Psychotherapy and Politics

193 Pages·2000·5.108 MB·English

by  Nick Totton

Psychotherapy
and Politics
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Perspectiveosn Psychotherapy
editorC:o lin Feltham
ShdfieldU nHiavlelrasmi ty
Eacbho oikn t hicsh allenagnidin ngc issievreit eask aep sa rticular
perspecotnpi svyec hothteorp alpayic tei ni tisn telleacntdcu uallt ural
conteDxits.c iplwihniecwshi lbleb rougthobt e airnt hisse riweisli ln clude
socio,la ongtyhropoplhoigloyop,sh yp,s yclhoogys,c ienacnedf eminism.
Booiktnsh s ee ries:
Phoislophayn Pds ychotherapy
EdwarEdr win
PsychotahneSdro acpiye ty
DaviPdi lgrim
FeminaisnmPd s ychotherapy
editbeyd
I.B runSae ua ndM .C olleHeene nan
TherapAcyr oss Culture
Inga-BKrriatuts e
PsychotahneSdrc aipeyn ce
RobeLarntg s
PsychotahneSdrp aipryi tuality
WilliaWme st
PsychotahnePdro alpiyt ics
NicTko tton
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Psychotherapya nd
Politics
NICKT OTTON
SAGEP ublications
Londo•n T housanOdaks • NewD elhi
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© NickT otto20n0 0
First published 2000
Allr ighrtess ervNeod p.a rotf t hipsu blicamtaiyob ne
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photocopyriencgo,r doirno gt herwiwsiet,h opuetr missiino n
writifnrogm theP ublishers.
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LondoEnC 2A4 PU
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245T5e llReora d
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SAGEP ublicatIinodniPsav tL td
32M,- BlocMka rket
GreatKeari la-sIh
New Delh1i1 00 48
BritLiisbhr aCrayt alogiuniP nugb licadtiaotna
A catalorgeuceo frodtr h ibso oki s
availafrbolme t heB ritiLsihb rary
ISBN0 761598459
ISBN0 761598 590 (pbk)
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Printaendd b oundi nG reaBtr itabiyn
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Conetnst
Introduction 1
1 Psycho-poElnitteirctishn:Teg w enty-fCiernsttu ry 6
ParIt PsychothienrP aoplyi tics
2 'Rigahntd'' LeTfthe'r apiusptt os1 495 13
3 AlternaRteiavlei ties 22
4 Therapfyo trh Pee ople 30
5 DeconstruMcetnitnaIgll lness 38
6 ConfliacntdC ommunity 44
7 PressfionPrgo liCchya nges 50
ConclustioPo anr It
Parnt PsychothoefrP aoplyi tics
8 Cultuornet heC ouch 59
9 Psychohiasntdto hrFeya mily 70
10G endearn dS exuality 79
11T heR ootosfH atred 88
ConclustioPo anr ItI
ParntI PolitoifPc ssy chotherapy
12P sychothuenrdaepTryot alitarianism 101
13P sychothienrta hpPeyu blEiyce 101
14T heI nstituotfPi soyncsh otherapy 171
15C hallentgihnIegn stituotfPi soyncsh otherapy 127
ConclustioPo anr ItI I
ParIVt PolitiinPc ssy chotherapy
16C hallenBgiianasgn dI deology 134
17C hallentghiTen hge rapeuRteilca tionship 148
18B eyonTdhe rapy? 157
ConclustioPo anr IVt
Notes 167
Biibolghrya p 171
Index 182
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I ntorductio n
Fort her ougche ntuorfyp sychothereaxipsyt'esn cieth, a!s f ounidt self
con�tainnttleyr awcittiphno gl it-iwcistb ho tah' biPg'a nda ' smapl'lI. th as
beeuns e-db yt herapainsdot tsh e-rtsoq uesteisotna blpioslhietdpi ocsailt ions
ands tructuarnedms,o; r er aretloys ,h orteh emu p.I th asa lsfoo unidt self
to' havaep 'o littiohc asv:et ,h aitsi ,n ternsatlr uctoufpr eosw earn dc ontesta­
tioni,ni tisn stituatnidoa nlssm oo,r ep roblematiinci atlfslu yn,d amental
operatsiynsgt etmh,ed yaodf t heraapnidsc tl ieDnitf.f erbernatn choefps s y­
chotherhaapvyre e peatbeedelpnyu rgeodft he(ierx plipcoilti)ta incdhs a;v e
repeatbeedelcnyr iticfioztreh de 'iarp oliptoisctaulHr'oe w. a rew et ofi nda
shapiena ltlh is?
Iti su seftuobl e giwni tdhe finitiAocncso.r dtiont gh Se hoOrxfterodE r nglish
Dicntairy'op,o lietniccosm'p asasmeosn,og t hetrh ings,
Activitiesw icttohhna ecc qeurnieosdri e txieoroncf ai usteh oorrsi ttaytm uasn;ag e­
menotrc ontorfpo rli vaafftaeai nridsn tewrietshatinson r ganizfaatmiieolnt.y,.,c . .
Thei deparsi,n coircp olmemsi,tm eonfat nis n divoirdguaanli,ez ta,cit n.pi oolni,t ical
lifteho;er ganizaptirooncoaerlps rsi ncaicpcloert dowi hnigcd he cisairmoean dse
affecatuitnihg,to s yrtaettucs.,
Wec asnu pplemtehniwtsi tsht atemfernotpmss ychothewrhaoph iasvwters i t­
tena boutth esteh emeTsh.e m osts uccicnocmte fsr omt he' anti-psychiatrist'
DaviCdo ope'rp:o lihteis casy''s,h, a tsod ow itthh ed eploymoefnp to weirn
orb etweseonc ieanlt it(iCeoso'p 1er79 64,) C.o opeirn, otwhoerrd isn,f lu­
encebdy M icheFlo ucauslttr,e2st shedes ep loymentth artnah taeh ceqr uiosf ition
powe-rh ea ssumtehsa t power wbielp lr easleawnsaat p y rsi ncipilnet eorf­
actibountm, a yb eo rganiaznedud t iliiznae v da rioeftw ya ys.
AndreSwa mueilnsh ,ii sm portbaonotThk eP olitPisyccahismle o, r ee xpansive,
andm orep recaibsoeu tth ceo nnectbieotnw epeonl itaincdps s ychotherapy:
By' polIim teiactnsh c'eo ncearrrtaendg emaensndtrt usgg l.e.fs.ot rh oer ganization
anddi striobfru etisoonua rncpdeo sw eers,p eceicaolnlopymo iwce. .r O..n a m ore
persloenvatelhl ei,ras es ecoknidno dfp olitics [whicho]v e.rr.te .hfl ee cts struggles
abitloic thyo ose freteoal cyat n wwdhh aett haetcrotaketi oinna p artisciutlua.ar t ion
..B.u tp oliatlirsceosf teoar csru ciianlterp labye twteheesnte w od imensi[ownhsi icsh
where]i asts hpeercreio aflloed r e pptshy choilnro egyl attopi oolni cthiacnagle and
transfor(mSaatmiuo1en9l.9s3 ,m3y-4i ,t alics)
Witthy pitchaolr oughCnaersRlso ,g esrtsa ttehsa t:
·
Poliitnpi rcess,e npts-ydcahyo alnosdgio ccauilsa alhg aets,od ow itpowhe ra ncdo ntrol:
witthhe ex tteonw th ipcehr sons destoio rbet,ap ioanst,sst ehesamsorp,rset u rrender
powearnc do ntroovleo rt haenrd/sot rh emseIlthv atesosd . ow itthhme a neuvtehrse,
strategainesdta ctiwcsi,t toirnu gn wittbiynw gh,i cshu cpho we.r.i .ss ougahntd
gai-noersd haroerr de luiinsqhIehastd to. d ow itthe hloc us oj decisionpow-erm a..k.i ng
[anwdi]tht h /fefec tso ft hesede cisainotdnh se sset ra.teg..ies(. R og1e9r74s8, o, rigiitnaalli cs)
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2 Pscyhotahpeyar nPdo tliisc
Thespea ssraegfelste hsceot ro tfb riwehfi cIh hadveer ifvoremdt hpeh rase
'psychotahnpedo rlaiipcytsa 'f oc:u osn t hree latioofpn ssyhcihpo tthoe rapy
issoufpe osw erc oanntdar notdlot , h 'em aneeru.sv.s,t .rg aitaeenstd a iccttsh'e,
'arrangaenmdse tnrtluseg swgh'i,c hhu mabne inegnsg aignae r outnhde se
issuOenscw.ee t umt o' psychotihtesrheaolpwf,ey v'we3er fi ,n d tdheafti ning
thtee rims itpsoelliaftc iratca ,ai lst ihnogr oupgohlliyt ical questions. What is
thdei effren(coepf o wesrt,ua sti,n fluernecmeu,n erbaettiwoene)n psycho­
theraanpdcy o unsebleltiwnepges,ny chotahnepdrs aypcyh osainbsae,lt yween
allt hoeafsn epd s ychiWahtoir esyn ?t ittocl aetldhl e mseapl svyecsh oitshte?ra p
Whoi esl igtiob lreep cseyicvheroa t,pah ynewdh aatr eg oiatlss ?
Theqsuee sthiaovbnees e hno tly cotnhtreosugtthehodreu o tu cgehn toufry
psychot'hseexi resatnpcyIes .h atlrltyo s hotwh attha er gumehnatvbsee en,
expliocrii mtplilyti, lc ypolointe-isic naas le nsshea rbeyad lf lou rd efinitions
quotaebdo: va ergumaebnottusht ce o ntarnoddle ployomfpe onwtea rnp dr iv­
ileTghee.s e arcgounmsetntithtsieu n rnttaeepl o liotfti hcfesi ewlhdi;l exet ietrs­
naplo liitsci ocnss tibtyeu qtueadcl olnyt rrsoivqaeule stsiuocnahssW ,:h aits
'humnaant uWrhea'st?o rtisn doifv aindcduo allil vebece thavitohueorrr,ee f,
cabne s eeansn ormaanled x pebcltaean,wd h asto ratsas b noramnaudln ac­
ceptaIbstlh reee? l atiboenteswehtnih pie n divaindtduh acelo lilvebeca tsically
syntoonrdi ycs to-niisoc u ri ndivtiydt,uh aailtsei ,x preosrss eudp pressed
throouugerhxi steinnsc oec iaentcdyu ltAunrdeo,?fc osureW:h aitts h mee an­
inagn d puorfph ousmeae nxi steAnncsew?et ross u cqhu estcioonnsst itute,
amonogt htehri nbgusi,l bdlioncogkf os up ro liptoisciatailnod n ;at hrceely e arly
questoinow nhsi cphs ychotchaernre aapsyo nbaeeb xpleyc tteohd a vseo me
soortfi nofrmevdi ew.
Theries msuocm ha teorni' apls ycho-opnocloein et icslsto'aor,kt tishn agt,
thbioso cka nncoltat iobm e c ompleevteaensa s ueryvI.n stIe aaodmff,e rian g
seroifee xsma plweist,h commIenmn atnacyry.a swehsa t is sdtiasfncordu ss sed
seveortahle rw hciacscheo sun lodbt e i ncluTdheead i.m tohcfeo mmenitsa ry
tob uitlodw arapd es rcstpieovne psycho-poolfwi htaietcm se;r gisesos m e
wortphr eviehweirneg.
A distinccetnittoronwa hla ftol loiwsst habte twetewnow ingosft he
psychothmaenrsaip'oypn s:y chod(ywnihacmehin cc'o mpaaslfslore msso f
wordke scednidreedfc ortmlF yr euidn,c lupdsiyncgh oiasna,an laylsayntdi c
psychodypnsaymcihco tahnedcr oaupnys ealnldi nJgu,an ngailapynst yicch o­
logayn)d 'humaonrimossftt hiecr'a p(yf dfeorsmtc hebenr deewadik tF hr eud
madbey R oegrBse,r nMea,sw l aond Pientr hl1es59 0asn,d including person­
centorrec dl ient-tcheenrtarpeyd and TcraonusnascetAlinloainlinaysgls,,
Gesttahrleat,p a yndam ultiotfuo dteha eprp roascohmeoesf , whgircohu p
themseals'v gwertsohw or)k.'
Historaincdca ulrlrlyey tn,ht etsweog recautr reinnpt ssy chotahnedr apy
counsealrvleei rdnyige f rfeinnwt a,y wsh iwcehc anneoxltpo hreer ien depth.4
Thep oliotfti hcersie rl ationsfhsaicpi niavste ieinrtgis,ne gl fob peetcnwo ene­n
flaincadtt temapttt hse oraentodir cgaaln izrapatpirooncahleW mewe infiltnl.d ,
thou,tg hhatth tew oa pproaacrhaele sspo o litdiicsatlilnygu iBsrhoaabdlley.,
psychodytnhaemrhiaacpcs yo ntriabg uotodeded at lop olibtuihtca sds,r awn
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Introduction 3
litftrloemi tw;h ilheu manistthiecr ahpaysd rawang redaeta flr omp olitics,
withocuotn tribmuutcihnt goi t.
Psychodynaanmdpi scy choantahliyntkihecar vsae l wafyesel ntt ittlose pde ak
authoritaabtoiuvsteo lcyia anldp olitmiactatle Arnsd.b ecautshee steh erapies
havtee ndteodo ffearw holweo rldvaip eow,r troafyh aulm anb einigncs u lture,
theicro ntribuhtaisoo fnt ebne enw elcomaendd u tiliazsei,dn J acqueline
Rosep'hsr as'ep,o littriitceosos p eint sueplt fot her avagoefts h eu nconscious
mind('R os1e9 861,6 3P)s.y choaniadleyhatasiv cbe e einm porteasnpte ciianl ly
twentieth-actetnetmutprotay sc coufnottr h ed arakn db rutsaildo efp olitical
reality-whatBJeorskceeap lh'l tsht ey ranonfmy a lic(eB'e r1k9e8 9).
Psychoanaalnydis trises l ations, hhaovgweee nveerrab,le leuynn interested
int hep ossiboifll ierntaiygn fropmo littihcianlk iOnngl.yv errya rehlayv teh ey
criticoiraz letde trheedoi wrn p ractiinct ehsel igohftp olitcirciatli oqf,uf eosr
examplsee,xi smc,1 assoirst mh,ge e nereaxlc lusoifeo cno nomaincds ocial life.
As Koveplu tist :
[t]ghree ialtl uosfip osny choa.n.ah.la ybsse ietsnoi magiitnsefe rleffer osmo ciety.
... Psychporaonpaolsyirttaiircoec nlosyn ttahipenr ovtihsaott h pes ycwhheo se
innaarrdbese ilnagoi udlt i akp ea tioenan nto perattaibnilgsne op hysbiocdabylu t
ap arotfa g ivseonc sieatlt aitang gi vteinm (eK.o v1e9l92 50,5 )
Norh avteh egye nerablelewyni lltionc go nsitdheepr o werre latiinohnesr ent
int heraapnyd t rainIifnp go.l itdiecvaell opmheanvteis n fluenpcseydc ho­
dynamtihce r,ai pthy asb eetnh roulgohn sgl,o swe epaTgheo.s ceo mmittteod
ap olititchiezreahdpa yvm eo stly afwaaloylr eb ne ednr iven out.
Ani mportant ecxucrerpetniitsAo nnd rew Samwuheoli snh, i bso okT he
PolitPisyccah(lSe a mue1l9s9 3a)n da numbeorf a rtichlaesas r gued 'af or
psycholoegxitceanlso ifto hnef eminiinssti tghhattt h ep ersorneaall rme flects
thpeo lit(iScaamlu'e1 l9s9 42,7 )an da skewdh ethtehre racpayn' suggeass tt rat­
egyfo rt heepm oweromcfei nttia zst ehpneirsosa ftts h peo liwtoir(cliadbl'i2 d6.,o, r igi­
nailt aliScasm)u.es lusg getshtast :
Disempowpeeroep.dl.n e.e evda lidfartoitmoh pner ofetshsaito nmi atlksie vsai nndg
deriivtaesus t ho-riitptsoy w e-ro uotf w orkiwnigtt hh fee elifnagnst,ab seiheasv,­
iouarnsde mbodimtehnaattrsb e a nnaenddm arginailnli isifenetd h lea mtoed em
worlTdh.e riesap otenitnei vaelr ytoobn eae t heraopfti hsweto rl(dI.b 2i8d). ,
Inl ookifnogar l liinet sh ipsr ojeScatm,u ehlass( taov eruyn usueaxlt efnotar n
analyfsotr)g ed wliitnthkh she u maniswtoircl d.
Humanistthiecr ahpayst e ndteodb el esasm bititohuasin t ssi sitnet re rmosf
grantdh eoreotvicearlv ieThwisis.s p artal lye gaocfyi tisd entifiacsaa t ion
spokespefrosfroe ne lriantgh tehra tnh inkienxgp,e rireantchete hra anb strac­
tiopnr,a ctriacteht ehra tnh eoTrhy.u sh umaniswtoirckb ,ya ndl arghea,sh ad
lestsoo ffeirn t hew ayo fa na ccouonftt h er elatioonfts hheii npd iviwdiutahl
cultufroeer,xa mpl-ea pafrrto amb urnicnogn victthiaohtnu manb einagsr e
innatcerleya tainvdle o vianngd,t haitfs omethgionegas m iswsi tthh iisti sn ot
ouri ndivifdauuallt .
Byt hes amce oihnu,m anistthiecr ahpaysb eemno rew illitnolg e arfrno m
politiidceaalIs th. a st akeinna ndd igesat leodot f l iberaptoilointo ifac lsl
kindasn,da l ootf c ounter-ccurlittuiroqafucl ea sp itaalnidhs ime rcahryT.h ese
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