Scientific Program featuring Salman Akhtar, MD

Saturday, May 30, 2026
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

ET

Hybrid via Zoom or In-Person at McKimmon Center at NCSU, Raleigh North Carolina 27606 United States

Self-loathing: Origins, Manifestations, Dynamics, and Treatment

Presented by Salman Akhtar, MD

Registration Fee: Please select the fee level that best reflects your current circumstances.

This presentation will address the painful malady of self-loathing. Four types of self-loathing will be described: (i) primal, (ii) shame based, (iii) guilt based, and (iv) remorse based. Therapeutic strategies to lessen such self-hatred and to improve self-esteem will also be discussed. Ample clinical material will be presented to illustrate the various proposals contained in this presentation.

About the Speaker

Salman Akhtar, MD, is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. His more than 500 publications include 120 authored or edited books. Dr. Akhtar has served on the editorial boards of all three major journals of psychoanalysis: Journal of American Psychological Association, International Journal of Psychoanalysis, and Psychoanalytic Quarterly. He has received many professional honors, including the highly prestigious Sigourney Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychoanalysis in 2012.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Describe and enumerate the major types of self-loathing.

2. Examine the central issue involved in each type of self-loathing presented.

3. Demonstrate the ability to empathize better with patients with self-loathing, which will lead to more effective treatment.

This program is intended for physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and other clinicians or interested academics.

Confidentiality Statement: All case material will be carefully disguised. We ask that participants agree to hold all material presented with the utmost care, following ethical and professional guidelines.

Accommodation Statement: To request an accommodation for this program, please email  Kayla Schilke, PCC Training and Education Program Manager, at least two weeks before the start date.

1. Akhtar, S. (2025). Deadness: Psychoanalytic reflections. The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 85, 213-235.

2. Alleyne, A. (2024). Shame and its vicissitudes. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 44, 266-278.

3. Austin, S. (2016). Working with chronic and relentless self-hatred, self-harm and existential shame: A clinical study and reflections. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 61, 24-43.

 

Books for further reading:

Lee, M. (2024) Self-hatred. Why do we hate ourselves? Beyond self-hatred, How to regain peace of mind. Muru Center.

Aguirre, B. (2025). I hate myself: Overcome Self-loathing and realize why you’re wrong about you. Wiley.

Akhtar, S. (In press) Self-loathing. In: Damaged and damaging: Two tragic outcomes of psychic trauma and their treatment. Karnac Books.

 

CME credits: 2 / CE credits: 2 / NBCC: 2 clock hours / All others: Letter of Attendance

The Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6518. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

The Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Social workers will receive a letter of attendance documenting their hours of continuing education. This certificate may not be acceptable verification in all states.

ACCME Accreditation Statement
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 American Psychoanalytic Association and the Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas. The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement
The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Statement
The APsA CE Committee has reviewed the materials for accredited continuing education and has determined that this activity is not related to the product line of ineligible companies and therefore, the activity meets the exception outlined in Standard 3: ACCME's identification, mitigation and disclosure of relevant financial relationship. This activity does not have any known commercial support. 

Contact: Kayla@CarolinaPsychoanalytic.org

For more information on our cancellation policy, please click here.

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