Adolescent Psychoanalysis

“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”  (Gill Scott Heron)

Chapter 12

From There to Now (cont)

Addendum

Other details of this Traditional American/Kleinian fighting can be found in the paper, “The Fisher King,” written by Bernard Bail, M.D. (http://www.holisticpsychoanalysis.com/HP/psychoanalysis-and-fisher-king.htm) I cannot attest to the accuracy of the details of his writings regarding the dealings with the American, International and a number of the individuals cited by him, although I do have a number of reasons to believe they were true. That minor reservation being kept in mind, to read this paper, for those who are interested, is to gain a much more detailed account of this time, of this sad period at the now defunct Los Angeles Institute.

However, I can attest to hypocritical portions of this paper, illustrated by  this quote from the “Fisher King.”  Candidates were hardly treated as I outlined above, in spite of the ‘talk’ in this paper.

…..”Such behavior [of the Los Angeles Institute, American Psychoanalytic Association, and International Psychoanalytic Association] gives or ought to give analysts pause to consider what goes on in analysis around the world. Are the principles of truth, virtue, and honor followed? No bodies here, yet deep scarification of the personality will always ensue from such practices. And what of the candidates who were in constant dread for four years as to whether their work would be allowed? Any analyst would know that the marks of such anxiety will not easily disappear. ….”

This particular analyst, in spite of what he writes, was one of the key Analysts who violated, repeatedly, many of the ordinary principles of which he speaks…”Are the principles of truth, virtue, and honor followed” he asked rhetorically in ‘Fisher King’. In his case, with respect to Kleinian Candidates they clearly were not. The dangers of psychoanalysts, analytic schools, etc.,  who feel they bear the ‘ultimate truth’, cannot be overestimated. This was clearly the case with Dr. Bail. He clearly felt licensed to decide which actions meet the standards of being called moral, etc. In this case, the ends justified the means.

Such practices, in the analysis of adolescents, are even more onerous. We must not lead them to think like and carry the banners of us, but try to help them to know and be themselves. As analysts, we should have no doubts about this whatsoever.  They are much more and can all obviously be easily duped.