Played
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The first collection of essays from the author of the Life and Death of Psychoanalysis, Stay, Illusion! with Simon Critchley and Conversion Disorder, Disorganisation & Sex (Divided Publishing, 2022) is as much about our resistance to sexuality as it is about sex itself. Jamieson Webster continues to excite and disturb, turning to Lacan and the autotheoretical in her exploration of the deep roots of our libidinal ties and the ways in which we keep desire at bay in our efforts to lead tidier, more coherent lives.
Part theory, part manifesto and part testimony, Webster calls for us as analysts to reinvent ourselves with our patients, as patients to take part in the poetry of our symptoms, and as institutions to create the conditions for something radical to happen in the transmission of psychoanalysis.
While many in theory have turned toward the soma and the exterior, Webster has not given up on psychic interiority, her writing an attempt to avoid the trap of idealizing one while diminishing the other, or getting stuck in the reversal. We can wish for the new while remaining skeptical of the march of progress, and we can speak from the discourse of the patient while remaining connected to the discourse of the analyst. We can take risks even as we face loss, and seek pleasure even though there’s no common satisfaction.
Cassandra B. Seltman is a writer, psychoanalyst, and researcher in New York City. [email protected]
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Dr. Karyne Messina and Dr. Felicia Powell-Williams, the host and co-host of “Psychoanalytic Perspectives of Racism in America” sponsored by The American Psychoanalytic Association explored how employing mechanisms of defense perpetuates racial injustice’s movement forward and the resistance it faces as a tug of war, i.e., progress followed by backlash.
They examined the symbolic removal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s bust from the White House and its implications for societal values, while also talking about the impact of Dr. King’s assassination and the current state of racial justice initiatives. The conversation included a discussion about the challenges of tolerating difficult truths and emotions in both psychoanalysis and society, including the persistence of white supremacy and its modern manifestations. It also underscored how symbols of the civil rights movement have been honored at the highest level of government yet in this case defense mechanisms initiated the physical removal of the bust.
Other topics discussed by the host and co-host covered the current administration’s sense of Juneteenth including the press secretary’s statements that suggested the day was “observed” but not “celebrated.” Her statements seemed to be in line with President Trump’s remarks about Americans having “too many holidays” which many observers interpreted as a direct critique of Juneteenth itself and, more broadly, of recent efforts to deemphasize the historical experiences of Black Americans. This approach stands in contrast to previous years when Donald Trump issued statements honoring Juneteenth.
Some analysts and advocates have noted that the timing of President Trump’s post was likely not coincidental. By choosing Juneteenth to air grievances about paid holidays, he sent a message to his political base that aligns with his administration’s broader efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The lack of formal White House observance and Trump’s public complaints about holidays were viewed by some as part of a pattern of minimizing the importance of this holiday and its meaning for Black Americans as well as all people in this country who celebrate the end of slavery.
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Joan Riviere (1883-1962) is best known for her role in promoting the ideas of others. She came to prominence in the world of psychoanalysis as Freud’s favorite translator and Melanie Klein’s earliest and most loyal supporter.
In her new book The Life and Work of Joan Riviere: Freud, Klein and Female Sexuality (Routledge, 2018), Marion Bower puts Joan Riviere herself, the woman and the psychoanalyst, in the spotlight. She shows how Riviere made use of the latest psychoanalytic ideas in a highly creative and original way, expressing herself with clarity and emotional depth in seminal works about the inner life of female sexuality and treatment impasses. She was able to draw from a lifetime of challenging and fruitful experiences. After a childhood rife with emotional neglect, she stepped into the rich ferment of the dying Victorian era and came in touch with major progressive forces of the time like the suffragettes and the Society for Psychical Research. As a dressmaker’s apprentice, she was among the first wave of women entering the work force. When the shifting soil of her childhood proved unstable, she entered analysis with Ernest Jones and, after becoming an analyst, with Freud himself. This personal connection proved fortuitous to the newly formed British Psychoanalytic Society, as it provided a solid anchor against the dividing drift between Anna Freud and Melanie Klein.
Bower paints an intimate portrait of a woman with a stern and sometimes vitriolic public persona and a shy and fragile personality that was saved by her involvement in psychoanalysis. In her best moments she was able to bridge that gap in her psychoanalytic writing, revealing herself through her theoretical musings.
Marion Bower has trained as a teacher, social worker and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. She has worked for many years in the child mental health services, including the Tavistock Clinic, and has edited and co-edited four books on various applications of psychoanalysis. She is currently co-editing a book on sexual exploitation.
Sebastian Thrul is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in training in Germany and Switzerland. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Both new and seasoned psychotherapists wrestle with the relationship between psychological distress and inequality across race, class, gender, and sexuality. How does one address this organically in psychotherapy? What role does it play in therapeutic action? Who brings it up, the therapist or the patient?
Daniel José Gaztambide addresses these questions by offering a rigorous decolonial approach that rethinks theory and technique from the ground up, providing an accessible, evidence-informed reintroduction to psychoanalytic practice. He re-examines foundational thinkers from three traditions--Freudian, relational-interpersonal, and Lacanian--through the lens of revolutionary psychiatrist Frantz Fanon, and offers a detailed analysis of Fanon's psychoanalytic practice.
Drawing on rich yet grounded discussions of theory and research, Gaztambide presents a clinical model that facilitates exploration of the social in the clinical space in a manner intimately related to the patient's presenting problem. In doing so, this book demonstrates that clinicians no longer have to choose between attending to the personal, interpersonal, or sociopolitical. It is a guide to therapeutic action "on the couch," which envisions political action "off the couch" and in the streets. Decolonizing Psychoanalytic Technique provides a comprehensive, practice-oriented and compelling guide for students, practitioners, and scholars of critical, multicultural and decolonial approaches to psychotherapy.
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Dr. Karyne Messina, host of this series, and Dr. Felecia Powell-Williams, the co-host, talked about what happens when people can’t listen. They discussed events that occurred at the Annual Conference of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA) that took place in San Francisco earlier this month and the half time show at Super Bowl 59.
Dr. Powell-Williams, who attend the conference, said she left the APsA meeting holding a multitude of emotions. “On one level it was a satisfying reunification of parts of the organization that were split off due to fear or intolerance of exploring difference.” She added that as a guest on the Holmes Commission’s panel when Sam Cooke's song was played, “It's Been a Long Time Coming,” it resonated with her life experiences. She said she thought the attendees were very moved as well as they listened to the song together. Both hosts talked about the meaning of the words and how important it is to listen and take in the essence of the message.
Dr. Messina introduced Kendrick Lamar’s half time show at Superbowl 59. After briefly reviewing the theme of the performance she highlighted once again the importance of “listening,” whether or not one knows the words, adding that Lamar blended artistry, social commentary, and star power to the show. She made a point of saying one doesn’t necessarily have to understand the words to a song or even like them to gather meaning. She said we all have the right to dislike any type of entertainment but when we don’t understand because we refuse to listen, we could be missing something very important. She also said she liked the fact that the performance included women such as SZA who joined Lamar on stage to perform “Luther” and “All the Stars” as well as Serena Williams who made an appearance as one of Lamar’s dancers. Dr. Powell-Williams talked about Jay-Z’s partnership with the NFL, a collaboration that has given him significant influence over the selection of half time show performers.
The host and co-host also talked about psychoanalytic mechanisms of defense that may have been part of the controversy about the performance. They both focused on denial, an unconscious defense that comes into play when something is too painful or difficult to process. They suggested that may have occurred with people who dismissed the show entirely.
Intellectualization as a defense was discussed by Dr. Powell-Williams. This occurs when responses of viewers focus on certain aspects of a performance, such as the choreography or musical arrangements, rather than engaging with its emotional or political content. By analyzing the show from a detached, analytical perspective, these individuals could have been avoiding the more challenging aspects of Lamar’s message.
Both hosts talked about projection as a defense which occurs when people attribute their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses to someone else. This allows them to avoid dealing with these aspects of themselves by seeing them in others instead. Projection may have played a significant role with some viewers based on their reactions to the show. Those who felt threatened by the social commentary might have projected their own biases or interpretations onto the performance, assuming Lamar’s intentions aligned with their own views rather than engaging with the actual performance.
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