SALON: CONFRONTING LOVE & DEATH

Role: Creative Director / Producer

Speaker: Dr. Jordana Jacobs, psychotherapist with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology,

“The confrontation with death—and the reprieve from it—makes everything look so precious, so sacred, so beautiful, that I feel more strongly than ever the impulse to love it, to embrace it, and to let myself be overwhelmed by it...Death and its ever present possibility, makes love, passionate love, more possible.” -Abraham Maslow

About the event:

Dr. Jordana Jacobs will confront the promise of our inevitable death, and the role it plays in our lives, our expression, our relationships, and our journey. She will dive into her research about why acknowledging death and the impermanence of all things, rather than avoiding this inevitable fact out of fear, has the potential to enhance our love relationships and help us love more fully.

Jordana will guide us through the relevant psychological literature regarding the relationship between love and death, and then engage in exercises that will allow us to feel how this relationship manifests on an experiential level. Jordana will also be available for a Q&A during the event, and available for one-on-one conversations at the conclusion of the event.

There will be light refreshments and bites, some music, and fun mingling before and after, so please invite friends who you think would find this topic interesting, and please come with an open mind and respectful heart.

About Dr. Jordana Jacobs:

Dr. Jordana Jacobs is a psychotherapist with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, currently working full-time at Columbia University. Her approach is insight-oriented and integrative, combining psychodynamic and existential therapy into her treatment of patients. Jordana’s training at Memorial Sloan Kettering working with terminally ill cancer patients, her studies in Northern India, and her Vipassana meditation practice inspired her research on the complex relationship between death awareness and love.

Her dissertation, entitled “Till Death do us Part: The Effect of Mortality Salience on Satisfaction in Long-term Romantic Relationships” specifically explored the ways in which priming for death has the potential to increase intimacy in partnerships. In addition to seeing patients, Jordana now gives talks and leads meditations aimed towards helping people accept inevitable mortality, so that they are able to live and love more fully.

Programming:

5:30-6:10p: Ella Harp performance
6:15-7:15p: Workshop on confronting love and death
7:15-7:30p: Post-show mingling

Why I hosted this?

I love bringing groups of like minded people together for a memorable experience. I'm a curious guy, and want to learn and engage in topics I don't often get to have an open dialogue about. I hope you enjoy the experience, learn something new, meet a new friend, and gain an alternative perspective.