FAQs

Q. Developmental Models in Psychoanalysis
I am a psychology student writing a paper on psychoanalysis. I am looking for information on the comparative/animal psychology uses in the beginning of psychoanalytic history. Did they also play an important role in the development of psychoanalysis?

Q. Communism
I am writing an article about Communism and psychoanalysis for the Atlanta conference on Women and Power-2000. In particular about the idea that Communism can represent in the unconscious the idea of a Great Mother, that takes all citizens/sons back in her womb (earthly paradise). Can you give me any references, if there are, about people who spoke about this topic?

Q. Complexes, Transference Neurosis and Psychosis
I wonder if you could help to elucidate the psychoanalytic understanding of the term 'complex'? In various authors, the term seems to be used developmentally, procedurally or structurally. Do different analytic 'schools' understand and use the term with an intentionally different emphasis? Can you explain the concept of transference neurosis, and relatedly, transference psychosis? Some clinical examples would be helpful here. Can you suggest readings that discuss Andre Green's paper, "The Dead Mother"?

Q. Feminism
I am currently writing an essay at postgraduate level concerning contemporary feminism within psychoanalysis. I have a few ideas about which approach to take, however I am eager to hear about any possible angles you could suggest.

Q. Influence of Psychoanalysis
I need to know how psychoanalysis has influenced the development of world philosophies/government/society/or people today. I have not been able to find any information on this.

Q. Political Development
Could you tell me of articles or books that use psychoanalytic theory to analyze political development in countries, other than Nazi Germany? I'm curious whether some of the theory that applies to individual development may also be applied to a society that is oppressed by or rising up against a dictator, or issues involving freedom, responsibility, self-determination in democracies, etc.

Q. Psychoanalysis in the 21st Century
I am a senior psychology student and I was wondering if you could give me some information on how Freud is applied today in clinical settings? And how do see psychoanalysis being used in the 21st Century?

Q. The Psychodynamic Perspective
I am doing a project for school on the psychodynamic perspective's application to psychological issues. Could you please give me some information on the following?
1. How effective is the psychodynamic perspective in explaining current psychological and social issues?
2. Does the psychodynamic perspective maintain assumptions which severely limit its relevance to certain psychological topics?
3. In what ways does the psychodynamic perspective differ from other perspectives in its approach to various psychological issues?
4. Does the psychodynamic perspective offer satisfactory explanations of cognitive phenomena? Are there effective strategies for helping individuals with psychological disorders?
5. Does the psychodynamic perspective recommend specific changes in social, educational, or working conditions that would improve the mental well being of people?
6. If given a current psychological or social issue, how might the psychodynamic perspective describe and interpret it?

Q. Psychoanalysis and Social Change
I am an education student at Auckland University, New Zealand. I have an assignment to write, and have been surfing the net looking for links to help with it. So far I have found a fair amount of relevant information, and wonder whether you may have some input or advice for me. "How might psychoanalysis contribute to answering the question of the role of education in social change?"

Q. Transmission of Trauma
I'm interested in the way that unconscious trauma may be transmitted between generations. For example treatment has shown that children of survivors of the Holocaust may be experiencing at an unconscious level aspects of their parents' terrible and traumatic experiences. Might this also be the case of other individual traumas - for example with a parent who had not revealed and kept repressed their own experience of child sexual abuse, it might be possible that the child unconsciously picks up aspects of the parent's repressed symptomatology. Have you any thoughts or even references on this?