We live in a time of great political polarization in America. A polarization fueled by the narrative that promoting equity for marginalized communities means taking something away from everyone else.

How might we use the principles of psychoanalysis to understand the resistance to diversity and inclusion initiatives and innovate for meaningful change?

Can we leverage our experience as analysts to promote equity in public policy as well as the organizations we serve?

Dr. Kimberlyn Leary, PhD, is Senior Vice President at the Urban Institute, a DC-based research and policy think tank, Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Leary previously worked as Senior Policy Advisor to the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she implemented President Biden's Executive Order on Equity, and served as Advisor to the Obama White House Council on Women and Girls, where she spearheaded the Advancing Equity Initiative to improve life outcomes for women and girls of color.

On this episode of Psychoanalysis and You, Dr. Leary joins host Dr. Gail Saltz to discuss the principles of psychoanalysis she brings to policy work, explaining why the best public policy is a collaboration between policymakers and the communities they serve.

Dr. Leary describes her work with the Holmes Commission on Racial Equality in the APsA and explores the generational differences in how we think about equity and belonging.

Listen in for Dr. Leary’s insight on the implications of overturning Affirmative Action in the US and learn the value in understanding the story behind a political perspective that differs from your own.

Topics Covered

• Leary’s role as an advisor to both the Obama and Biden administrations
• The principles of psychoanalysis that Dr. Leary uses to innovate for change
• Why the best public policy is a collaboration between policymakers and the communities they represent
• How Dr. Leary approaches the issue of diversity and inclusion
• Using bias to rethink the architecture of how our organizations work
• Leary’s work with the Holmes Commission and what problems they identified within the APsA
• The generational differences in how we think about equity and belonging
• Why it’s challenging for senior leaders to tolerate feeling unskilled during a period of learning
• Leary’s insight on the implications of overturning Affirmative Action
• How Dr. Leary thinks about the scarcity mindset that fuels political polarization in the US
• Understanding the story behind a political view that differs from your own

Connect with Dr. Leary 

Dr. Leary at the Urban Institute

Dr. Leary on LinkedIn

Dr. Leary on Twitter

Connect with APsA

The American Psychoanalytic Association

APsA on Facebook

APsA on Twitter