Dr. Philip Cushman: Psychology on the Edge

On Friday, August 18, 2017, Pacifica Graduate Institute hosted a panel discussion with Oksana Yakushko, Michael Sipiora, and special guest Dr. Philip Cushman. The evening Salon was titled "Psychology on the Edge: Conversations on Suppression, Resistance and Transformations in the Field". In his now classic American Psychologist article “Why the Self is Empty,” Philip Cushman (1990) called for a “rethinking” of the whole “business of psychology.” But he quickly noted that “most of us do not have the training to attempt such a task.” On the 30th anniversary of the clinical Ph.D. program and as social engagement is included among the program’s core competencies, Chair Oksana Yakushko and Director of Research Michael Sipiora join Dr. Cushman in a discussion of graduate education in clinical psychology that addresses “the integrity of our profession,” and the “viability of our society” (Cushman, 1990).