When Societies Lose Their Minds: Watch the Recording

On 14 October 2026 the British Psychotherapy Foundation (bpf) presented When Societies Lose Their Minds, a panel exploring violence at both an individual and a societal level. Dr Jean Knox chaired the discussion. The event was held in person for an invited audience, and the recording now makes the conversation available to everyone.

Buy the recording for £35, or £20 for bpf members.

What the panel explored

Drawing on psychoanalysis, psychiatry, politics and culture, the panel considered how people and communities can become caught up in destructive forms of collective feeling, and what may help restore the capacity for reflection, responsibility and repair. The discussion looked at:

• how people can learn to disagree without seeking to destroy one another
• the human capacity for cruelty, and how trauma, attachment and mental states can shape violence
• how collective righteous anger may defend against more vulnerable feelings, such as sadness, pity, humiliation and loss
• how societies create enemies onto whom they project what they fear or hate in themselves
• why war can offer a seductive but dangerous sense of unity, and why it can be so difficult to acknowledge our own potential for violence

The speakers

Lord John Alderdice

John, Lord Alderdice is a psychoanalytic psychiatrist and a Liberal Democrat life member of the House of Lords, where he sits on the Select Committee for International Relations and Defence. As leader of the Alliance Party, he was a key negotiator of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, then the first Speaker of the new Northern Ireland Assembly. He lectures, consults and writes on intractable violent political conflict, religious faith and fundamentalism, and the problems of indigenous peoples.

Dr Gwen Adshead

Dr Gwen Adshead is a forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and associate professor in psychotherapy at the University of Exeter. She works part time for West London NHS Trust at Broadmoor Hospital. She was the BBC Reith Lecturer in 2024, speaking on the theme of violence, and is co-author of The Devil You Know and Unspeakable.

Josh Cohen

Josh Cohen is a psychoanalyst in private practice and a Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society. He is Emeritus Professor of Literary Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London, and the author of many books on psychoanalysis, culture and modern thought, including How to Read Freud and All the Rage. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Dr Jean Knox (chair)

Dr Jean Knox chaired the panel.

Who the recording is for

Psychotherapists, counsellors, trainees, and anyone interested in how psychoanalytic thinking can help us understand violence, conflict and public life.

Why it matters

Your purchase helps us keep our psychotherapy training, clinical services, and public events affordable, accessible, and inclusive, while maintaining welcoming, accessible facilities that meet the needs of our community.

How it works

• Buy the recording for £35 (£20 for bpf members)
• Receive a link to download the recording by email after your payment, and keep it for as long as you like

Questions about the recording

How much does When Societies Lose Their Minds cost?

The recording costs £35 for the public and £20 for bpf members.

How do bpf members receive the £20 price?

Log in to the members area and open My Events/Discounts to find your discount code. Enter the code on the payment page before you pay.

How long do I have access to the recording?

There is no time limit. Once you have downloaded the recording, it is yours to keep and watch whenever you like.

What format is the recording, and how long is it?

The recording is an MP4 video file and is 72 minutes long.

The bpf is a registered charity in England and Wales (1150806). You can read more about that work at the bpf’s ‘Support Us’ page, or explore our about us, training and membership pages.