Brett Crudgington
Current Student, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Before coming to BGSP, I studied piano and Latin in college and opened and ran a piano studio for a few years. I then took a few exciting psychoanalytic group-studies weekend workshops. Over time, I noticed that the modern psychoanalytic approach helped me intervene with my music students and parents in a positive way. I wanted to better understand why and how this was happening, so I enrolled at BGSP because they promote both experiential on-the-ground wisdom with theoretical concepts. A strong and unique mix. I was interested in working in the field and in psychoanalysis itself. The master’s program offered a clear trajectory to do exactly this, and to acquire a professional license after a few years.
Thus far, I have found that being in personal analysis, supervision, and frequent process-based classes make the class content more three-dimensional. As I talked about my readings and experiences, I saw patterns and concepts become clearer and more defined; more grounded. Of the courses I have taken, I’ve most enjoyed “Concepts in Group Dynamics,” “Dream, Fantasy, and Symbolic Communication”, and “Biology of Mind and Behavior.” I enjoyed the group class because any practical experience in group analysis is challenging, invaluable, and partially resembles much of life outside of individual therapy. The dreams and biology classes complemented each other because I started to grasp how our raw neural networks inform our other-worldly fantasies and dreams. Awesome.
I am a current intern at Transformation Cares Network and after graduating, I hope to work at a clinic or college campus as a clinician, three days a week. I plan to continue to teach piano for two days a week on the side. I would also like to read more literature, classic poems, more history, etc.
Unfortunately, I suspect that some psychoanalytic concepts are taken too literally, rather than metaphorically. Metaphorical usefulness is where the fascinating stuff resides, in my opinion.