The purpose of the film series is to encourage psychoanalytic dialogue
with respect to creativity and movies.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Description: American Fiction follows Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, a man grappling with personal loss who finds himself entangled in an absurd, involuntary con game with the liberal white media. As someone who claims he "doesn't even really believe in race," Monk is utterly unprepared for the lack of outrage—and the overwhelming praise—he receives when he attempts to satire the market's appetite for "Black trauma porn."
In this discussion, Jennifer and Evelyn draw from their distinct positionalities to make sense of Monk's unfolding story. Their dialogue is informed by Black lesbian feminist theory alongside diverse psychoanalytic frameworks, including the works of Winnicott, Laplanche, Lacan, and Fanon. They look forward to sharing their insights and engaging in a dialogue with you.
Format: The evening will begin with a presentation by the discussants followed by a group discussion. Please watch the film prior to the event. American Fiction is available to view with a premium subscription or rent on several platforms such as Prime, AppleTV, and Fandango.
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DISCUSSANT BIOGRAPHIES
Jennifer Garfein, PsyD earned her doctorate from the Graduate School of Professional Psychology and completed her doctoral and post-doctoral internships at the McGill University Health Centre at Montreal General Hospital. After gaining five years of foundational experience at the Aurora Mental Health Center, she transitioned into full-time private practice. Driven by a commitment to deeper clinical work, she completed the four-year Adult Psychoanalytic Post-Graduate Program at the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis. She currently provides therapy for individuals both virtually and in-person.
Evelyn Green, LPC, CST earned her masters in Professional Counseling from the University of Colorado Denver. Following an internship at the Maria Droste Counseling Center, she was invited to remain on staff, spending six years working with adults, families, and children. Concurrently, she dedicated four years to supporting youth facing severe behavioral and psychological challenges at Meadowlark Cottages. Evelyn later pursued advanced training to become a Certified Sex Therapist, expanding her expertise to intensive couples therapy. She then transitioned into full-time private practice alongside a colleague, serving individuals, couples, and families.
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PROGRAM DETAILS
Date: Friday, October 23, 2026 (3rd Friday of the month)
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM (MDT)
Location: Virtual using Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 24 hours before the event. If you don’t see our emails, please check your spam, junk, or secondary inboxes as they can sometimes be filtered there.
Cost: To help cover costs, there is a fee to register for this event. Donations are welcome during registration to help keep our programs affordable.
- Nonmembers - $15
- Society Members - $10
- Students - $0 (Please list your training institution during registration.)
Registration: Registration is required. A confirmation email will be sent when registration is complete. Registration closes at 12:00 PM (MT) on October 23rd.
No CE Credit is available for this event.
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POLICIES
Confidentiality: During all programs, we will follow rules of confidentiality for clinical case material including disguising identifying information. Please do not discuss any case material outside of this program. Recording without authorization is prohibited.
Cancellation: While we understand that plans can change unexpectedly, our program arrangements and financial commitments are finalized in advance. For this reason, we cannot issue refunds for cancellations made within 10 days of the program. Thank you for understanding.
To contact the Society office, please email office@denverpsychoanalytic.org.
