35. Absence, Presence & How Screen Time Is Shaping Our Relational Lives / Dr Gillian Isaacs Russell

In today’s conversation, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Gillian Isaacs Russell - an author, Psychoanalyst, Psychotherapist, and a member of the British Psychoanalytic Council, the American Psychoanalytic Association and the International Psychoanalytical Association. Having served on the Editorial Board as Book Reviews Editor, Gillian is currently on the Reviewing Panel for the British Journal for Psychotherapy, and was recently co-opted to the Covid-19 Advisory Team for the American Psychoanalytic Association. With each of us living different experiences of what it means to be under lockdown during a pandemic, we explore how denial, grief, loss and fear can show up, what personal adaptation and transition might look like, and how we might begin to give ourselves permission to experience and integrate what we’re living through, however that may be. We also discuss the role of eye gaze and embodied presence, how increased screen time may bring both losses and gains, and what we may come to value as we move through this time together. Gillian also mentions several fascinating studies which I’ll link to in the show notes page if you fancy diving in deeper. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/