To paraphrase Leo Tolstoy:  … every depressed person is depressed in his or her own, very idiosyncratic, way. We might add: anyone who thinks deeply about depression arrives at a very particular attitude to the experience. In my case I will look at the experience of depression through a perennial and familiar lens, the small matter of love.

 Human frailty is at the heart of any exploration of depression as are the patterns of loss and love. Attending to the phenomenon of depression is a way of taking experiences of loss and love for a long, languorous stroll.

 Adopting an archetypal attitude requires that we engage in the drama of this disturbing experiences and see it as the drama of love and betrayal, of will and desire, lust and loss.

 The experiences of melancholia, the dark night of the senses, the aridity of meaninglessness has often been associated with soul. But it is important to note that the soul is not in the body, not in the mind, but in the small things that one has touched and that carries with them the warmth of these hands.

David is a past president of the Society. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies and research in psychology at the University of Sydney. Here he was introduced to the writings of Sigmund Freud (unusual for a Department of Psychology) and developed an ongoing enthusiasm for the history and philosophy of psychology. After a few years in private practice he moved into an academic career, which culminated in the establishment of the Master of Analytical Psychology degree at the University of Western Sydney. David has currently returned to private practice in Sydney CBD.

 Date: 10 June 2016
Time: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Venue: Mitchell Theatre Level 1 Sydney Mechanics' School
of Arts, 280 Pitt St, Sydney
Cost: Members $15 Non-Members $25 Non-Member
Concession $20

*Psychotherapists and other practitioners can obtain credit for Professional Development hours recognised by CAPA, PACFA and ACA for this presentation.