Spent all day at the American Psychoanalytic Meetings today. Very pleased to see all of the PC stuff gone. No pro-Palestinian psychology, no terror apologetics, no sessions on transgenderphobia. Of course, they had to generate a press release condemning torture, but that is just window-dressing. These folks mostly aren't Jack Bauer fans, or shooters, except me and maybe a few others. (I am opposed to gratuitous or vengeful torture, but entirely in favor of torture to extract life-saving information.) Happily, though, it's pretty much back to basics.
Had a hilarious lunch with our recently-truant Aliyah Diary author, N. Szajnberg, MD, author of two new books of psychoanalytic research, including one on Israeli soldiers, who spoke wonderfully at a morning meeting on the role of theory-generation in the history of science. Will post his books later.
Among others at lunch at the Cafe St. Bart's - Philly's Dr. Elio Frattaroli, author of Healing the Soul in the Age of the Brain. Given his interests, I told him to give One Cosmos a look-see. Nathan claims that Elio's is the best book every written on psychotherapy.
My questions for our lunch-time informal panel:
1. Does anyone really believe our metapsychological theories? (I think not)
2. Do psychoanalysts overvalue the "inner life"? (I think yes, but they undervalue the spiritual life)
This is getting a tad technical, but this was Anna Ornstein's reply to my question about an apparently narcissistic patient in analysis whose narcissism turned out to be a transference resistance against an oedipal transference: "It must have been pseudo-narcissism." Hmmm.
The session I most wanted to attend was Dr. Bob Michels moderating about a case of organizational pathology presented by Dr. Dick Munich. Sold out, with barely standing room in a 100 degree room. Even Dr. Kernberg, my supervisor and boss many years ago, had to stand squeezed, leaning on a table and unable to see the discussion panel. Somebody could have had the grace to give Otto their seat at the table. Very disappointed, but by that point, I would have keeled over had I stuck around.
Overall, a good day to re-center on the basics: process, transference, resistance, defence, assessment, etc. And, for fun, the role of theory in practice. And, again overall - what a bunch of scary smart, literate, thoughtful, kind folks.
