Join NCP as we take our Film and Mind series online!

(2019, USA)

The Two Popes is an extraordinary work of cinematic accomplishment, dramatically weaving psychological complexity with a recent historical event.  For psychotherapists, the film presents an opportunity to examine issues of organizational group structure, complicity, as well as the horror of priest sexual abuse in the context of “morality authority.” 

The Two Popes is an intimate story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years. Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins). Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world. Inspired by true events.  In the discussion, Dr. Morell will address several themes  the film provokes, including the trauma of priest sexual abuse on parishioners and the institution of the Church itself, institutional abuse of seminarians, and the influence of a Jesuit education on Jacques Lacan. 

*Streaming is available on Netflix.

Space is limited to 25 participants.

Schedule

6:45 PM - 8:45 PM: Group viewing of the movie with a silent chat. We will join the Zoom meeting and press "play" simultaneously to watch the movie together. Please purchase the movie before joining the meeting. (Viewing with the group is optional. You can purchase and watch prior to this and still participate in the discussion.) No credit

8:45 PM - 10:15 PM: Discussion begins. We will hear from our discussants and explore the film together. 1.5 CE/CME credits

Learning Objectives:

As a result of attending this session, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the place of the Catholic Church in the moral evolution of human development, incorporating the key principles of Freud’s Future of an Illusion

• Explain Lacan’s “symptom that chains us to our moral/perverse self” in terms of the moral dynamic that animates The Two Popes

• Describe “Moral Authority” in the stages of superego development, personal and societal

• Discuss “Internalization” in the context of superego disturbance as a long-term consequence of sexual abuse by priests

Discussants:

Albert Morell, PhD is a Lacanian clinical and research psychoanalyst in private and institutional practice. He is a former university lecturer in literature, philosophy, and film studies, as well as a former screenwriter. He is co-editor of The Los Angeles County Psychologist and founded the California Forum of the Internationale des Forums École de Psychoanalyse des Forums du Champ Lacanien (IF-EPFCL), based in Paris, France. Dr. Morell was recruited into a Franciscan seminary in early adolescence, and later received Jesuit university graduate and post-graduate degrees.

Thomas Brod, MD, co-director of the NCP Film & Mind series, is Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. He has a private practice in West Los Angeles.

Target audience: Mental health professionals and open to the public interested in psychoanalytic perspectives. Open to members and the community.

Level: Every level.

1.5 CE/CME Credits

$15 with CE Credit

$7 without Credit 

This is an online event. What you need to know:

• Registration is limited to 25 people.
• Register below and you will get an email with the Zoom link.
• You can join other attendees to watch the film "together" (in your own home) at 6:45 pm and even silently comment in the Zoom Meeting “chat” function, or watch it on your own beforehand.
• The official discussion will start at 8:45 pm in the Zoom Meeting room.
• We cannot provide technical support for the viewing of the movie, but will be in the Zoom meeting to help facilitate the discussion.  

 Where to get the movie:

• Netflix

 "How do I get my CE/CME Credit?"

1. Pre-Register below
   • If you are registering for the first time you will receive a welcome email. You must follow the directions in this email to complete your registration in order to access your certificates. 
2. You will receive an email with an evaluation 2 days after the event
3. Complete the evaluation
4. Wait 2 business days
5. Download your Certificate on the NCP website

 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT 

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION FOR ALL LEARNERS: None of the planners and presenters of this CME/CE program have any relevant financial relationships to disclose. 

PHYSICIANS: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the American Psychoanalytic Association and the New Center for Psychoanalysis. The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this Live Activity for the maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  

PSYCHOLOGISTS: The New Center for Psychoanalysis is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. New Center for Psychoanalysis maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Full attendance is required for psychologists to receive credit; partial credit may not be awarded based on APA guidelines. For the psychologists’ records, certificates of attendance are provided at the completion of the course.  

SOCIAL WORKERS, MARRIAGE and FAMILY THERAPISTS (LCSW, LMFT, ASW, IMF, LEP, LPCC, PCCI): The New Center for Psychoanalysis is a continuing education provider that has been approved by the American Psychological Association, a California Board of Behavioral Sciences recognized approval agency. 

REGISTERED NURSES: The New Center for Psychoanalysis is an accredited provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (Provider #CEP1112). Registered Nurses may claim only the actual number of hours spent in the educational activity for credit.