Freud Museum London: Psychoanalysis Podcasts

Conceptualising and Treating Psychosis: A Lacanian Perspective - Stijn Vanheule

May 10, 2020

Stijn Vanheule, a professor of psychoanalysis at Ghent University and an adept psychoanalyst, dives deep into the nuances of psychosis from a Lacanian perspective. He discusses the framework of psychotic structure and its relationship with language, revealing how this shapes self-identity. The conversation explores existential questions surrounding authority and meaning, and the critical differences between neurosis and psychosis. Vanheule emphasizes personalized treatments and the unique dynamics of transference in psychosis, making this a fascinating exploration of deep psychological concepts.

33:05

Creator website

Episode guests

Stijn Vanheule

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Lacanian psychoanalysis views psychosis as a structural phenomenon involving language and identity rather than a mere biological condition.

The treatment of psychosis emphasizes establishing a secure therapeutic relationship to help patients navigate their complex experiences of transference.

Deep dives

Lacanian Hypothesis of Psychotic Structure

Lacanian psychoanalysis proposes a specific hypothesis regarding psychosis, asserting that it constitutes a structure rather than being an underlying biological or psychological condition. This hypothesis serves as a foundational concept for understanding how individuals represent themselves through language and manage their subjectivity. Lacan emphasizes the role of the signifier, which is the fundamental unit of language devoid of fixed meaning, indicating that meanings are contextually driven. Although further elaborations on psychosis exist, such as its relationship to jouissance, the focus remains on this initial hypothesis to guide practice and understand the intricate ways in which individuals navigate their psychotic experiences.

Intro

4min

Exploring Identity and Existential Questions in Lacanian Theory

3min

Exploring Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Understanding Neurosis and Psychosis

15min

Understanding Psychosis through a Lacanian Lens

11min

Starting from the hypothesis that psychosis makes up a structure, with a precise status for the unconscious, Stijn Vanheule explores how, from a Lacanian point of view, the treatment of psychosis is organized. Special attention is paid to the specificity of the psychotic symptom, or elementary phenomenon, and to the way transference characteristically takes shape. Crucial to this approach of treatment is that the psychoanalyst aims at restoring a place for the subject in relation to the Other, which is threatened in episodes of acute psychosis.

Stijn Vanheule is professor of psychoanalysis and chair of the Department of Psychoanalysis and Clinical Consulting at Ghent University (Belgium), and a psychoanalyst in private practice (member of the New Lacanian School for Psychoanalysis and World Association of Psychoanalyse). He is the author of The Subject of Psychosis – A Lacanian Perspective(Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) and Diagnosis and the DSM – A Critical Review (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), and of multiple papers on Lacanian and Freudian psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic research into psychopathology, and clinical psychodiagnostics.

From the 'Psychosis and Psychoanalysis', a conference organised in collaboration with the Psychosis Therapy Project, a therapy service for people experiencing psychosis.

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Freud Museum London: Psychoanalysis Podcasts

Conceptualising and Treating Psychosis: A Lacanian Perspective - Stijn Vanheule

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Lacanian Hypothesis of Psychotic Structure

Existential Questions and the Role of Language

Transference and Clinical Implications

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts