Michael R. Montgomery, PhD, MA, MSc, MSW, LCSW, is an existential psychoanalyst with international expertise in complex trauma, extreme states (psychosis and mania), addiction, and conflict resolution. He trained at Regent’s University London, The Tavistock and Portman, and the Anna Freud Centre. Dr. Montgomery is the founder of Peacefire.us, a nonprofit fostering dialogue between individuals from diverse—and often opposing—backgrounds.
In addition to his private practice, he leads Perform23, collaborating with specialists in movement, dance, and music to create alternative access points to healing and community—most notably supporting 5th Element and Plan B in post-conflict Belfast.
He is a regular contributor to the Society for Existential Analysis (SEA) annual conference, the R.D. Laing Symposium, and ISPS-US. His clinical work is primarily community-based, focused on individuals typically excluded from quality care.
With over 26 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and book chapters, he is currently developing a new book and podcast on psychophobia—the fear of the mind.
Psychophobia: Psychosis, Agency, and Radical Freedom
This presentation examines society’s deep-seated fear of extreme mental states through the lens of existential psychoanalysis. It challenges the medicalization of distress, exposing the iatrogenic harm and systematic assault on interiority that too often define psychiatric intervention. Rather than pathologizing human experience, it argues for a psychophobia-free, phenomenological approach—one that honors lived experience, fosters radical agency, and recognizes the transformative potential of authentic human connection. In an era of metamodern uncertainty, might embracing the so-called patholo...Read moregical be the key to true freedom?
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Learning Objectives
- Analyze the role of psychophobia in contemporary psychiatry and its implications for therapeutic practice and supporting others.
- Describe the iatrogenic effects of psychiatric intervention, particularly in relation to medicalization and the suppression of interiority.
- Assess alternative, phenomenological approaches that promote radical agency and the therapeutic potential of authentic human connection.
Target Audience
This educational activity is intended for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, and MFT's.
Learning Levels
- All levels
Thursday, June 05, 2025
Live Interactive Webinar
01:00 PM EDT - 02:30 PM EDT
$10.00
- $40.00
EARN 1.5 CE Credit Hours
Click Here to Register
Click Here to Register
About the speaker
Michael R. Montgomery, PhD
Existential Psychoanalyst, Clinical Social Worker
Agenda
5 minute introduction60 minute presentation on Psychophobia: Metamodernism, Psychosis, Agency, and Radical Freedom
25 minute question and answer between the audience and presenter
CE Information - Earn 1.5 CE Credit Hours
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