The Topic

In this webinar, Susan Long will explore the unconscious as a spiritual force that moves through individuals, groups, and organisational systems. Drawing from depth psychology and systems psychodynamics, she will invite us to consider how the unconscious operates not only as a repository of hidden desires and defences but as a deeper intelligence that shapes creativity, connection, and transformation.

By working with unconscious dynamics in teams and organisations, we open ourselves to something beyond the rational mind — a space where intuition, imagination, and spirit emerge. This session will offer participants an opportunity to reflect on how engaging with the unconscious can lead to more authentic leadership and systemic change.

The Agenda

In the first half of the webinar, Susan will make her 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 Speaker

Professor Susan Long is PhD Co-Lead and Research Lead at NIODA and former Professor of Creative and Sustainable Organisation at RMIT University, Melbourne. She supervises doctoral candidates, teaches in global programs such as INSEAD’s Master of Coaching and Consulting (Singapore), and consults on leadership, organisational change, and executive coaching.
A trained clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Susan has a deep interest in the unconscious and its influence on individuals, groups, and organisations. She has served on advisory boards, including Comcare’s Centre of Excellence for Research into Mental Health at Work, and was the founding President of Group Relations Australia. She is also a past President of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organisations (ISPSO), where she contributed to advancing psychoanalytic approaches to leadership and organisational life. Her latest book, The Evolution of the Unconscious: Exploring Persons, Groups, Nature and Spirit, traces the historical development of unconscious thought, from early philosophical ideas to contemporary psychoanalysis. She explores how the unconscious operates not only within individuals but also within social, ecological, and spiritual dimensions. Through this lens, she challenges reductionist views and offers a broader, interconnected understanding.

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