, binaries of ‘inner’/ ‘outer’ in addressing the socio-political and historical specificity of individuals’ conscious and unconscious experiences. The impact of the Corona virus, the escalation of climate change, current political crises in the U.K. and globally, including the outbreak of wars, have highlighted for many psychotherapists that interpretations focusing primarily on the past do not suffice. From a relational perspective, the question of how we live our lives within intersubjective networks lived in the present in anticipation of the future and affected also by the past is crucial. Through case material (composite) and references to literature, autobiography, and contemporary philosophy, I shall explore how an attention to time and creativity in the therapeutic relationship can open out previously unimagined possibilities of being and speaking as embodied individuals.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Association of Group and Individual Psychotherapy, 1 Fairbridge Road, London, United Kingdom