Dynamic, dyadic, intersubjective systems: An evolving paradigm for psychoanalysis.

Presents an overview of some of thebasic tenets of dynamic systems theory. Conflict, transference, resistance, and the unconscious are viewed as dynamically emergent properties of self-organizing, nonlinear, dyadic, intersubjective systems. The author cites the works of developmentalists E. Thelen and L. Smith (1994) who conceptualize mental activity as a dynamic, dyadic, and intersubjective system. The conception of development as evolving and dissolving attractor states of intersubjective systems richly illuminates the processes of pattern formation and change in psychoanalysis. The author contends that effective interpretations are seen as perturbations of the therapeutic system that permit new organizing principles to come into being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chaos, complexity, and psychoanalysis.

In this article, the principles embodied by chaos and complexity theories are applied to the psychoanalytic enterprise. The patient and the analyst are conceptualized as complex adaptive systems of mental schemas whose interaction creates the complex adaptive system of the analytic dyad. Psychoanalysis is described as a transformational process that takes place within the creation and evolution of the complex adaptive system of the analytic dyad. Transference, countertransference, psychopathology, and the processes of mutative change are explicated in terms of how complex adaptive systems self-organize, develop, and evolve. What emerges from this analysis is a holistic psychoanalytic theory that brings under 1 set of principles the concepts and techniques that have hitherto been described by a number of conflicting theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jung, Jungians, and psychoanalysis.

The break between Freud and Jung--and the subsequent division between their followers--has had profound and continuing consequences for both parties. The Jungians have continued an ambivalent relationship to psychoanalysis, with the effects of internal conflicts and institutional schisms. Mainstream psychoanalysis, for its part, has used Jung, the primary and still most prominent "deviant," to inhibit developments in areas associated with his work. This article explores how the pressure to maintain solidarity and conformity in psychoanalysis has curtailed, in particular, thinking in 3 areas: symbolism, lifelong development, and paranormal experience. It concludes with observations about the opportunities and dangers associated with the move toward pluralism being considered in both camps. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Freud, sociobiology, and contemporary psychoanalysis.

Contends that G. K. Leak and S. B. Christopher (see record 1982-29262-001) presented a well-reasoned synthesis of Freudian concepts and sociobiology. However, the present author feels that they failed to point out that metapsychological concepts (i.e., id, ego, and superego) are only a part of Freud's work and that there is a dearth of additional material that should be considered. To reduce Freudian constructs to less complex, more easily understood components, psychologists frequently attempt to present Freud's ideas as contrasting dualities (e.g., clinical vs metapsychological, humanistic vs mechanistic, hermeneutic vs positivistic). The author further asserts that these problems in interpretation may be a result of an inadequate translation into English that present Freud's concepts in a depersonalized, mechanistic, scientific manner. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proverbs and psychoanalysis

Proverbs have much to teach the psychoanalyst. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the clinical usefulness of viewing certain proverbs as analogous to typical dreams, to discuss some implications of the affinities between proverbs, riddles, and typical dreams in the context of applied psychoanalysis, and to view the proverb as stemming from the same common matrix as dreams, myths, symptoms, and folklore.     

Analyst subjectivity, analyst disclosure, and the aims of psychoanalysis

It is preferable to think of what we directly disclose to our patients as "analyst disclosure" rather than as the commonly used "self-disclosure." The author suggests this change because, to some extent, we have equated the analyst's subjectivity with the self-concept in ways that fail to distinguish how disclosure both overlaps and is distinct from other forms of interpretation. What distinguishes the analysts's subjectivity in disclosure is her or his deliberate attempt to reveal a construction of the self to the patient so that something new can be explored. This paper elaborates these issues by examining some of the therapeutic aims of analyst disclosure.     

Directions in psychoanalysis

This article is intended to familiarize the general practitioner with the important concepts in the practice of psychoanalysis. It provides an overview of the development of the field of psychoanalysis, considering it as theory of personality, as an explanation of psychopathology, and as a research procedure. It also explores psychoanalysis as a method of treatment and presents an outline of the knowledge and training necessary to become a psychoanalyst. A consideration of the analytic process includes a review of the postulates that govern its application--the analytic process, the therapeutic dyad, and psychodynamic interventions. Historical and political issues are examined, including the spread of psychoanalytic theory, the various contributions of important psychoanalytic thinkers, a review of the struggle of nonmedical psychoanalysts to break the one-time monopoly held by medical psychoanalysts, and the ongoing love-hate relationship between clinical practitioners and academic psychologists. In addition to providing this background material, this article explores the issues currently facing the field of psychoanalytic thought--the need for integration of the structural and relational perspectives and the outlook for the future of the discipline.     

Philosophy, psychiatry and psychoanalysis: the case of Nietzsche

In this work dedicated to Frederic Nietzsche, we were first interested by the philosopher's personal psychopathology. Biographic and personality factors, the physical and moral pain, the mood variations, hypersensitivity, solitude and finally megalomanic traits have probably contributed to the development of his thought. Nietzsche gave personal interpretations of his own suffering. Freud himself recognized the organic component of the philosopher's illness. We reviewed the different symptoms in favor of a progressive general paresis. Philologist and moralist, Nietzsche was also a "psychologist". His intuitions in this area often preceded and prepared those of Freud. The relationship is surprising on certain points such as love and sexuality, the unconscious, the interpretation of dreams. We wish to remind readers that a prepsychoanalytic stream of thought, at the end of the 19th century, preceded the teaching now ascribed to Freud and his followers.     

Kohut, psychoanalysis, and psychology—A response to Masek.

As a psychologist grounded in and respectful of general psychology, and as a clinician who uses and teaches ego psychological theory, it seems to the author that Masek (1986) overstates the meaning and contribution of Kohut's work. As he points out, the current status of psychoanalysis—as theory and as praxis—is unparalleled for its "creative ferment". Indeed, the metaphor of identity crisis might well apply to the timing and severity of the upheavals confronting the psychoanalytic movement today. But that internal chaos is not wholly attributable to Kohut. Both ego psychology and object relations theory raise questions which jeopardize such fundamental tenets of Freudian theory as the dualistic theory of libidinal and aggressive drives; the primacy of Oedipal conflict in the etiology of psychopathology; the neutrality and impersonal detachment of the analyst. In addition, the limitations of psychoanalysis as a treatment when costed against alternative therapies has radically reduced the client pool, thus raising other questions about theory and practice. From this context, the author reviews Masek's view of the impact of Kohut on the theory and practice of "mainstream" psychoanalytic thought. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mind, body, and psychoanalysis: The science of psychotherapy.

Along with the contributions of the psychoanalytic century to the science of the mind, there appears to be a diminished interest in and training for psychotherapy in favor of genetic, organic, and psychopharmacologic approaches. New advances should not be accompanied by the elimination of achieved ones. R. Waelder (1967) stated that progress has victims as well as beneficiaries. Psychopathology consists of complex psychological mechanisms and developmental factors, which, although they can now be demonstrated by cerebral radiography, must still be recognized as the center of therapeutic efforts. The opportunity is greater than ever to achieve an integration of our combined knowledge of brain and mind. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Commentary on "Contemporary structural psychoanalysis and relational psychoanalysis."

Comments on the Special Section "Contemporary structural psychoanalysis and relational psychoanalysis" in Psychoanalytic Psychology, Vol 12 [1]. The author states there are many misreadings of the relational theories. He emphasizes the reasons the term relational was chosen for the theory, the conflict among different relational configurations, and the issues separating relational and structural theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classical and relational psychoanalysis.

Comments on the articles by A. Wilson, J. F. Murray, A. Sugarman (see PA, Vol 82:33124, 33115, and 33122, respectively) and others regarding the controversy between classical and relational theories in psychoanalysis. Gill focuses on the opposition between classical and relational theory and suggests that the central issue in the controversy is the relation between the innate and the experiential. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conflicts and mixed signals in psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and Gestalt psychology.

At the turn of the 20th century, European psychologists found themselves in conflict situations with respect to the role that private mental states should play in a scientific psychology. Out of this conflict arose 3 of the best-known schools of the 20th century: psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and Gestalt psychology. Each of these schools is discussed with respect to two characteristics. First, the authors discuss the attitude of each school on the meaning of the word unconscious as it was understood around 1900. Second, the authors discuss the influence of each school on the reception accorded to books written around 1900 espousing viewpoints that did not cohere with the school's beliefs. Such books may be considered "missed signals" in the history of psychology. "Hits" associated with each school are also highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On history and psychoanalysis.

Freud claimed that psychoanalysis represented a major assault on human narcissism. This view is only partially correct for it is largely ahistorical. Freud's view must now be balanced against the historians' perspective on psychoanalysis, which in its turn represents a potential narcissistic blow to psychoanalysis, so long as psychoanalysts isolate themselves from fuller recognition of the sociocultural matrix of Freud's work. This article, by a psychoanalyst, presents some of the newer perspectives of historians on the development of Freud's work against the background of late 19th century Austrian and German political, cultural, and social history. Through understanding this past, we are better able to understand the present dilemmas of psychoanalysis, in particular the relevance of social forces in the development of emotional disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reenfranchising psychoanalysis.

This article explores the meaning of disenfranchisement as it relates to the estrangement of psychoanalysis from gays and lesbians, who were not included in the original conference on the disenfranchised. This oversight is examined as part of the lag between a more inclusive stance toward gays and lesbians by psychoanalytic professional organizations and adoption of a similar inclusiveness by doctoral programs. The author examines whether these programs are honestly acknowledging their gay and lesbian students; alternative supervisory clinical vignettes are presented to illustrate their difficulties. The implications of continued avoidance of open conversation around issues of sexuality in training programs are explored in terms of the possible consequences that arise from unexamined countertransference, for both patients and therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nomothetic psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalytic theory's roots (in the clinic rather than the laboratory), and aims (depth understanding of the individual) have led to the development of a theoretical perspective that relies primarily on idiographic data and case material to derive and test psychoanalytic hypotheses. In this article, I describe nomothetic psychoanalysis--a framework for conceptualizing and evaluating psychoanalytic ideas that complements and enriches the traditional idiographic approach. Guidelines for conducting nomothetic studies of psychodynamic constructs are provided, and five principles are offered for implementing nomothetic psychoanalysis to maximize its heuristic value and clinical impact. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The organizing forces of contemporary psychoanalysis: Reflections on nonlinear dynamic systems theory.

Nonlinear dynamic systems theory, as elaborated by E. Thelen and L. Smith (1994), is applied to contemporary psychoanalysis. Infant research, attachment theory, and the notions of paradigm shift and Cartesian Anxiety represent a few of the interacting, self-organizing components that comprise the field today. These components interact in the context of the psychoanalytic field that is conceptualized as a system in it own right. The author reflects on the impact of nonlinear dynamic systems theory on his own subjectivity from the standpoint of theory and clinical application. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)