Understanding Power and Power Dynamics

Our mission is to re-imagine psychology for the 21st century through connection, exploration, and innovation.

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In this lecture, Dr. Jessica Harbaugh introduces us to the topic of power, which is a major theme in critical studies, psychoanalysis, and psychology. How do these fields differ in their treatment of power and power dynamics? How do Foucault’s contributions on power, for instance, compare to the “scientific” exploration of power in the field of psychology?

This is the first meeting from the lecture series “Untwisting Power Asymmetries Through Accompaniment”. In this lecture series, we have questioned the ways that we—in our already powerful roles as clinicians, activists, educators, lawyers, and other positions of status—are prone to repeating the powerful/powerless dynamic with the individuals we otherwise hope to serve.

Jessica Harbaugh, PhD, is a licensed psychologist from New York City, now living in Berlin. She completed a training year at the Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture and collected original data from students in various mental health fields throughout the U.S., who worked with survivors of torture as part of their training experience. Jessica has also worked extensively with LGBTQ individuals and underserved adults presenting with complex trauma.