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Hope, Dread, and Change: Exploring the Intersections of Authority, Leadership, Followership, and the Unconscious in Groups and Systems
Friday, April 17, 2026, 9:00 AM to Sunday, April 19, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT
Category: Group Relations Conferences

Please join us for:

Hope, Dread, and Change: Exploring the Intersections of Authority, Leadership, Followership, and the Unconscious in Groups and Systems 

an in-person weekend group relations conference on the campus of Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. 

Psychoanalyst Stephen Mitchell proposed that human development exists between two poles: Hope and Dread. This tension is rooted in our earliest relationships and shaped by how we navigate change. When faced with uncertainty, we naturally oscillate between these two states.

This conference will examine Hope and Dread as opposite poles of the same psychological/social phenomenon. We will explore how these psychological forces influence authority, change, leadership, followership, and unconscious processes within groups and systems. 

Director: Jonathan Rust, PhD

Associate Director: Laurie Nisco, PhD

Administration Director: Lamya Razzouk

Dates: April 17-19, 2026

Registration Deadline: 12 Midnight (EST), Friday, March 27, 2026

Questions? Please email: [email protected]

We hope you will join the conference!