Psychoanalysis: The Impossible Profession

It is quite unique and the author gives a succinct understanding of psychoanalytic thought and practices from an outsider that is not available anywhere else. And an entertaining read.

I had the good fortune to discover this book a full seven years after I terminated my rather long term psychotherapy which culminated in a classical analysis of at least several years. My analyst shared offices with Dr. Brenner, who features as a central figure in this book, and having read this, I can only interpret my experience with him as thousands of hours of evidence that he was a true and worthy disciple of the cheerful yet austere doctor whom Malcolm refers to as the "intransigent purist."Joseph Adelson in The New York Times Review of Books goes a bit over the line in paraphrasing: "Dr. Brenner takes the hardest of lines. Psychoanalysis is based upon inducing and interpreting the transference reaction. Anything that interferes with or distracts from it must be eschewed. Strictly. The analyst must maintain the most stringent incognito. Under no circumstances can he make known to the patient his opinions, values, interest or foibles, nor can he offer advice, criticism, reassurance or sympathy. If the analyst is late to a session, he must neither apologize nor explain why. He must attend - and make the patient attend - only to the thoughts, fantasies and feelings produced by his lateness. If the patient's child is gravely ill, the analyst should not express concern or sympathy. His task is limited to evoking and understanding the patient's reactions."He goes on to say that "this is a grim doctrine." On the contrary, I found it kind and accepting, or at least I found that my analyst was able to practice it that way. Frustrating, of course. But ultimately freeing in a way that a less austere approach might not be, leading to a clarity that might otherwise have been compromised. I suspect that much of the sense of grimness that analysts attribute to this purist perspective refers to grim abstinence on the part of the analyst. Certainly, it would be easier -- I would imagine -- to just act naturally, as one might at a party, to explain and indulge oneself and to engage in polite courtesies. This would certainly take a load off of the analyst -- it would be a lot less like work. Maintaining an accepting and encouraging attitude without recourse to these potential diversions is an exacting art. I came to appreciate the discipline most of all.Was my analysis a success? My symptoms are long since relieved. I'm happy with my life. How much of this do I attribute to analysis and how much to my own efforts (and good luck) away from the analyst's couch? I do not think I am supposed to be able to know that, but I find it hard to imagine how I could have worked through all I did and flowered in quite the way I have without that office and couch as workshop. And I find it hard not to admire and appreciate the way my analyst actively helped me in all of that hard work while keeping himself (mostly) out of it.This book was written over thirty years ago. Not knowing what has been going on inside the world of psychoanalysis since then, I could not say what has changed. There are other fascinating characters besides Brenner and his disciple Green (not his real name). I found the pioneering researcher of psychoanalysis and his drive to (tape) record sessions to be fascinating and admirable. I have read that findings from just this sort of research may have poured oil on the disputations as to therapeutic style, while identifying factors in the patient's or client's style and presentation which seem to have greater predictive value as to outcome.For various reasons, it has been said almost since this book was written that the golden age of psychoanalysis is long since over. The world does not have patience or money for long conversations where medications and brief interventions will suffice. If my experience has been an expensive anachronism, I consider it a gift and a luxury worth the time and price many times over.When I read this book, I find a window into something that can be that compelling a journey. Well done, Janet Malcolm.

I went into this book only knowing about Psychoanalysis what Janet Malcolm had told me in her excellent book, "In the Freud Archives." This book is extremely dense and had the habit of making me very sleepy, but for the length of my read I felt like something undefinable was happening; that I was gleaning some type of insight from the book subconsciously, which, if you've read the book, will seem like either incredible coincidence, or literary genius on Malcolm's part. This is top notch journalism.

Malcolm is one of the greatest literary journalists of the 20th century; the sober, magisterial yin to the Gonzo yang of Wolf and Thompson, she captures psychoanalysis from within as no one has before. An engrossing, impeccably crafted work.

Attractive writing, intelligent observations.

As a psychiatrist, I found this to be a page turner. It provides a rare look inside the clannish, often contradictory world of psychoanalytic training and treatment. Analysis is a highly obtuse and boutique type of treatment that has largely been supplanted by evidenced-based and biological treatments. That being said, it provides the foundation for our current understanding of psychiatry as a way to think about mental health. For those in the mental health world, I highly recommend it. Laypersons may need to consult a secondary source for some of the terms and concepts, but is illuminating nonetheless.

The author seems to have an underlying and (in my view) childish reverence for Freud and analysis, and this harmed the book, in my opinion.

The mind is a powerful tool and can do amazing feats and amazing damage. To get a view of what it s like on the psychoanalysts perspective was fascinating and at time disturbing. A truly worthwhile read.

Very interesting, talks a lot about how Freud got into his psychoanalytic theories and who he got them off + criticism.

To be read by people of the psychoanalysis profession. The language is lingo-laced, and gets boring after a while. Like studying a text bookPlus the style of writing relies on quotes, making it sound not original at all

Janet Malcom, as usual, held the fine line between challenging the hubris and cult-like elements of Psychoanalysis, whilst remaining curious and respectful at the same time. I learnt a lot, smiled a lot and felt challenged whilst reading this book.

I've read Freud, Jung and psychology for the past forty years. Every now and again I come across a real gem that brings the last hundred years kicking and screaming into the 21st century. This book is amongst the best I've read that does this and some. Freud is just as relevant today as he ever was.

Very well written. useful brief summary of Freud. Many interesting stories of mid C20th American psychoanalysis.