Psychoanalysis On and Off the Couch

"A number of art schools in the early 60s said: “Clearly, it is the relationship of the painter to the medium that is the essence of painting - the painter must be emotionally present, and this is what we should instill in our students.” So they started to take away traditional training in art schools of representational drawing, of color theory, of figurative drawing, and what they ended up with was a generation of artists who were passionately throwing paint at canvases but unable to make art. The relationship between the fundamentals and intuition is very complicated. Nobody seemed to make the point that the great abstract expressionists  were all trained for decades in traditional art schools. That’s what they came out of, and we see this in our analytic colleagues. Many of them are writing wonderfully at the moment, but they were trained as Kleinians or trained as ego psychologists, and they have that in their bone marrow. The kind of representational work with Apple [painting of his dog] that I am talking about when I say: I draw and I draw and I draw until I can put that aside, in analytic work I go to something basic in my training. For me it happens to be something that's close to Paul Gray, it's not where I'm going to stop, but I can use Paul Gray because that's what I was trained in - I will look for transference, I'll look for defense, I'll look for resistance and I'll go back and look for the derivatives of certain affects that are enacted in the relationship. I go over it and over it until I can relinquish it like I did with the painting of Apple, and then the intuitive comes in, but the intuitive is the reward at the end of decades of hard work."   Episode Description: We begin with Jon's mother's encouragement to paint by finding the bird's vitality through "becoming the bird." This leads us to consider the relationship between intuitive seeing and the "images which I might desire to produce." We discuss his notion of the aesthetic matrix which applies both to the analytic encounter as it does to the painter's relationship to his creative process. Jon shares with us his conviction that basic technique, whether artistic or analytic, must first become part of one's inner make-up before intuition can enlighten an obscure moment. He walks us through his creative process in the face of a blank canvas on the wall in front of him. He discusses the different uses of watercolor and oil paint and how their unique properties parallel his spontaneous engagement at various periods of an analysis. He presents a clinical encounter and how he was able to unpack a countertransference impasse through working on a painting. He closes with sharing an experience he had in his native South Africa which leads him to feel that "it's a blessing to be able to work in America."   Linked Paper and Websites: The Aesthetic Matrix: A Conversation Between a Painter and a Psychoanalyst  

"The Holocaust seems to me to be the paradigmatic case of the acting out of unconscious fears, fantasies and projections onto another group that has ever occurred. It is the place therefore for psychoanalytic concepts in understanding anti-Semitism and racism more generally. Particularly in this context and thinking about Nazism and Nazi perpetrators is crucial, especially given what for me is so interesting about this is not just thinking as a historian and how can I borrow psychoanalytic ideas to enrich the thing I am interested in explaining. Also, because the history of psychoanalysis is bound up with this history. It’s why I cited Fenichel and Loewenstein - the idea of psychoanalysis as this ‘Jewish science’, of the emigrates all persecuted by Nazism and how they restarted their lives in the US or elsewhere, the grappling with the German psychoanalysts after the war, the conflicts in the International Psychoanalytic Association after the war - these are all part of the history of the Holocaust. For me, this combination of the history of psychoanalysis as an endeavor, plus the usefulness of psychoanalytic concepts in trying  to explain this phenomenon in the first place is a hugely enriching conversation.”     Episode Description: We begin with outlining the tension within the 'complemental series' where external events and intrapsychic registration of those events are both contributors to psychic difficulties. This applies to early as well as later life traumas. Dan's book invites us to additionally consider the conflicting psychoanalytic contributions to the question of what enables survival. All research points to the essential dimension of luck in enabling survival in concentration camps. As a historian he fleshes out the contrasting viewpoints of analysts Eddy de Wind and Viktor Frankl as they each describe what they felt were the essential psychological qualities that contributed to survival. De Wind and others point to a state of stupor, also characterized as estrangement or dissociation, as an essential state of mind to facilitate surviving in overwhelming circumstances. He shares with us why he as a historian feels that an analytic way of thinking is essential as "history without psychoanalysis cannot access aspects of the human experience that elude rational thought - and there are sadly many."   Our Guest: Dan Stone, PhD, is Professor of Modern History and director of the Holocaust Research Institute at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he has taught since 1999. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including, most recently: The Holocaust: An Unfinished History; Fate Unknown: Tracing the Missing after World War II and the Holocaust; and Psychoanalysis, Historiography and the Nazi Camps: Accounting for Survival. He is also the co-editor, with Mark Roseman, of volume I of the Cambridge History of the Holocaust. Dan chaired the academic advisory committee for the Imperial War Museum London’s redesigned Holocaust Galleries (opened in 2021) and is a member of the UK’s Advisory Group on Spoliation Matters.   Recommended Readings:   Martin S. Bergmann and Milton E. Jucovy (eds.), Generations of the Holocaust (New York: Columbia University Press, 1982)   Werner Bohleber, Destructiveness, Intersubjectivity, and Trauma: The Identity Crisis of Modern Psychoanalysis (London: Routledge, 2018)   Matt Ffytche and Daniel Pick (eds.), Psychoanalysis in the Age of Totalitarianism (London: Routledge, 2016)   Dagmar Herzog, Cold War Freud: Psychoanalysis in an Age of Catastrophes (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017)   Emily A. Kuriloff, Contemporary Psychoanalysis and the Legacy of the Third Reich: History, Memory, Tradition (New York: Routledge, 2014)   Dori Laub and Andreas Hamburger (eds.), Psychoanalysis and Holocaust Testimony: Unwanted Memories of Social Trauma (London: Routledge, 2017)   Steven A. Luel and Paul Marcus (eds.), Psychoanalytic Reflections on the Holocaust: Selected Essays (New York: Ktav, 1984)   Dan Stone, Psychologists in Auschwitz: Accounting for Survival (lecture at the German Historical Institute,( London, 11 July 2024):   

Mark Solms, a neuropsychologist and author, discusses his journey to reconcile his family's vineyard with its troubling history linked to apartheid in South Africa. He emphasizes the importance of oral histories shared by black farm workers, revealing their struggles and resilience. Solms explores themes of historical trauma, counter-transference in psychotherapy, and the complexities of trust between owners and workers. Through community engagement and healing, he advocates for transforming painful legacies into collaborative futures and renewed cultural pride.

Gabriela Goldstein, Ph.D., a key figure in psychoanalysis and former president of APA, delves into the chaos of modern society and its impact on individual subjectivity. She discusses the decline of traditional authority and its implications for creativity and freedom. Goldstein highlights the importance of love over revenge in therapeutic settings and the significance of non-verbal communication. She also connects philosophical insights from Shakespeare's Hamlet to contemporary mental health challenges, emphasizing the evolving role of art and dialogue in psychoanalysis.

Roberta Satow, PhD, is a practicing psychoanalyst and former sociologist whose writing blends personal and professional reflections. In a captivating discussion, she delves into the evolution of unspoken thoughts in therapy, drawing parallels to her memoir/novel, 'Our Time is Up.' Satow also shares insights from her historical fiction inspired by Trotsky's life, revealing how culture shapes therapeutic experiences. They explore the emotional intertwining of patient and therapist, spotlighting the profound connections that deepen through shared vulnerabilities.

Jhuma Basak, PhD, an analyst from Calcutta, reveals her poignant journey through a sudden cancer diagnosis. She candidly discusses the emotional upheaval of balancing her illness with patient care, emphasizing the significance of 'honest submission' in therapy. Jhuma explores cultural beliefs about mortality in Indian society, the complexities of vulnerability in the therapeutic relationship, and how personal experiences can enhance connections with patients. Her story is a testament to the healing power of shared struggles.

Marianne Leuzinger-Bohleber, a professor specializing in the transformation of dreams in psychoanalysis, shares her personal and professional insights. She recounts her journey through grief and how her dreams evolved from nightmares to positive, problem-solving narratives during therapy. The discussion highlights the significance of dream analysis in tracking therapeutic progress, the interplay between psychoanalysis and empirical research, and the broader implications of dreams for emotional healing. Leuzinger-Bohleber emphasizes the importance of individualized approaches to therapy.

Barbara Stimmel, PhD, discusses the delicate balance between sharing clinical material for educational purposes while respecting patient privacy. The podcast explores the repercussions of revealing patient identities in writing and the importance of maintaining boundaries in therapy. It also delves into the complexities of co-writing clinical vignettes with patients and emphasizes the analyst's responsibility in maintaining confidentiality and ethical standards.

Dr. Eike Hinze, a psychologist specializing in psychoanalytic training, discusses the adventurous journey of psychoanalytic training, where trainees delve into their unconscious psyche and explore unknown areas. The podcast explores the challenges, theoretical models, and transformative breakthroughs in psychoanalytic training, emphasizing the importance of personal analysis and supervised analytic case treatments. It also delves into topics like handling transference, maintaining neutrality, navigating boundaries in therapy, and interpreting the symbolic meaning of patient gifts.

Psychiatrist Charis Cladouhos discusses the integration of psychedelic medicines in psychotherapy, emphasizing the importance of ongoing therapy relationships. She advocates for psychoanalysts to be more involved in the psychedelic field and urges caution and humility in the approach to psychedelic practices. Topics include the use of ketamine, touch, and music in therapy sessions, as well as the challenges and benefits of incorporating psychedelic medicines into psychoanalytic therapy.