Jaak Panksepp, who died in 2017, spent his life studying the emotional lives of mammals. He identified seven important emotional systems, and by the time of his death had traced the neurochemical mediators of most of these systems, and the important roles that these emotional systems play in animal development and adaptation. Through these subcortical systems in the mammal brain such as the Seeking system, the Play system, and the Panic/Grief system, animals live their social lives, obtain resources, and develop into healthy individuals.  His work has many implications for the practice of psychotherapy that have only begun to be appreciated.

I propose a ten-week study group centered on Panksepp’s two major books: “Affective Neuroscience : the Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions” (1998) and “The Archeology of Mind” (2012) (written in collaboration with the psychologist Lucy Biven).

In each session we will begin by discussing the therapeutic implications of one of Panksepp’s papers, followed by an attempt to apply Panksepp’s conclusions to our clinical work.

The group will meet in my office in Fremont every other week on either Tuesday or Wednesday from 7:30 to 9 PM, starting in mid September.