McLean Psychiatry Grand Rounds 2026: Spirituality Grand Rounds - Uncanny Coincidences and Telepathic Dreams: On the Use of Spirituality, Intuition, and Synchronicity in Psychiatric Practice - November 4, 2026

Uncanny Coincidences and Telepathic Dreams: On the Use of Spirituality, Intuition, and Synchronicity in Psychiatric Practice

Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 12 - 1 pm

Description: 

This Grand Rounds examines the intersection of spirituality, faith, and intuition in psychiatric practice, exploring their potential roles in mental health, recovery, and therapeutic relationships. Drawing on epidemiological research, cognitive science, and clinical vignettes, the presentation considers how spiritual beliefs and experiences may influence patient well-being, meaning-making, and treatment decisions. It explores implicit pattern recognition, interpersonal attunement, synchronicities, perceived thought transference, and experiences involving deceased loved ones, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, cultural sensitivity, scientific rigor, and epistemic humility. The presentation also addresses potential risks, including spiritual bypassing, coercive religious environments, religious delusions, and scrupulosity, highlighting strategies for distinguishing meaningful subjective experiences from those associated with distress or functional impairment.

 

SPEAKER(s)

Anna Yusim, MD
  Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale School of Medicine & Co-Founder of the Yale Program on Spirituality, Mental Health & the Brain
  Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mind Body Spirit Institute
  Chief Medical Affairs Officer, Conscious Health
  Chief Psychiatrist, Privé Swiss Brain Health and Optimal Longevity Program

Target Audience

This program is intended for:

  • Nurses
  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychologists
  • Physicians
  • Social Workers

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the activity, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the clinical application of spirituality, intuition, and synchronicity in mental health treatment.
  2. Discuss how intuition operates on various levels of awareness and influences therapeutic dynamics.
  3. Explain spiritually-informed complexities within the therapeutic setting, from unconscious communication and “thought transference” to the potential pitfalls of toxic spirituality, like spiritual bypassing, cult involvement, excessive reliance on psychics and gurus, religious delusions, and scrupulosity

Accreditation

Physicians

McLean Hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

McLean Hospital designates this live educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Psychologists

McLean Hospital is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. McLean Hospital maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Participants meeting requirements will receive 1 CE credit.

Nurses

This program carries 1 contact hour. McLean Hospital is approved as a provider of continuing education to nursing by the American Nurses Association Massachusetts, which is accredited as an approver of continuing education in nursing by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Social Workers

For information about continuing education credit for social workers, please call 617.855.3140.

National Board for Certified Counselors

McLean Hospital is an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP™) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of IHP and Massachusetts General Hospital. IHP is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

    IHP designates this Enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.00 Nursing Contact Hours

    Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 13, sections 13, 14, 14A, 15 and 15D and Chapter 112, sections 74 through 81C authorize the Board of Registration in Nursing to regulate nursing practice and education.

    This program meets the requirements of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (244 CMR 5.00) for 1.00 contact hours of nursing continuing education credit. Advance practice nurses, please note: Educational activities which meet the requirements of the ACCME (such as this activity) count towards 50% of the nursing requirement for ANCC accreditation.

  • 1.00 LMHC

    MaMHCA, and its agent, MMCEP has been designated by the Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Service Professions to approve sponsors of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for licensure renewal, in accordance with the requirements of 262 CMR 1.00.

    This program has been approved for 1.00 CE credit for Licensed Mental Health Counselors MaMHCA.

    Authorization number:

  • 1.00 Social Workers

    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the MGH Institute of Health Professions is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. MGH Institute of Health Professions maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 clock hours for continuing education credits.

  • 1.00 Participation

    This course allows other providers to claim a Participation Certificate upon successful completion of this course.

    Participation Certificates will specify the title, location, type of activity, date of activity, and number of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ associated with the activity. Providers should check with their regulatory agencies to determine ways in which AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may or may not fulfill continuing education requirements. Providers should also consider saving copies of brochures, agenda, and other supporting documents.

  • 1.00 Psychologists CE Credit

    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. MGH Institute of Health Professions designates this activity for 1.00 CE credit.

Registration opens: 
11/04/2026
Course closes: 
07/31/2027
Part of: 
McLean Hospital Psychiatry Department Grand Rounds 2026-2027
Rating: 
0

Anna Yusim, MD

Dr. Anna Yusim is an internationally recognized, award-winning, Board-Certified, Stanford- and Yale-educated Psychiatrist & Executive Coach with a Private Practice in New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey, Colorado, California, and Florida. With clients including Forbes 500 CEOs, Olympic athletes, A-list actors and actresses, and the Chairs of academic departments at top universities, Dr. Anna Yusim helps influential people achieve greater impact, purpose, and joy in their life and work.

Dr. Yusim is the best-selling author of Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life. As a Clinical Assistant Professor at Yale Medical School, Dr. Yusim is presently working to create a Mental Health & Spirituality Program / Center at Yale with Dr. Christopher Pittenger, which will be a bridge between the Yale Medical School and Yale Divinity School.

Dr. Yusim is the Chief Medical Officer of Conscious Health, a holistic mental health treatment center based in Los Angeles that bridges ancient psychospiritual wisdom with state-of-the-art, evidence-based mental health interventions like ketamine, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and other treatment modalities. She is the Medical Lead for SuperMind, a mental health start-up based in Miami that utilizes personal coaching, binaural beat meditation technology, and an EEG-based biofeedback system to create targeted, precision mental health therapy for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. She is also on the Board of numerous other enterprises in the mental health space, including Being Health, the Mental Health Television Network, Retreat, and LifeBoat Foundation.

Dr. Yusim has published over 400 academic articles, book chapters, scientific abstracts, book reviews, and articles for the lay public on various topics in psychiatry. A frequent contributor to CNN, Fox News, ABC, and NBC, she has been a guest on hundreds of national and international TV shows, radio programs, and podcasts.

Disclosures: Speaker has no financial relationships to report.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of IHP and Massachusetts General Hospital. IHP is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

    IHP designates this Enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.00 Nursing Contact Hours

    Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 13, sections 13, 14, 14A, 15 and 15D and Chapter 112, sections 74 through 81C authorize the Board of Registration in Nursing to regulate nursing practice and education.

    This program meets the requirements of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (244 CMR 5.00) for 1.00 contact hours of nursing continuing education credit. Advance practice nurses, please note: Educational activities which meet the requirements of the ACCME (such as this activity) count towards 50% of the nursing requirement for ANCC accreditation.

  • 1.00 LMHC

    MaMHCA, and its agent, MMCEP has been designated by the Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Service Professions to approve sponsors of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for licensure renewal, in accordance with the requirements of 262 CMR 1.00.

    This program has been approved for 1.00 CE credit for Licensed Mental Health Counselors MaMHCA.

    Authorization number:

  • 1.00 Social Workers

    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the MGH Institute of Health Professions is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. MGH Institute of Health Professions maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 clock hours for continuing education credits.

  • 1.00 Participation

    This course allows other providers to claim a Participation Certificate upon successful completion of this course.

    Participation Certificates will specify the title, location, type of activity, date of activity, and number of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ associated with the activity. Providers should check with their regulatory agencies to determine ways in which AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may or may not fulfill continuing education requirements. Providers should also consider saving copies of brochures, agenda, and other supporting documents.

  • 1.00 Psychologists CE Credit

    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. MGH Institute of Health Professions designates this activity for 1.00 CE credit.

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