The Scientific Program Committee is pleased to present
The Only Cure Presenter:
Professor Mark Solms
Sunday, October 25, 2026 10:00am-12:00pm EST via Zoom
2 CEUs Available
Few figures in psychology have been as influential—or as controversial—as Sigmund Freud. For decades many of his ideas were dismissed as speculative and unscientific. Yet developments in modern neuroscience are prompting a surprising reassessment.
In this lecture, Mark Solms revisits Freud’s theory of mind in the light of contemporary brain science. He will explore what neuroscience now reveals about the unconscious, the emotional foundations of mental life, and the mechanisms through which talking therapies can alleviate psychological suffering. Drawing on recent clinical research and his latest book The Only Cure – Freud and the Neuroscience of Mental Healing, Solms will examine how “the talking cure” compares with drug treatment, and why psychoanalysis should resume its position as the most coherent and comprehensive theory of the mind. He will also consider why Freud and psychoanalysis have remained so fiercely debated for more than a century.
Presenter:
Professor Mark Solms is a member of the British Psychoanalytical Society and the American and South African Psychoanalytic Associations (APsA, SAPA). He is Director of Neuropsychology at the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Cape Town and honorary lecturer in Neurosurgery at St Bartholomew’s and Royal London Hospital Medical School. He is an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. He is director of the Science Department of APsA and director of Training for SAPA. He has received numerous honours and awards, including the Sigourney Prize. He has published 400 scientific papers, and nine books, the latest being The Only Cure: Freud and the Neuroscience of Mental Healing (2026). He is the authorized editor and translator of the Revised Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (24 volumes) and the forthcoming Complete Neuroscientific Works of Sigmund Freud (4 volumes).
Program Fee:
General $95 | CFS Members $80 | Candidates $30
Registration closes at 5:00pm on October 23rd.
Cancellation within 7 days of program.
A recording of this event will be available for anyone who is not able to attend in real time. However, CE credits are available only to those who attend in real time.
References:
Solms, M. (2018). The Neurobiological Underpinnings of Psychoanalytic Theory and Therapy. Frontiers of Behavioral Neuroscience, 12, 294. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00294
Solms, M. (2018). The scientific standing of psychoanalysis. British Journal of Psychiatry International, 15: 5-8
Solms, M. (2017). What is “the unconscious,” and where is it located in the brain? A neuropsychoanalytic perspective. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1406: 90–97.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:
1. Describe what neuroscience now reveals about the unconscious.
2. Describe how talk therapy can alleviate psychological suffering, through the lens of recent discoveries in neuroscience.
3. Articulate how talk therapy compares with drug treatment, from the perspective of neuroscience.
CFS Scientific Program Committee:
Cornelius Dufallo (Chair) • Baiyu Chen • Umi Chong • Jennifer Grant • Michael Krass • Kristin Lee • Jessica Reik • Janet Schiff
Who Should Attend: The instructional level for this activity is advanced. Mental Health Professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, licensed professional counselors, e.g. LPs, LCATs, and pastoral counselors) and those with an interest in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic thinking and clinical applications.
Continuing Education Credits:
NY Social Workers: The PTI-CFS is recognized by the NYS Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0087
NY Psychoanalysts: The PTI-CFS is recognized by the NYS Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychoanalysts #P-0021.
NY Licensed Psychologists: The PTI-CFS is recognized by the NYS Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0017.
Psychologists: The CFS is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The CFS maintains responsibility for this program and its content. (DC, MD and VA Psychologist licensing boards accept CE credits provided by an APA approved Sponsor. All other
DC, MD and VA Social Workers: The Social Work Boards of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia will grant continuing education credits to social workers attending a program offered by an APA authorized sponsor.
CE credits will only be granted to participants with documented attendance of the entire program and completed online evaluation form. No partial credit will be offered. It is the responsibility of the participants seeking CE credits to comply with these requirements. Upon completion of this program and online evaluation form, participants will be granted credits.
Important Disclosure Information: None of the planners and presenters of this program have any relevant financial relationships to disclose.