Doris Brothers and Jon Sletvold, "A New Vision of Psychoanalytic Theory, Practice and Supervision: Talking Bodies" (Routledge, 2023)
Mar 5, 2024
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Doris Brothers and Jon Sletvold present a new vision of psychoanalytic theory, focusing on embodiment and shifting away from traditional concepts. They explore trauma, the therapeutic exchange, and supervision through a body-based lens, emphasizing the flow of attention and disruptions caused by traumatic experiences. By viewing the analytic exchange as a meeting between foreign bodies, they offer fresh insights into transference, resistance, and interpretation, changing the way therapists understand therapy and healing.
Shift from concept-based to body-based psychoanalysis enhances therapeutic understanding.
Using 'I, you, we, and world' language grounds therapy in lived experiences.
Growing integration of body psychotherapy with psychoanalysis seen in practice.
Importance of considering embodied experiences in supervision for deeper therapeutic understanding.
Deep dives
Motivation Behind the Book Collaboration
The authors, Doris Brothers and Yoon Stitvall, were motivated to write their collaborative book after recognizing the significance of trauma and uncertainty in therapy. Their work focuses on helping individuals tolerate uncertainty after facing traumatic experiences, highlighting the importance of working with the body in therapy.
Shift to Body-Based Approach in Psychoanalysis
The book discusses a shift from word and concept-based psychoanalysis to a body-based approach. By focusing on immediate bodily sensations and feelings, therapists can enhance the therapeutic encounter, moving away from rigid theories and concepts to embrace the relational and experiential aspects of the work.
Using Body-Focused Language in Therapy
The authors suggest using body-focused language like 'I, you, we, and the world' as replacements for traditional psychoanalytic terms. This shift aims to ground therapy in lived experiences and immediate bodily sensations, facilitating a more concrete and less theoretical understanding for clients.
Integration of Body Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis
The podcast discussion indicates a growing openness towards integrating body psychotherapy approaches with psychoanalysis. Through panels and collaborative efforts, practitioners are exploring ways to bridge the gap between these modalities, considering the relational and embodied aspects of therapy practice.
Supervision and Embodiment in Clinical Practice
The authors emphasize the importance of considering embodied experiences in supervision and clinical practice. Their approach involves focusing on the therapist's bodily reactions and sensations, facilitating a deeper understanding of the therapeutic process. By incorporating body-focused supervision techniques, practitioners can enhance their clinical work and better attune to their patients' needs.
Upcoming Project: Relational Knowing in Psychoanalysis
Doris Brothers and Yoon Stitvall are working on a new book titled 'Relational Knowing: A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Pleasures, Perils, and Power of Relational Knowing.' This book explores how understanding the dynamics of 'I, you, we, and the world' can deepen therapeutic relationships and address ethical dimensions in psychoanalytic practice.
Future Events and Collaborations
The authors are involved in organizing panel events focused on body psychotherapy and psychoanalytic integration, aiming to foster conversations and collaborations in the field. They also co-direct the Wilhelm Reich Center for the Study of Embodiment, hosting events and discussions on the relational and ethical dimensions of embodied practice.
Openness to Integration and Collaboration
The dialogue between the authors and the podcast host reflects a mutual appreciation for collaborative and integrative work in therapy. Their discussions highlight a shared interest in bridging theoretical and practical aspects of psychoanalysis, promoting dialogue and openness to new perspectives in the field.
By viewing psychoanalysis through the lens of embodiment, Brothers and Sletvold suggest a shift away from traditional concept-based theory and offer new ways to understand traumatic experiences, to describe the therapeutic exchange and to enhance the supervisory process.
Since traditional psychoanalytic language does not readily lend itself to embodied experience, the authors place particular emphasis on the words I, you,we and world, to describe the flow of human attention. Offering new insights into trauma, this book demonstrates how traumatic experiences and efforts to regain certainty in one’s psychological life involve profound disruptions of this flow. With a new understanding of transference, resistance and interpretation, the authors ultimately show how much can be gained from viewing the analytic exchange as a meeting between foreign bodies.