The Topic

Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and others have introduced us to the power of mythic archetypes as an illuminative tool to help us understand individual human psychology. 

Yet, there has been little application of archetypal thinking towards group psychology.  Gods, Groups, and Heroes synthesises post-Jungian ideas about myth with modern theories of group psychology, specifically the work of Wilfred Bion and the group relations movement.

By applying the depth psychology lens to our study of groups, we can start to “decode” the unconscious elements at play from a fresh perspective that weaves in the story elements that have stuck with us through different historical and cultural periods.  This orientation can enhance the effectiveness of executive coaches, facilitators, therapists, and anyone else that works closely with teams in their organization.

The Agenda

In the first half of the webinar, Brant and Aodhán will make their presentation and facilitate initial responses.

In the second half, we'll move into a reflection-application session:

- 'Composting': experienced peers work the material in small groups to sprout new ideas;

- 'Weaving': attendees gather to collectively reflect and question, weaving our experiences together;

- Discuss how we will apply learnings to our personal practice in Reflection Application Pairs (RAPs).

The Speakers

Brant Elwood has a MA in social-organisational psychology from Columbia University and is the executive director for a therapeutic recovery program for adult men. During the pandemic, he directed a non-profit that utilised myth and archetypal theory to conduct rites of passage work with young men in the southeast US. Prior to that, Brant worked with multiple wilderness therapy organisations in a leadership role.

Brant draws from the mythopoetic lineage of Robert Bly, Robert Johnson, and others in an attempt to establish a novel style of thinking about groups in communities and organisations. He first attended a Tavistock-style group relations conference in 2015.

Aodhán Moran has one foot in psychology and the other in technology. A student of group relations since 2019, Aodhán has attended multiple group relations-style conferences in member, trainee consultant, and staff roles, including The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations' Leicester Conference. Aodhán draws on Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Jonathan Pageau, René Girard, Simon Western, and others in his explorations of individual and group dynamics.

Aodhán is particularly interested in the intersection of psychology, mythology, and religion, and how these areas can inform our understanding of individual and group behaviour.

If you purchase a ticket but can't make it in real-time, a recording will be shared with you after the webinar.