Dr Mark Solms

Professor
Neuropsychoanalytic Psychotherapy

Dr. Mark Solms stands as a distinguished figure at the crossroads of neuroscience and psychoanalysis. Renowned for his groundbreaking research, he has significantly shaped contemporary understanding of the brain's mechanisms and their relation to conscious experience. Dr. Solms’ work has not only advanced the field of neuropsychology but has also brought new depth and clarity to psychoanalytic theory and practice.

Watch a short film with Mark here!

As a leading neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst, Dr. Solms has devoted his career to exploring the enigmatic relationship between neuroscientific discoveries and psychotherapeutic processes. His innovative studies have provided profound insights into the nature of the human mind, redefining clinical approaches to mental health and offering fresh perspectives on the dynamics of consciousness.

Dr. Solms holds esteemed positions within several professional bodies. He is a member of the British Psychoanalytical Society and the American and South African Psychoanalytic Associations. Additionally, he serves as the Director of Neuropsychology at the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Cape Town and is an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. His contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous honors, including the prestigious Sigourney Prize.

An accomplished author, Dr. Solms has published over 350 scientific papers and eight books, the most recent being The Hidden Spring (Norton, 2021). His literary and scholarly achievements include serving as the authorized editor and translator of the Revised Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (24 volumes) and the upcoming Complete Neuroscientific Works of Sigmund Freud (4 volumes). Through these contributions, Dr. Solms continues to influence and inspire the evolving landscape of neuroscience and psychoanalysis.

Don't miss out on these sessions

Sessions featuring Dr. Mark Solms

In recognition of his thought leadership, Dr. Solms is one of the five keynote speakers at the prestigious Emotion Revolution conference, where he will present two sessions that exemplify his integrative approach to neuroscience and psychoanalysis:

The major emotional drives of the human brain and their implications for psychopathology

45 minutes
The neuropsychoanalytic approach to psychotherapy (and to psychiatry) is predicated on the idea that our patients suffer mainly from unsatisfied emotional needs. Emotional distress of various kinds is what brings our patients to treatment; this is usually the presenting complaint. In this talk, Mark Solms will outline the major emotional needs of the human being, as they are currently understood in the most authoritative neuroscientific classification. He will describe how these different emotional needs (when they are unfulfilled) present clinically, and how these presentations relate to DSM diagnoses.

A neuropsychoanalytic framework for conceptualising psychopathology and practicing psychotherapy

90 minutes
The neuropsychoanalytic approach to psychotherapy begins with the identification (and classification) of the unfulfilled emotional need that the patient is suffering from. This is a descriptive task, since emotions are conscious phenomena and the patient is only too aware of them. The next task in neuropsychoanalytic therapy is to discern the way in which the patient is going about meeting this unfulfilled emotional need. This is an inferential task: the patient’s habitual strategy is inferred from their recurring behavioural patterns (broadly know as ‘transference’ in psychoanalysis) and from their developmental history – since these strategies are normally formulated in early childhood. The final task is to identify the defences that the patient deploys in an attempt to fend off the emotional needs they suffer from. The aim of neuropsychoanalytic therapy is to make the patient aware of these habitual (automatised) strategies and defences, in order to problematise them and thereby facilitate the process of helping them to formulate new and more mature strategies. This talk will outline these principles in a practical way.

Panel Wednesday:

Join an engaging panel discussion featuring some of the most prominent figures in psychotherapy—Leslie Greenberg, Nancy McWilliams, Ann Weisser Cornell, Allan Abbass, and Mark Solms—as they unravel the complex challenges of working with emotions in therapy. This session will address how clinicians can effectively navigate and resolve key therapeutic roadblocks, such as interruptions in emotional processing and self-directed anger. The panelists will share cutting-edge insights and practical approaches for fostering deeper emotional connections, increasing emotional resilience, and breaking through entrenched patterns of avoidance. Expect a dynamic exchange of ideas that will provide attendees with actionable strategies to overcome the therapeutic barriers highlighted by each keynote speaker, making this a must-attend event for those looking to elevate their practice and deepen their understanding of emotional work in therapy.

Panel Friday:

As we conclude three days of enriching presentations and discussions, our final panel debate will bring together our keynote speakers to reflect on the key takeaways from the conference. This session will focus on synthesizing the insights gained and exploring future directions for the field of psychotherapy. Our panelists will discuss the implications of their work for ongoing clinical practice and research and share their visions for the future of their respective approaches. This is an opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of where the field is headed and how we can continue to evolve and improve our work with clients.
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