Guilt: A Psychoanalytic Exploration
CPD courses & hours for psychologists in Australia
Deepen your understanding of guilt for Australian psychologists through a contemporary psychoanalytic lens.
This talk explores the complex nature of guilt through a contemporary psychoanalytic lens, examining both conscious & unconscious guilt & how these shape human behaviour, relationships & emotional wellbeing. Participants will be introduced to key distinctions including persecutory & reparative guilt, as well as the role of the superego as an internal critic that can drive self-punishment, suffering & self-sabotage.
The talk also considers how guilt can be justified or unjustified, how it may be induced in early relationships, & how individuals can become stuck in cycles of suffering due to unresolved unconscious processes. A focus will be placed on the movement toward reparation, responsibility & conscience, highlighting pathways toward growth, emotional repair & greater psychological freedom.
Sections
- Conscious & unconscious guilt
- Persecutory & reparative guilt
- The super ego & self-punishment
- Justified, unjustified & induced guilt
- Therapeutic approaches to working with guilt
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this talk, participants will be able to:
- Describe the differences between conscious & unconscious guilt
- Identify persecutory & reparative guilt in clinical or everyday contexts
- Explain the role of the super ego in maintaining self-punishment & suffering
- Distinguish between justified & unjustified guilt
- Apply basic principles for working with guilt in therapeutic settings
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