Student Poster by Sara Rabanser¹
¹ Universität Innsbruck, Austria
TIME: Thursday, 16 July, 12:00 – 13:15
Location: Break Room
Session: Poster Session
Abstract
There is a scientific consensus that cognitive behavioural therapy and positive psychotherapy draw on neoliberal ideas, whereas psychoanalytic therapy is often credited for its critical stance and social engagement. Yet, even in psychoanalytic therapy their scholars have pointed towards a forced neoliberal alignment. This contribution examines these observations of neoliberal ideology within psychoanalytic therapy. Ideological motifs include reinterpretations of happiness as willpower, illusions of freedom, a shift towards self-help practices, and the reduction of the analysand to their competencies. To further investigate these motifs, interviews were conducted with psychoanalysts from Tyrol (Austria) and subsequently analysed via qualitative content analysis. The resources identified – such as inner psychological strength, strengthening of defences, identity consolidation and emotional regulation – are linked to the constant imperative of growth and self-help. The ability to perceive oneself and others, mentalisation, self-love, self-acceptance and tolerance are also part of human capital, which must be maintained in the face of constant competition. These identified resources highlight the reduction of the individual to their abilities. The results also show that patients are attributed high expectations regarding their own problem-solving abilities, based on the assumption that they often already know what is wrong with them. They learn to protect themselves by learning to be in touch with their own feelings. Burnout, in particular, was often attributed to the person’s lack of skills, as one’s own will is the prerequisite for recovery. The unconscious, society, politics and culture also exert an influence, but the focus was more on the individual’s specific relationships. The present study concludes that psychoanalysis might still hold a critical potential. As the findings indicate, however, psychoanalysis is currently unable to realise this potential in its therapeutic practice. It is argued that this critical implementation gap should be investigated further in order to bring society back into the therapy session and criticalize psychoanalytic practice (again).