Dehumanization In Everyday Life: “Neuro-disgust”
Thursday, October 11, 2018, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Presented by: Irit Felsen, Ph.D.
Dehumanization In Everyday Life: “Neuro-disgust”
The National Institute for the Psychotherapies
250 West 57th Street, Suite 501
New York, NY 10107
Dehumanization is usually thought of in relation to extreme situations associated with war and political conflict. However, dehumanizing perceptions of others are invoked and involved in much more mundane situations, and even in the relationships between healthcare providers and patients. We would like to think that we, as professionals dedicated to care of others, are not susceptible to dehumanizing perceptions of others. Yet modern research in social cognitions and studies in neuroaffective science show that even individuals who consciously hold egalitarian and caring attitudes are likely to respond in biased ways to certain patients, in particular to those who appear very different from us, as is often the case in our multi-cultural environment, or those who evoke responses of “neuro-disgust”.
This presentation will focus on non-conscious emotional bias to explore the factors that are associated with such responses toward particular ‘others.’ Rooted in the evolutionary history of the human species and the human brain as a social organ, these responses cannot be eradicated by intellectual training alone. The presentation will offer ways for healthcare providers and others to develop the self-regulation skills necessary to counteract automatic non-conscious processes that represent emotional and neural dehumanizing perceptions of others.
Learning Objectives:
The participants will learn about dehumanization as a process that is not restricted to extreme situations but occurs in everyday situation and even in healthcare.
The participants will learn how to identify internal signs within themselves that signal perceptions of others as ‘less human’ and create risk for unintentional discriminatory bias.
The participants will learn how to effectively counter automatic, unintentional perceptions of others that are associated with elevated risk for dehumanizing them.
Irit Felsen, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of trauma and traumatic loss. She is an Adjunct Professor at Yeshiva University, and she maintains a private practice in NJ, where she works with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Dr. Felsen is co-chair of the NGO committee on Mental Health in Consultative relationship with the United Nations and a researcher with the Yale University Trauma Study Group, Genocide Studies Program.
Continuing Education
This event is approved for 2 CE contact hours for psychologists, social workers, licensed psychoanalysts, and licensed mental health clinicians:
The National Institute for the Psychotherapies is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education credits for psychologists. The National Institute for the Psychotherapies maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The National Institute for the Psychotherapies is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0018.
The National Institute for the Psychotherapies is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychoanalysts #Psyan-0004.
National Institute for the Psychotherapies (NIP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0059.
Personalized CE certificates will be distributed at the end of this event. Due to New York State requirements, persons arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes early will not receive a CE certificate.
Fees
$50 general public
$40 candidates & students
$10 NIP candidates
Refunds, & Cancellation Policy
Cancellation requests made more than a week prior to the event will be given a full refund of registration fees. Refunds will not be granted for cancellation requests made within a week of the event or for no-shows on the day of the event.