43: Exploring the Unconscious with Susan Long

Susan Long has studied and practiced working with the unconscious
for many years. She brings fresh thinking to help us understand
the unconscious in its many forms.

Susan discusses the pre-Freudian unconscious drawing on the
romantic philosopher Friedrich Schelling’s work who thought of
the unconscious as a source of creativity.

Susan reflects on the ‘repressed unconscious’ of Freud, and how
he developed a treatment method (psychoanalysis) based on using
free association to access the unconscious. Freud also pioneered
group psychology, and Susan explores the group unconscious and
how this manifests in society today. 

The 'associative unconscious' is a more contemporary exploration
of the unconscious and Susan shares how we might draw on it to
discover individual and group thoughts that are not yet accessed,
what Christopher Bollas called the 'unthought known'. 

Simon shares his experiences of using a 'free-association matrix'
method in a work setting

The conversation finishes by exploring a new wave of thinking
about the unconscious, such as neuro-scientific insights and a
more generative eco-unconscious, taking the unconscious beyond
the human mind. This is a fascinating discussion, enjoy!

Bio

Susan Long is a Melbourne based organisational
consultant and executive coach. Previously Professor of Creative
and Sustainable Organisation at RMIT University, she is now a
Professor and Director of Research and Scholarship at the
National Institute for Organisation Dynamics Australia (NIODA)
and a coach and consultant in private practice. Susan has been in
a leadership position in many professional organisations and has
published ten books and many articles in books and scholarly
journals, is General Editor of the journal Socioanalysis and an
Associate Editor with Organisational and Social Dynamics. Susan
is a distinguished member of ISPSO.

Simon Western is the host of Edgy Ideas Podcast,
founder of the Eco-Leadership Institute
www.ecoleadershipinstitute.org, and CEO of Analytic-Network
Coaching- an advanced coach training company. He is the author of
internationally acclaimed leadership and coaching books, and
blogs on wider social-political issues. Previously a past
president of ISPSO,  a family psychotherapist, general and
psychiatric nurse, and a factory worker.  Simon works with
senior leaders in global companies as a leadership consultant
with the aim of delivering new eco-leadership cultures that
support system-change, and to coach ‘leaders to act in good faith
to create the good society’.