Creatures of the Night: Vampires, Sexuality and The Unconscious

The history of vampires doesn’t just begin with films or literature but with folklore—and with a very real fear.

Our fascination with blood-suckers has endured through the centuries, evolving into a key element of pop culture and leaving a lasting mark on our collective consciousness. From Freud and Jung to modern representations of narcissism, these creatures often embody the darker sides of our psyche. This talk will trace their evolution, through Dracula and Nosferatu to Lost Boys and our beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Together we will explore why we both fear and love vampires, and how their stories resonate with us on a personal level. We’ll examine how these creatures have been used in cinema to represent otherness, internal struggles, trauma and sex. By applying psychoanalysis, forensic psychiatry, and a lens of gender and sexuality, we’ll dig deep into the vampiric legend—both in fantasy and in the real world.

Doors open at 6pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat and a drink.

The talk will last about 90 minutes with a short break half way through and time at the end for a Q&A.

Drinks, Books and Merch will be availble to purchase before and after the talk, as well as during the break.

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Speaker Bio:

Katie Evans is a private practice therapist and self-confessed horror nerd, giving lectures across the UK and Ireland on topics such as the psychology of horror movies, sexuality in horror and vampires. Her passion for all things spooky began in childhood and continued through her studies in music, film, and media at Liverpool University, before moving into the field of mental health. She holds advanced accreditation in GSRD Therapy (Gender, Sexuality, and Relationship Diversity) and is a BACP-accredited therapist. Katie has presented at conferences across Europe and has spoken for organizations including The Maudsley, the British Psychological Society, The NHS, LGBT Foundation, and HMPPS, among others. She is also a registered guest lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University. An advocate for using pop culture in psychotherapy, Katie previously hosted The Mental Health Monsters Podcast and continues to explore how fictional narratives—especially those from the horror genre—can help us better understand ourselves and the world that we live in.

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