The Alliance was entrusted by an anonymous donor with the creation and oversight of a lecture series to honor Theo Dorpat, MD. The Dorpat Lecture in Psychoanalysis and Society recognizes significant work in applying psychoanalytic understanding to social problems, and is presented to the general public to help inform about psychoanalytic concepts and their value in addressing societal issues. Lectures are presented every one to two years, free of charge.
Dr. Dorpat, 1925-2006, was a psychoanalyst and forensic psychiatrist whose work placed him in the forefront of creative integration of psychoanalysis and contemporary thought. Dr. Dorpat was a past president of the Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, and wrote four books and more than 370 scientific papers.
Past speakers have included:
- John Lord Alderdice, who helped achieve peace between factions in Northern Ireland
- Stuart Twemlow, expert in adolescent psychology and juvenile justice issues, who developed a program to reduce bullying behavior
- Judith Broder, who founded the Soldiers Project, an organization to provide free mental health services for returning war veterans and their famiies
- Mark Smaller, who developed a psychoanalytically based curriculum for underserved students in Chicago
- Theodore Rynearson, who developed the Violent Death Bereavement Project which uses group therapy to help people who have experienced loss through violent deaths
- Molly Melching, who founded Tostan, a Senegalese community empowerment organization whose participants learn the art of responsive listening, resulting in many positive social changes such as ending genital cutting.
- Yoav Peck and Fulla Jubeh engaged with one another on the topic of ways in which to discuss the Israeli/Palestinian conflict
The November 2018 lecture is entitled Microaggressions: What are They and How are They Harmful, featuring Dr. Caprice Hollins. For more information about this event, please click here.