Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association

"You don't stop a kid from receiving his high school diploma, already the most important moment of their life to that point, you don't take that away for something as small as shoes -- and that's exactly what was going to happen. -John Butler https://www.cnn.com//teacher-switches-shoes-wi/index.html

While in Hawaii the Core Dance Artists will participate in four days of cultural immersion with esteemed hula instructor Ryan McCormack, who originates from Waimnalo and holds a Masters Degree in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Our Community . . . Our Neighbors! It happened today! We have many many options to get across the county and across the world. You no longer need to travel to Los Angeles International Airport or Burbank because you can get to anywhere right here from Santa Barbara."

We are excited to welcome Kandice Timmons, Psy.D. as DPT Adjunct Faculty. She will join Drs. Ginger Swanson, Jonathan Erickson, and Indhushree Rajan in teaching DPT 944 - Advanced Dissertation Development for year 3 in Fall 2021! Kandice Timmons, Psy.D. is licensed clinical psychologist in private practice and mental health consultant for the Los Angeles Job Corps Center. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Santa Barbara, with her phenome...nlogical dissertation titled Understanding the Refugee of Hurricane Katrina: An Exploration of Titles, Time and Post Traumatic Growth. Her clinical background is focused on working within many multicultural contexts including but not limited to the LGBTQIA+ community, trauma, resiliency, and identity and transitioned aged youth (16-24). In practice, she is cognizant of the importance of working within and understanding the intersectionality that influences our individual experiences and challenges. As adjunct faculty, she teaches students in research coursework.

Greetings and Happy June! As we move into 'June Gloom', our hearts and outlook are not gloomy at all! Community #VOICE just arrived with news and happenings around our neighbors. Did you know that our Santa Barbara Neighborhood Ciinics reached their goal to build a new Westside Clinic?? They did it!!! Other stories include: the Loma Fire (it was frightening!), Music, Beach Clean Up, Honors, our annual I Madonnari and more! #VOICE is a great beach companion or may be reserved for a late evening read! We encourage you to share with a friend or neighbor! Much Gratitude, as always, to TEAM #VOICE!

DATE: Monday, June 7th, 2021 at 12:00pm (PDT) CANDIDATE: Sophie Fletcher PROGRAM/TRACK/YEAR: Depth Psychology Emphasis in Somatic Studies, Track S, 2014 DISSERTATION TITLE: Touched by Touching: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Look at the Experience of Touch for Bodywork Practitioners CHAIR: Dr. Christine Downing... READER: Dr. Lori Pye EXTERNAL READER: Dr. Shogo Tanaka Abstract: Physical touch is a universal experience that is vital for one’s life, however it has only gained research recognition over the past few decades. Three areas of touch research continue to be neglected: what happens beyond the obvious physical stimulation, the inherent bidirectional attribute of touch, and the embodied experience of those who utilize touch as a main avenue of their work. This research addresses each of these areas through exploring the lived experience of touch for bodywork practitioners. It relied on a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology amplified by a depth psychological lens that enhanced embodied understanding. To capture the ubiquitous nature of relational experience, literature from depth psychology, dermatology, philosophy, interpersonal neuroscience, touch research, bodywork manuals, sociology, and biomagnetic energy science was explored. The interview findings demonstrated that touch allowed the practitioners to bypass the conscious mind and experience deeper connection between themselves and their clients. It also revealed that the physical nature of being a bodywork practitioner requires a lifestyle that incorporates self-care to help the practitioner provide the greatest service to their clients. This research contributed additional flesh to theories about somatic countertransference, intercorporeality, peripersonal space, the body as the unconscious, the collective unconscious, the Wounded Healer archetype, energy exchange between bodies, intuition, resonance, and the transcendent function. Contemporary research on touch and bodywork requires both discernment and insight. This research responded creatively to this calling. Keywords: touch, bodywork, hermeneutic-phenomenology, depth-psychology, somatics, intercorporeality, somatic-countertransference, resonance

We are shaken and enraged by the senseless murder of George Floyd*, and we support every social, political, and financial change that can exist to free everyone’s bodies and souls from this twenty-first century pandemic of racism. Racism is a lethal weapon that leads to murder. As Depth Psychologists and Mythologists, we are called at this time to uncover and examine the deep-seated racism that exists in our personal and collective unconscious belief systems. The strength of ...our American mythology balances against the weight of our history: racism has negated the promise of what America could be since the earliest settlements of Europeans. This is our hard truth: our national shadow is a swirling cauldron of fearful hate, ruling-class privilege, white-hegemony, structural racism, and systemic oppression, and it permeates all of our institutions. See more

Our Community . . . Our Neighbors The Hosford Counseling & Psychological Services Clinic, based at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School, has launched a new service, The Healing Center. The Healing Center is a specialty clinic that provides psychological services to Black-Identifying clients of all ages. In addition to general stressors and life issues, the Healing Center acknowledges the effects of racial trauma, marginalization, and injustice on social and health disparities among Black communities. All services are provided by Black therapists who have an interest in addressing the negative toll of anti-Black racism on Black residents in our local community.

Dreams can be practical, helpful and prophetic. They can help us deal with the complexities of daily life and are amongst the most helpful experiences we can use in our personal development. But, how do we fully relate to these gifts from our inner world?

I'm excited to share that Carol Ferris and I will be leading a seminar on Carl #Jung's Black Books in March! Join us for eight sessions as we dive into these re...cently published raw notebooks in which Jung documented his "confrontation with the unconscious." If you joined us for our nearly 30 session exploration of Jung's Red Book in 2020, this is an opportunity to get deeper into the stories, history, and value of this magnum opus. Or if this is your first time through, you're in for a wonderful ride! Join us! Click link below for more information. #CarlJung #cgjung #redbooks #blackbooks #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #unconscious https://salomeinstitute.com//carl-jung-black-books-seminar

Our Community . . . Our Neighbors In light of our current situation, I am at a loss, he said during a media-only Zoom call. I honestly don’t know what to say anymore. Many people are blatantly disregarding all warnings. There’s a lot of travelling, a lot of mixing and mingling and not wearing masks. I understand that people are tired of the pandemic, Ansorg continued. However, denial of the facts will only make things worse. Those facts are as follows:

DATE: January 13, 2021 CANDIDATE: Lorraine May Levy PROGRAM/TRACK/YEAR: Depth Psychology, Track ZZ, 2011 DISSERTATION TITLE: Persephone: A Bridge of Transformation: ... Through Trauma to Post Traumatic Growth CHAIR: Dr. Mary Wood READER: Dr. Sukey Fontelieu EXTERNAL READER: Dr. Cynthia Cavalli Abstract This research focuses on the parallels between the Underworld journey of Persephone, from the Greek text the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, and the journey through the Underworld of sexual assault, with its own path of return and recovery. This project highlights the mission of The Grateful Garments Project and local sexual assault response teams (SART) as they serve assault victims by providing new clothes to those who have turned over their clothing as evidence in a forensic examination. Imagining Persephone emerging from the Underworld clothed as a queen allows theory, myth, and advocacy to meet at a hermeneutic crossroads. This dissertation employs the theoretical framework of depth psychology and explores the connections between dignity and sexual assault by focusing on aspects of the myth connecting Persephone to the archetypal hero’s journey. Bringing depth psychology into dialogue with trauma studies and posttraumatic growth provides openings for new understanding of the recovery process from sexual assault. This study demonstrates that the archetypal actions of providing clothing, connection, and services by The Grateful Garments Project to those who are emerging from sexual assault and violence, not only helps them survive, but also opens the possibility for them to thrive. Keywords: Depth Psychology, Persephone, The Grateful Garment Project, Posttraumatic Growth, Transformation, Trauma, SART, Underworld, Hero's Journey, Clothing, PERMA. Please note: We continue to host all oral defenses virtually through Pacifica’s resources by invitation only. Please note that neither campus is open at this time. Thank you for your continued understanding and support.

Please join me for the Embodied Social Justice Summit coming up at the end of January. This free online event explores how oppressive social structures are embe...dded within bodies and how through engaging the body we can respond to the social justice challenges of our time. Tons of great speakers and a wonderful opportunity to build community on these issues. www.embodiedsocialjusticesummit.com/register