Abstract This paper proposes a Lacanian theory of shame linked to the era of Lacan's work starting with Seminar X and the invention of the object a. From a Lacanian perspective, shame is not evoked by the exposure of a deficit, but rather by the exposure and witnessing of the divided subject's constitutive lack. This paper proposes that the affect of shame is an index pointing to the divided subject's structural lack when it is exposed and witnessed by object a instantiated as the gaze of the scopic drive and the voice of the invocatory drive. Since shame can freeze speech as well as provoke f ..read more

Abstract In this paper, I present the idea that the documentary film My Octopus Teacher (Ehrlich & Reed) is an evocative allegory for some key threads in the ongoing learning at the heart of psychotherapy. On the one hand, the film is a narrative about a relationship formed between the narrator and documentary-maker Craig and an octopus that he encounters in daily dives in an underwater kelp forest. On the other hand, it is a story–dream of a man and an octopus who swim together in the proto-mental seas of the unconscious, a space where fluidity and symmetry rule, and where the boundaries ..read more

Abstract The attempt to identify and classify distinct experiences falling under the common designation of countertransference has been labelled the specifist tradition. In this paper, a model describing two dimensions differentiating four components of countertransference experience is proposed. For each experiential component (subjective countertransference, objective countertransference, therapeutic attitude and emerging experience), a brief description based on previous literature from diverse theoretical fields is offered, along with clinical implications and illustrations and an account ..read more

British Journal of Psychotherapy, EarlyView ..read more

This paper aims to advance a theoretical and clinical perspective on the developmental origin and role of omnipotence in early object relations, and a differentiation of the adult sequelae of these maturational dynamics. The focus is on negative omnipotence as inherent in the constitution and impact of the psychotic part of the personality. The case history of the psychoanalytic psychotherapy of a man with a psychiatric diagnosis of obsessive–compulsive disorder illustrates the self and treatment defeating impact of negative omnipotence. Diplomatic therapeutic engagement, based on the understa ..read more

Abstract Although countless studies provide evidence that many juvenile offences originate from traumatic episodes and consistently demonstrate that exposure to adverse childhood experiences is a significant risk factor for antisocial development, our understanding of the processes that lead some but not all traumatized children to become juvenile offenders is still in progress. By presenting some clinical cases regarding juvenile offenders, the author aims to illustrate how different growth paths, marked by omissive or break-in experiences, can lead to the same criminal end-point. The dissoci ..read more

Abstract In this article, the authors aim to exemplify how psychoanalysis can apply to the community partially modifying its external setting, such as opening to group settings and including arts and music, while remaining firm in some structural tools, such as psychoanalytical observation and listening, play and attention to the intrapsychic dynamics of participants, including the psychoanalysts and their countertransference. They illustrate the experience of some projects, in particular one carried out for 3 years and ongoing, where young migrants, hosted in Refugee Shelters, meet Italian st ..read more

This article presents the results of a Master's research study into the impact of sibling experiences on psychodynamic practitioners. Interpretative phenomenological analysis offered participating therapists an opportunity to make sense of how their own sibling experiences may have shaped their lives and work and sought to generate wider insights about sibling influence should they emerge. Data was obtained from semi-structured interviews with six psychodynamic practitioners. The research produced three major findings: that siblings do have a significant and enduring impact on the development ..read more

This qualitative study explored therapists' attitudes towards psychotherapy integration. Twenty-nine psychoanalytic/psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) therapists completed an open-ended survey that focused on their personal understanding of psychotherapy integration, examples from their own practice and reflections on improving integrative therapy. Participants were also encouraged to share attitudes and perceptions towards the other therapeutic paradigm (CBT towards psychoanalysis, and vice versa). Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) Positive perceptions and b ..read more

British Journal of Psychotherapy, EarlyView ..read more