File spoon-archives/marxism-psych.archive/marxism-psych_1996/96-12-11.201, message 121


Date: 04 Dec 96 18:15:00 EST
From: Chris Burford <100423.2040-AT-compuserve.com>
Subject: M-PSY: Politics of therapist


Mark wrote:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 96 21:45:25 -0600
Subject: Re: M-PSY: Sensate focusing (was "Newbee")

Dear Chris:  What about the more frequent problem which arises when the
politically radical patient enters treatment with an apolitical or, more likely,
politically conservative therapist?  After all, there aren't too many Marxist
analysts out there.  I seem to remember that Joel Kovel used to claim he was the
only one, which sort of limits the field!  Presumably, politically conservative
therapists are inclinced to treat radical politics as a symptom.  But maybe
there are more fire eating analysts out there than I think.

Mark Gabbert
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I don't know what other people would say, but I guess it should matter less with
a doctor for a specific treatment provided he/she is a good enough doctor.
The same goes for the specific sort of therapy that Ilan describes.

I assume the problem occurs with the talking therapies where there is an 
assumption of a search for a meaning. (I am hesitating as I write this as to 
whether Freudian psychoanalysis would accept this description). Anyway
I assume that in a talking therapy the patient is making sense of his/her 
situation and history. That often brings a sense of relief. It allows
the individual to re-orientate themselves and resume the possibility of 
being active in the world again. I suggest the 
nature of the story, matters less than that a story is created.

This would fit in with the practices of so called primitive societies who 
had no need of psychiatrists or psychotherapists. 

Presumably the situation Mark describes is one where the politically conscious
patient finds his/her attempts to make sense of experience ignored, invalidated 
or undermined by a therapist. There is a therapist in England whose name I
forget (first name Andrew, can you help Bob?) who specifically argues the 
case for political therapy, ie that it is important to make sense of your 
political context with a therapist who will help this.

I wonder if Mark or anyone else can describe a situation of the sort he 
identifies. To keep some anonymity, it should not be necessary to identify who
had the experience, but say - someone I know - or I know of a situation where -

How serious or widespread is the problem Mark refers to? worse in the USA 
perhaps at any rate than in England?

Chris Burford

London.


     --- from list marxism-psych-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---


   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005