From: dionysus-AT-bway.net
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 13:21:47 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Deleuze & Guattari's schizophrenia & its relevance today (fwd)


>I'm not entirely convinced that they (the narrativists)do advocate the
>building of the self. They do advance the idea that the self is narrativized
>meaning, and any liberation of the self is from the discursive restraints
>that they identify as the source of problems. They do this via
>'externalization'. Michael White, for instance, seems to grant credence to a
>shadowy agent that moves behind the scenes but is never really acknowledged
>to any extent (imho). Yet, of the therapies in fashion currently, White's
>ideas show the most promise of political deconstruction of problems. My
>micromolarities described above are in large part due to trainings in
>narrative. I still find it hard however to picture a Guattarian-inspired
>*practice* of therapy with persons who are not residing at La Borde. A
>person who comes into an office as an individual because the courts have
>told him to take counselling is unlikely to be willing to assume a
>transversality by doing pottery (or plastic arts) and practically,
>encouraging him to do 'community' 'work' would be immensely hard to
>supervise or even to arrange.

>And, I would add, our prevailing theories. We can map out abstract machines
>until the cows come home. My question is how do we make the DG 'pragmatics'
>and make it work? Any ideas?
>
>Andrew
>Van cda

A lot of the practical, arts, and systems therapies currently in fashion
are ridiculous because they are measured out and forced as if a little of
this and a little of that should be tried. You have to find out what works
with someone. Move with their traps, need, demands, desires, and
jouissance.

Guattari did in fact have a private practice. After frequenting the
Lacanian school he eventually became disgusted at his own guru placement,
quit completely, and eventually returned after he had developed his
pragmatic methods completely freed from institutional affiliations
including the late-lacanian cults.

That said, Lacan's work on methods still remain some of the best, and his
deconstruction of the psychoanalytic establishment and the construction of
his school are admirable models - even the hysterical results of
internecine struggle within the community may be considered his
demonstration of the radical truth of his claims about human nature. He was
definitely a harsh nagual.

Blending that with more supportive or containing naguals like Winnicott
makes for a good mix. Some of the most incredible stories of what one
therapist can do for someone in need when willing to follow his own course
are to be found in Masud Khan's "The Long Wait" and "Hidden Selves".

Some of my other favorite individual, collective, and institutional
clinical suggestions include:

Wilfred Bion "Attention and Interpretation"
Christopher Bollas "Shadow of the Object"
Donald Winnicott "Playing and Reality"
Ignacio Matte-Blanco "Thinking, Feeling, and Being"
Gianfranco Cecchin "Irreverence"
Luigi Boscolo "The Times of Time"
Mony Elkaim "If You Love Me Don't Love Me"
Tom Andersen "The Reflecting Team"

Castaneda, Laing, Bateson, Lilly, Grof . . .