Freud Museum London: Psychoanalysis Podcasts

Anouchka Grose, psychoanalyst and writer, discusses Freud's 'discovery' of the unconscious and Lacan's language-like unconscious. Topics include symptom formation, Freud's concept of the sixth screen, the relationship between words and the unconscious, and the complexity of sexuality in family dynamics.

Civilization and its Discontents: A Marathon Reading The Centre for Creative and Critical Thought at the University of Sussex together with the Freud Museum London are pleased to announce a marathon reading of Sigmund Freud’s classic text, Civilization and its Discontents, at the Freud Museum on Sunday 14 June. Civilization and Its Discontents, written in 1929, remains the definitive text on human destructiveness. As news of wars around the globe, appalling brutality, religious conflict and sexual violence continue unabated, the relevance of this work is undeniable. ‘Men are not gentle creatures’ Freud wrote, ‘but ...creatures whose instinct [is] aggressiveness.’ The event is free with an admission ticket to the Freud Museum. There are no tickets and audience members can come and go as they please. This is a staged reading and interactive performance. The reading will last in all approximately four and a half hours. At the end, after the Museum closes, audience members are invited to stay for discussion and light refreshments. This staged reading revisits a classic text in a modern context, a face-to-face encounter for those hungry to engage with serious and pertinent ideas. A successful similar event took place in New York in January, and this is the first European marathon reading. Readers will include well known psychoanalysts, academics, writers, artists and performers. A list of confirmed names will be added shortly. “To read Civilization and its Discontents in 2015 is to bear witness to the deadly violence whose daily presence is all-too-familiar to us and imagine the conditions that might provide a loving counterweight to that violence.”  Simon Critchley, Philosopher. Readers include: Sara Jane Bailes, University of Sussex Caroline Bainbridge, Roehampton University Julia Borossa, Middlesex University Peter Boxall, University of Sussex Josh Cohen, Goldsmiths, University of London, psychoanalyst Gerald Davidson, actor, researcher Simon Glendinning, LSE, Philosopher Anouchka Grose, psychoanalyst and author Rachel Holmes, historian and author Deborah Levy, novelist Michael Molnar, researcher and former Director, Freud Museum London David Morgan, consultant psychotherapist, psychoanalyst Bpas Bpa Ankhi Mukherjee, University of Oxford Cathy Naden, performer/writer Dany Nobus, Brunel University London Ruth Padel, poet Jocelyn Pook, composer and musician Eric Prenowitz, University of Leeds Alan Read, King's College London Caroline Rooney, University of Kent Nicholas Royle, University of Sussex Kalu Singh, author Marquard Smith, Kingston University David Williams, RHUL, writer, dramaturg Timberlake Wertenbaker, playwright Sarah Wood, University of Kent

Session 4: USERS' AND EDUCATORS' PERSPECTIVES Tom Cotton and Del Lowenthal - Personal versus medical meanings in breakdown, treatment and recovery from ‘schizophrenia’Jay Watts - Systemic means to subversive ends: maintaining the therapeutic space as a unique encounter Respondent: Rai Waddingham

Session 3: EXTERNAL CRITIQUES Adrian Cocking - When Love Is Not All We Want: Queers, Singles and the Therapeutic Cult of RelationalityAnastasios Gaitanidis - Critical theory and psychotherapy Respondent: Julie Walsh

Session 2: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM CRITICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND CRITICAL PSYCHIATRY?Ian Parker - Toward critical psychotherapy and counselling: what can we learn from critical psychology (and political economy)?Hugh Middleton - The Medical Model: What is it, where did it come from and how long has it got?Respondent: David Morgan

Session 1: INTRODUCTIONDel Lowenthal - Is there an unfortunate need for critical psychotherapy?Respondent: Julian Lousada

Join John Launer, an experienced psychotherapist and author, as he explores the life of Sabina Spielrein, a pioneering figure in sexual psychotherapy. He discusses her tumultuous relationship with Carl Jung and the impact it had on their intellectual trajectories. Launer highlights Spielrein's innovative theories on the connection between destruction and creation, challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field, and her significant contributions that have often been overlooked. This engaging talk sheds light on her remarkable legacy and the ongoing quest for recognition.

Colette Soler, a Lacanian psychoanalyst and author, discusses her book reflecting on Jacques Lacan's revolutionary ideas about the unconscious. She explains Lacan's shift from a symbolic to a real unconscious and its implications for clinical practice. Colette critiques Freud's model, emphasizing the challenges it presents. The conversation explores the intersections of psychoanalysis and capitalism, considering how analysts can preserve a subversive stance. Soler also highlights the enduring relevance of analysis in today's world filled with loneliness.

Paul Verhaeghe in conversation with Lisa Appignanesi In What about Me? Paul Verhaeghe’s main concern is how social change has led to a psychic crisis and altered the way we think about ourselves. He investigates the effects of 30 years of neoliberalism, free-market forces, privatisation, and the relationship between our engineered society and individual identity. It turns out that who we are is, as always, determined by the context in which we live. Tonight he discusses these concerns with Lisa Appignanesi, former Chair of the Freud Museum and author most recently of Trials of Passion: Crimes in the Name of Love and Madness. Paul Verhaeghe PhD, is senior professor at Ghent University and holds the chair of the department for psychoanalysis and counselling psychology. He has published eight books, with five translated into English. Love in a Time of Loneliness became an international bestseller and What about Me? has been reprinted ten times within its first year of publication.

Adam Phillips, a leading Freud expert, chats with Lisa Appignanesi, former Chair of the Freud Museum. They dive deep into writing Freud’s biography, tackling the challenges of capturing his complex identity and personal history. The discussion explores childhood trauma, Freud's transformative Parisian experiences, and the evolving dynamics of gender in early psychoanalysis. They also touch on the interplay between literature and psychoanalysis, revealing how works like Shakespeare's influenced Freud’s theories and practices.