Upcoming Events
Psychological and Medical Anthropology Seminar Series
Ethnography in the Clinic: Reflections on Alzheimer's in Oaxaca and Sexual Trauma among Veteran Men
UCSD Psychological and Medical Anthropology Seminar Series
Who: Dr. Jonathan Yahalom
When: Monday, April 29, 2024, 10-11:30am
Where: Social Sciences Building 102
Description
Ethnography involves the immersion of the researcher intoeveryday life to better understand the perspectives of insiderswithin a specific social world. While widely used in the socialsciences, and despite the immersion of clinicians in the world ofpatient care, ethnography has largely been overlooked amongmental health researchers. In this presentation, I discuss howethnography has been utilized from my vantage point as aclinical psychologist. I will present research both on caregivingfor Alzheimer's in Oaxaca, Mexico, and on veteran men withhistories of sexual trauma to explore the intersection, relevance,and usefulness of ethnography within clinical psychology. In sodoing, I review how ethnography is particularly useful forhighlighting dimensions of agency and social context in mentalhealthcare, and raise questions about the limitations of utilizingethnography as a mental health provider.
About Dr. Yahalom
Jonathan Yahalom is a clinical psychologist with a background in ethnographic research. He is a staff psychologist at the VA Greater Los Angeles and Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor at David Geffen School of Medicine. He has conducted ethnographic research on dementia caregiving in Oaxaca, Mexico, which led to publication of his book Caring for the People of the Clouds: Aging and Dementia in Oaxaca (2019). He is currently engaged in clinical work and conducting research on men’s sexual trauma at the VA.
Dr. Aidan Seale-Feldman
UCSD Psychological and Medical Anthropology Seminar Series
Topic: Psychedelic medicine and spiritual experiences
Who: Dr. Aidan Seale-Feldman
When: Monday, May 6, 2024, 10-11:30am
Where: Social Sciences Building 102
Description
Psychedelic medicine is a rapidly growing, billion-dollar industry poised to transform mental health care by incorporating spiritual experiences into clinical psychiatry. The Ethical Substance study is an interdisciplinary project that brings together perspectives from anthropology, psychiatry, and theology to explore the incorporation of mystical experience into the lives of secular Americans and their therapeutic practices.
Why have nonreligious Americans turned to psychedelics as spiritual technologies to cultivate new ways of being-in-the-world? How will the therapeutic use of “entheogenic” substances transform the secular field of psychiatry? What impact will the increasing use of psychedelics among the nonreligious have on the lives of secular Americans? To answer these questions, members of the project will conduct on ethnographic and qualitative research in a clinical trial for psilocybin-assisted palliative care, in psychedelic churches, in a psychedelic therapy training program, and in psychedelic science conferences.
In a cultural context defined by secular individualism, Ethical Substance aims to explore the personal, social, and spiritual impact of psychedelic practice and psychedelic experiences of ego dissolution, boundlessness, and “oneness” with the world. This talk will discuss the overarching project, as well as preliminary research findings from fieldwork in a psychedelic church where the spiritually curious heal trauma with “entheogens,” psychoactive substances that reveal the presence of the sacred.
About Dr. Seale-Feldman
Aidan Seale-Feldman is an Assistant Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. Her research draws on approaches from Phenomenological Anthropology and the Anthropology of ethics and morality to explore questions related to crisis, disaster, mental health, spirituality, and the ethics of care in Nepal and the United States. Funded by the John Templeton Foundation, her current research project, “Ethical Substance: Psychedelic Medicine in Times of Social and Spiritual Crisis” explores the incorporation of mystical experience into the lives of secular Americans and their therapeutic practices.
Other Mental Wellbeing Events
Move for Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month (MMHM) will be “Tritons Flourish @ UC San Diego.” On Tuesday, May 2nd from 11am-2pm, students can come by the Price Center Plaza to pick up a green ribbon in honor of MMHM and participate in activities such as writing gratitude letters, participating in “sensory stations” at The Zone, enter a free raffle, and learn about the benefits of positive psychology.
Move for Mental Health
"Move for Mental Health" is another featured event which is a week of movement-based classes (May 1st–May 5th) highlighting the benefits of physical activity on mental well-being. Students can attend a variety of designated classes, learn about mental health resources on campus, and pick up free swag.
Monday, May 1
Tuesday, May 2
Wednesday, May 3
- Tritons RISE with Outback–Climbing
- Tritons RISE: Mindfulness Studio–Walk
- Tritons RISE: Joyful Movement–Dance
Thursday, May 4
Friday, May 5
