Profs and Pints Meetup-Metro DC

Profs and Pints DC presents: “‘Kink’ or ‘Disorder’?” a look at how psychology approaches unusual sexual behaviors, with Brian A. Sharpless, licensed clinical psychologist, former faculty member at Penn State and Washington State universities and the American School of Professional Psychology, and author of Psychodynamic Therapy Techniques.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-kink-or-disorder .]

Few subjects are as interesting – or as sensitive – as sex. Psychology’s history of dealing with sexual behaviors and, especially, the more unusual among them, has been fraught, in many cases resulting in entirely normal and safe behavior being deemed pathological. In recent decades, however, the field has evolved to be far more open-minded, and to use diagnostic standards focused on the well-being of those involved.

Be on hand as Dr. Brian Sharpless, a popular regular on the Profs and Pints stage, discusses how psychologists and psychiatrists approach some of the more unusual sexual behaviors. You’ll learn how the mental-health field historically has thought about, and currently diagnoses and treats, behaviors it deems as crossing the line that separates a quirk or kink from a legitimate psychological disorder.

Dr. Sharpless will start by giving us background on exactly how psychologists and psychiatrists determine that a behavior qualifies for “disorder” status. The short answer is that current diagnostic systems do not consider sexual behaviors to be disorders unless they meet certain criteria such as seriously interfering in the life of the person engaged in them or lacking consent among the involved parties. But there’s a lot of nuance to this, which he’ll cover in a manner that is straightforward and understandable.

The talk will then offer an in-depth discussion of three paraphilias that can cross the line into being considered as disorders that need to be treated and, in many cases, are illegal: voyeurism, exhibitionism, and frotteurism. Finally, he’ll talk about asphyxiophilia, sometimes called autoerotic asphyxiation, the act of enhancing sexual arousal through the intentional deprivation of oxygen. You may be shocked to learn how many individuals are injured or killed each year while engaging in this potentially dangerous activity.

Dr. Sharpless also will discuss fetishistic fantasies and behavior, which are relatively common in the general population but among a small share end up being formally diagnosed as fetishistic disorder. He’ll discuss how fetishes are defined and summarize the research on them. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Images of feather and chicken from Rawpixel.com.

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Empathy 101,” a research-based examination of our ability to understand others and how to improve it, with Jamie Keaton Jones, instructor in the Child and Family Social Work Fellowship Program at Walter Reed Military Hospital, adjunct professor at Fordham University, and founder of The Psychotherapy Studio PLLC in Washington D.C.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-empathy-101 .]

In these uncertain and divided times, empathy for others—and for ourselves—might be just what we need to reduce our anxiety and constructively work together. Yet many of us lack much of an understanding of our capacity for understanding and how we can nurture it.

Take a deep dive into the subject of empathy with Dr. Jamie Keaton Jones, a therapist and university instructor who studies empathy and teaches empathetic skills to students.

Drawing on insights from social psychology, neuroscience, and social work, she’ll discuss what exactly empathy is and why it’s necessary for survival. She’ll also dispel common empathy-related myths and review specific ways to practice empathic responses.

She’ll talk about mirror neurons—which fire in both someone taking an action and another observing that action—and the important role they play in empathy. She’ll offer guidance on how to assess one’s own level of empathy, and she’ll discuss “empathy deficit disorder” and what it’s like to be excessively empathetic.

We’ll discuss how we can best show empathy to a friend or family member in crisis and how can we use empathy to connect when we disagree.

Among the questions Dr. Jones will tackle: Can empathy be taught? Can it be captured by Artificial Intelligence? What might the world look like if empathy suddenly ceased to exist?

All Profs and Pints talks seek to make people smarter, but this one might help you become kinder as well. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image by Canva.

Profs and Pints DC presents: “The Love Lecture,” a contemplation of matters of the heart, with Laura Papish, associate professor of philosophy at George Washington University and teacher of a seminar on the philosophy of love, sex, and friendship.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/hill-center-love-lecture .]

Who wrote the book of love? Why does love have to be so sad? Is it a thin line between love and hate?

On a more serious note, how does our society's understanding of love and romantic love shape our experience of it? Why do we think of love as mysterious and irrational? Do those we love need to be lovable? Is love necessarily a morally good thing, or can it actually make it harder for us to be good?

Show your love for learning by hearing such questions tackled by Laura Papish, who has built a considerable following among Washington D.C. fans of Profs and Pints with her annual talks exploring the intersection of the brain, the soul, and the heart. Hilariously accompanied by her husband, Chris (on guitar), she’ll offer up a delicious assortment of thoughts about the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday—some dark, some sweet, and some giving you plenty to chew on.

Dr. Papish will start by examining how ancient Greeks thought about erotic love and move on from there, looking at how love is envisioned in modern thinkers, classic novels, recent films, and pop culture. She’ll also discuss the origins of the idea that people have a “soul mate” and how some thinkers have tried to criticize or transform the very concept of love.

Together, we'll explore different possibilities for love and those mysteries about it that have left more than a few of us feeling befuddled.

Feel free to show up if you are lovelorn, love-stricken, or just love to hear a fascinating discussion. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image: Cupid as rendered in a 1510 painting by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi.

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Venezuela’s Future—and Ours,” an analysis of how the Trump administration’s intervention in Venezuela will affect that nation, the U.S., and the rest of the world, with Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and the Immigration Lab at American University.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-venezuela-future .]

On January 3rd, after a long military buildup, the United States used special forces to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence in Caracas, Venezuela to stand trial here on criminal charges.

The development marked a major turning point in our relationship with Venezuela and the rest of Latin America and raised a host of complex questions, not just for Venezuelans living inside and outside that country but for American citizens and other nations of the world.
Coming to the stage to break down what all of this means is Ernesto Castañeda, a scholar of Latin America who has given several excellent Profs and Pints talks on immigration policy and has given dozens of interviews to media outlets around the world in the wake of the U.S. raid.

In a talk offering informed perspective on the latest news developments, Professor Castañeda will discuss various theories about why the U.S. conducted the operation to get Maduro out of Venezuela. He’s put our nation’s current plans for Venezuela into context by touching on previous U.S. military interventions in Latin America and beyond.

Professor Castañeda will look at the implications of recent events for U.S. politics and U.S. citizens and what such developments tell us about the balance of power in the United States. He’ll examine the distance between decisions made by the White House and public priorities, touching on how it all relates to our immigration policies and our views about peaceful protest and democracy.

He’ll consider how the Venezuela raid and our actions since have altered relations between the U.S. and other nations and provide scenarios about what the future might hold. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image by Canva.