Psychoanalytic Writing: A Lynchpin for Tripartite Analytic Training

Barbara A. Baer, Ph.D.

2011 Madrid IARPP Panel Relational Perspectives On Clinical Writing… Through Training And Beyond

Psychoanalytic writing classes at PINC often elicit the thus far untapped poet in the identity of analytic candidates, enriching their clinical perspective, along with their overall training experience. When candidates capture their peripheral perspectives, bringing them into fuller consciousness, they often surprise themselves along with the reader. This paper detailed the value of incorporating writing throughout analytic training to potentially enhance and deepen overall training.

The Relational Turn in psychoanalysis is being expressed in psychoanalytic education. Recognizing authentic relating, and co-creation of meaning requires greater self-awareness by the analyst; in general, institutes offer courses that encourage self-exploration and self- development. Strikingly, the teaching of writing is an under- utilized tool in developing candidates’ awareness of their unique analytic voice. Integrating writing throughout training likely improves educational experience, and better prepares candidates to take more creative, innovative risks with publication as they enter the psychoanalytic community. Integration of training is facilitated by adding writing that focuses on aspects of training that range from new clinical perspectives to the often conflict ridden and over-stimulating. To deepen analytic experience, avoid states of absence, as well as therapeutic impasse, when analysts address through writing what excites them as well as what creates conflict during training the stage is set for attending to what will emerge without question in their post training years.

To support this perspective the history and evolution of the Psychoanalytic Writing class at PINC was detailed, along with the consolidating impact on training with the writing opportunities provided in the classes Development of an Analytic Identity, and the Integrative Seminar. While often resistant at first, candidates generally embrace these opportunities to bring their evolving perspectives on their training and clinical work into fuller consciousness.

Benefits of offering writing opportunities in other classes to enhance and further integrate the tripartite model of training, was provided by noting that Candidates at PINC
have repeatedly echoed Susan Furman’s 2006 words from The Write of Passage from Candidate to Analyst: The Experience of Writing Analytic Process. Namely, the depth of understanding she achieved from learning to write transparently about analytic work was instrumental in the consolidation of her analytic training and her development of an analytic identity.

Lending further support for my position, in addition to the writings of Lynn Reiser, Glick & Stern, and others Joan Sarnat’s 2008 paper, was cited: “my experience of psychoanalytic training might have been even richer if the unconscious significance that theory and technique took on for me could have found some place in seminar discussions and case conferences as well.”

Concluding, I further suggested, incorporating more meaningful writing assignments may facilitate coming to terms with conflicts that blunt integration of theory by addressing: threatening theoretical positions; countertransference issues such as destabilizing hostile and idealizing transference material; and, inhibiting aspects of training itself. On the premise that what is not addressed becomes interference, setting a precedence for writing about what is disturbing, disruptive, and even haunting, along with what is exciting and intriguing during training prioritizes consciousness; thus, through writing, consciousness –the basis for analysis itself–is facilitated, while simultaneously preparing analysts for addressing versus avoiding states of not being fully present, therapeutic impasse or worse in years well beyond training.

References:
Furman, S.G. (2006). The Write of Passage from Candidate to Analyst: The Experience of Writing Analytic Process. Psychoanalytic Inquiry. 26:662-697.

Glick, R.A., Stern, G.J. (2008). Writing about Clinical Theory and Psychoanalytic. Process. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 56:1261-1277.

Reiser, L.W., (2000). Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 48:351-354

Sarnat, J. (2008). Reuniting the Psychic Couple in Analytic Training and Practice: a Candidate’s Experience. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 25:110-121.