Talks On Psychoanalysis

The place of sexuality in psychoanalytic treatment and training today - Rotraut De Clerck

Dec 14, 2023

Rotraut De Clerck, psychoanalytic practitioner and educator, discusses the evolving discourse on sexuality in psychoanalytic practice and training. The episode explores the potential diminishing of sexual themes in case reports, the contradiction between the media dissemination of sexuality and a decline in personal sexual activity, and the role of sexuality in psychoanalytic treatment and training. It also examines Freud's analysis of Dora's desires and the challenges of his approach.

34:06

Creator website

Episode guests

Rotraut De Clerck

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

There is a growing concern among psychoanalysts about the diminishing presence of sexual themes in case reports and the reduced emphasis on sexuality in candidates' reports for qualification, highlighting the need for a more flexible approach in understanding the complex nature of sexuality and effectively communicating about sexual matters.

The evolving concept of sexuality in psychoanalysis and its impact on psychoanalytic language raises questions about how analysts define and conceptualize sexuality, the role of transference and counter-transference analysis in understanding sexual symptoms and fantasies, and the challenges of discussing sexuality in the context of societal changes and the Me Too movement.

Deep dives

Diminishing Emphasis on Sexuality in Psychoanalytic Case Reports

This podcast episode discusses the growing concern among psychoanalysts about the diminishing presence of sexual themes in case reports. Participants at the Supervisors and Training Analysts Conference noted a reduced emphasis on sexuality in candidates' reports for qualification. The episode explores the implications of this shift, examining Freud's theories as well as modern psychoanalytic techniques that focus on transference and counter-transference dynamics in understanding sexual fantasies and identities. The influence of societal changes and media on sexual behavior and expression is also critically analyzed.

Introduction

5min

Exploring the Disappearance of Sexuality in Psychoanalytic Training and Analysis

3min

The Contradiction Between Media Dissemination of Sexuality and Decline in Sexual Activity

4min

The Role of Sexuality in Psychoanalytic Treatment and Training

4min

Uncovering Freud's Analysis of Dora's Desires

19min

The place of sexuality in psychoanalytic treatment and training today: Can we observe a disappearance of sexuality in case reports and supervisions?

How does the evolving discourse on sexuality influence psychoanalytic practice and training? In an era where sexual dysphoria is seemingly on the rise, particularly among younger generations, questions arise about the current positioning of Freud's drive theory and the status of sexual issues in psychoanalytic education. Are we witnessing a shift where sexuality loses its central place within psychoanalytic thought?

In this episode of the IPA Talks On Psychoanalysis podcast series, we explore these questions through a comprehensive discussion. The focus is on the potential diminution of sexual themes in psychoanalytic case reports, as observed in recent years, and its implications for psychoanalytic methodology. The discourse originated in the 2021 supervisors' and training analysts' conference of the German Psychoanalytical Association (DPV) in Cologne, Germany and quickly spread to other places, reflecting global concerns about the reduced emphasis on sexuality in candidates' reports for qualification.

This exploration revisits some cornerstones of Freud's seminal theories but also examines the more modern theories and psychoanalytic techniques that emphasize transference-countertransference dynamics for the understanding of sexual fantasies and identities. The role of societal changes, shifts in sexual identity, and the impact of media on sexual behaviour and expression are critically analyzed.

The paper featured in this episode has been previously presented at various events, including a SPP Webinar and the 53rd IPA Congress in Cartagena. It has been translated and published in several psychoanalytic Journals. The IPA Talks On Psychoanalysis podcast series now offers it to its listeners in German, English, Spanish and Italian.

You can access the recent edition of the APA's Journal of Psychoanalysis, featuring a publication with two accompanying commentaries by Alicia Killner and Beatriz Zelcer, at this link: https://revista-de-psicoanalisis.apa.org.ar

Rotraut De Clerck is a renowned psychoanalyst of the German Psychoanalytical Association (DPV) and has been a long-term guest to the British Psychoanalytic Society (BPS). Her work notably intersects psychoanalysis with culture and public discourse. She has carried out the “Psychoanalysis in Literature – Literature in Psychoanalysis” series at the Literaturhaus Frankfurt, fostering dialogue between contemporary writers and Freud's texts. De Clerck's clinical interests include theories on the dynamic interplay of narcissism and object love, of the unconscious and changes in sexuality, including homosexuality “neo-sexualities” and the concepts of masochism. De Clerck's contributions extend to psychoanalytic portraits of literary figures like Albert Camus, Virginia Woolf, painters like Maria Lassnig and notably Lucian Freud. She chairs the EPF's “Psychoanalysis and Literature group and serves as a Consultant on the IPA Culture Committee. Her recent projects focus on the place of sexuality in psychoanalytic theory and practice today.

Link to the paper https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jwtEt3rBf0BSGsl_uFxv6xwVrPPr_dvR/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=112457875385152358388&rtpof=true&sd=true

This episode is available also in:

German

Spanish

Italian

A subtitled version of this podcast is available on our YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/playlist?l ist=PLhxiwE76e0QaOquX3GujdwNLFsgxUQNXz&si=yf381EDu3pess6Yz

This Podcast Series, published by the International Psychoanalytical Association, is part of the activities of the IPA Communication Committee and is produced by the IPA Podcast Editorial Team.

Head of the Podcast Editorial Team: Gaetano Pellegrini.
Editing and Post-Production: Massimiliano Guerrieri.

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

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

Talks On Psychoanalysis

The place of sexuality in psychoanalytic treatment and training today - Rotraut De Clerck

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Diminishing Emphasis on Sexuality in Psychoanalytic Case Reports

The Evolving Concept of Sexuality and Psychoanalytic Language

Reflections on the Role of Sexuality in Contemporary Psychoanalysis

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts