Scientific Program featuring Beverly Simmons, PhD, LCSW
ET
Female Sensuality, Sexual Subjectivity, Arousal Regulation, Orgasmic Functioning, Intersections and Women's Healthcare: How Contemporary Neuroscience Affects Ethical Psychoanalytic Understanding and Practice
Presented by Beverly Simmons, PhD, LCSW
Registration Fee: $60*
*Free admission and CE/CME credits for PCC members, LDC staff and board, full-time students with ID, and trainees in the Departments of Social Work, Psychology, Psychiatry, and Mental Health Counseling.
Modern neuroscience calls our attention to the reality that one of the most impactful regulation experiences for a human adult nervous system (and thus physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health) is a safe, present-oriented, consensual, intersubjective sexual encounter. Our cellular biology related to orgasmic experience is a significantly deeper layer of these health regulating intersubjective encounters. Yet, the majority of the world’s cultures and health care systems, no matter how well intended, actively deny, minimize, dismiss, suppress or repress the physiological health impact of sexual subjectivity and orgasmic experience, particularly for female identifying members of society. Such assaults on subjectivity and, ultimately female nervous systems, are even more pronounced when we account for intersections of race, class, age, disability status and sexual orientation. Poor societally endorsed psychological boundaries surrounding female self ownership, sensuality and sexual subjectivity not only lead to increased physical and sexual violence against women, but also deny women the fundamental right to live in healthy bodies with well regulated nervous systems. Dr. Simmons will present an integration of neuroscience, psychoanalytic, legal and social research to address this phenomenon and its impact on ethical analytic thought and practice.
About the Speaker
Dr. Beverly Simmons is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a PhD from Smith College in Northampton, MA. Her professional passion is integrative clinical practice that is rooted in traditional and contemporary psychoanalytic theories, intersects with affective neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology and is always contextualized within the social environment. She believes that therapeutic relationships are most effective when the therapist is able to help the patient understand discrepancies between their verbal communications, emotional expressions and unconscious nervous system responses. In addition to the original Freudian concept of a dynamic unconscious, Dr. Simmons has specific interest in the internal sense of agency of her clients that offers an appreciation of the responsibility and accountability which come with increased self-awareness and a growth mindset. She has practiced in NC for more than 20 years and maintains a professional practice with a diverse client population in Raleigh, NC. Jill Dunn, LCSW states “Dr. Simmons’ work is thoughtfully and compassionately guided by her extensive training in depth, somatic and trauma therapies. With warmth, candor and a drive to relieve suffering, she weaves cutting edge neurobiological science, psychoanalytic and somatic therapies with social science data to effectively treat the whole person.”