Psychoanalytic Practice and State Regulation

Synopsis:

'This book arises out of an important international conference held in March 2006 to discuss how regulation by the state has affected psychoanalysis as a clinical discipline in many different parts of the world. There were participants and papers from Europe and beyond: from Africa; from both North and South America; from Asia; and, of course, from the UK, where an important debate is now being conducted about current government proposals to regulate practitioners of all the mainstream modalities of psychological therapies, including psychoanalysis. This conference was the first international event held by The College of Psychoanalysts UK and hosted by the London School of Economics and Political Science. The papers given at that conference, with reflections from across the world, comprise the contents of this book.' - Jacques China, from the Foreword

Description:

‘To preserve and protect the practice of psychoanalysis, analysts and therapists must become aware of the threats to psychoanalysis posed by the rush by differing state legislatures to regulate psychoanalysis. This incredibly valuable book provides clinicians with an accurate portrait of what is taking place in many differing countries. It also offers a psychoanalytical understanding of why analysts have been so passive when under such threat, and it proposes solutions to the dilemma the profession faces. It is a work of leadership, something sorely missed amongst this important profession. It should be read and discussed by all psychoanalysts and therapists if they truly wish the profession to
survive.’
- Christopher Bollas

‘... deepens and theorises in an international context the growing concern of many like myself, who fought for years for statutory regulation of psychotherapy...’
- Andrew Samuels

‘Readers in humanities tend to ignore the fact that psychoanalysis is not primarily an instrument of cultural studies, but a clinical practice, a social link which deals with the hard reality of symptoms. The shift from purely theoretical topics to the hard Leninist questions about psychoanalysis as social practice, its state regulation, its compliance with or subversion of hegemonic power relations, is especially pertinent today, when we are witnessing a renewed world-wide attempt to subsume psychoanalysis under the grid of medical establishment. "Psychoanalytic Practice and State Regulation" does this Leninist job with brio – it is a book for everyone who deals in any way with psychoanalysis!’
- Slavoj Zizek

Notes about the author(s):

Ian Parker is Professor of Psychology in the Discourse Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He is widely published, and his books include The Crisis in Modern Social Psychology (1989), Psychoanalytic Culture: Psychoanalytic Discourse in Western Society (1997), Critical Discursive Psychology (2002), Slavoj Žižek: A Critical Introduction (2004) and Psychoanalytic Practice and State Regulation (2008).