Psychology Research Digest
Psychoanalytic Psychology - Vol 43, Iss 2
Psychoanalytic Psychology serves as a resource for original contributions that reflect and broaden the interaction between psychoanalysis and psychology.
Racial minority clients’ experiences of sociocultural issues in psychotherapy.
Racial minorities in the United States continue to face significant barriers in accessing cultural informed psychotherapy American Psychological Association (APA, 2017). Yet, there has been little attention to therapeutic processes that either facilitate or impede sociocultural engagement, particularly from the perspective of racial minority clients receiving psychodynamic therapy. The present qualitative study examined fifteen racial minority clients’ experiences of sociocultural issues in relational psychodynamic therapy at an outpatient mental health clinic in an urban area of the United States. The sample consisted of participants (ages 22 to 44 years; nine women, three men, one nonbinary and transmasculine, one transmasculine, and one nonbinary and agender) from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (Asian American, Black or African American, Hispanic American, and Middle Eastern/North African, multiracial). Conventional content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) revealed the following domains: (a) external factors impacting experiences of current therapy; (b) intrapsychic processes impacting experiences of current therapy; (c) sociocultural challenges in the therapeutic process; (d) impact of therapist’s sociocultural misattunement; and (e) critical helpful processes. Findings indicate that various factors influence sociocultural engagement in therapy, such as past and ongoing marginalization, conscious and unconscious assumptions about the therapist’s sociocultural background, the therapist’s personal qualities, and the therapist’s willingness to explore difficult topics (e.g., social oppression), and address sociocultural ruptures. The study highlights how the broader social context influences the client’s experience of sociocultural dynamics in the therapeutic relationship. Drawing on psychoanalytic concepts concerning race and culture, the implications of the study’s findings for research, psychotherapy, and training are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>“I’d rather not speak” on the psychoanalytic work with a silent patient.
The presented article examines the psychoanalytic treatment of a young woman whose excessive silence significantly hindered the therapeutic process. The patient, Linda, traumatized by loss and abuse, was chronically suicidal and often communicated during sessions through prolonged periods of silence. This very silence triggered feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and helplessness in the analyst, who was only gradually able to address them. Initially, the analyst sought to understand the silence as an expression of Linda’s fears, her need for control, and as a defensive mechanism. The silent phases were interpreted as responses to internal conflicts, particularly following progress in therapy. Theoretical frameworks such as John Steiner’s concept of psychic retreats and Freud’s notion of the negative therapeutic reaction provided preliminary explanatory approaches. These perspectives highlighted that Linda’s silence was both a defense against emotional overwhelm and separation anxiety and an expression of guilt and control. However, in pivotal sessions, it became clear that Linda partly used the silence to recover from emotional and even physically felt overwhelm. The analyst came to realize that it was important to tolerate Linda’s silence and understand it as an opportunity for self-awareness, rather than viewing it solely as an obstacle. This shift enabled new possibilities for therapeutic work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Psychoanalytic considerations of young women with endometriosis.
This article investigates the profound psychological dimensions of endometriosis in young women, a chronic, debilitating condition estimated to affect 185 million individuals globally, yet it remains systemically underrecognized in medical and psychological training. Despite its staggering prevalence, the emotional trauma associated with misdiagnosis and chronic pain is rarely addressed. This study utilizes an innovative interdisciplinary collaborative model between a psychoanalyst and a gynecological surgeon to assess and treat over 350 women with surgically confirmed endometriosis. Our methodology integrates data from pre- and postsurgical consultations, intensive psychotherapy, and traditional psychoanalysis, filtered through a psychoanalytic lens, to map the complex interplay between physical and psychic suffering. Key findings reveal a distinct spectrum of conflicts rooted in the disease experience, including the struggle for epistemic authority (the need to be believed), the corrosive depression-pain cycle, and a characteristic endometrial panic triggered by the disease’s unpredictable nature. We also explore the protective, regressive retreat into a “psychic dead zone,” the effects of surgery on sexuality and body image, and the critical transference and countertransference configurations that emerge in treatment. Ultimately, the article argues that the optimal treatment of endometriosis requires a dual focus on biological excision and deep psychological repair. The collaborative model advanced here—which leverages the psychoanalyst’s skill set to address unconscious guilt, trauma, and the unique meanings patients assign to their symptoms—offers a vital, exportable framework for integrated care, ensuring that recovery encompasses both physical health and psychological well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>“Someone to run with through life”: The witnessing role of dreams in a traumatic reality.
In a traumatic reality after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and during the ensuing war, Israeli citizens were exposed to ongoing security threats and collective trauma. This qualitative study analyzes 203 dreams experienced by Israeli participants 7–10 weeks following the massacre. Participants were asked to describe their dreams following October 7: “Do you remember a dream you had since 7/10? If so, could you please share it? If you would like to add thoughts, associations, and insights to it, we would be happy if you would add them here.” The findings reveal four core categories, all relating to the witnessing role of the dreams: (a) the internal other as witness; (b) the voiceless victim; (c) the false witness; (d) the witness with a voice. The reactions expressed range from powerlessness and voiceless testimony and false witnessing on the one hand to a sense of internal witnessing and a feeling of resilience and strength on the other. The results were interpreted relying on Bion’s, (2013) and Grotstein’s (1979) theoretical concept of thinking and dreaming and demonstrate the mental movement that occurs even in a traumatic reality between feelings of helplessness and feelings of resilience and hope. In addition, the study suggests that the categories of the internal other as witness and the witness with a voice may be linked to a course of manic defense that seeks, in view of the traumatic reality, to offer an antidote to destruction, fear, and horror through experiences of awe and beauty. The findings and conceptualization can contribute to the theoretical knowledge associated with dreams in times of traumatic reality and acknowledge the rehabilitating and transformative role of dreams in such times, helping clinicians assist individuals to cope with shared traumatic reality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>On the talkability of death: Lived experience of patients whose therapists died during treatment.
Psychotherapists often serve as reference figures within the patient–therapist relationship, and the stability of the therapeutic setting is universally recognized as a beneficial therapeutic factor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the meaning-making of losing one’s psychotherapist due to their death and how such unfortunate events are managed when therapy is provided by private practitioners. Ten adult former patients were interviewed on the reminiscence of their emotional states at the time of their therapists’ grief, the exploration of their mourning journey, as well as their current evaluation of the support that they received in the absence of their therapist. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative data revealed four thematic areas: disruption of a sense of continuity, loss of the therapeutic bond, grieving process, and critical evaluation of the events. While some positive aspects of such an event emerged for patients who were prepared for what was to happen, the study also highlights the potentially traumatic impact of a sudden loss, suggesting the need for more guidance for clinicians to support patients in similar circumstances. Recommendations for clinical practice include (a) transparency about severe illness to prevent patients’ misinterpretations of unexpected absences, (b) clear definitions of what pertain to clinicians’ private sphere, (c) designation of a colleague to ensure continuity of care, and (d) supervision to address the emotional impact of separation and loss. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>I, Rater: The utility of Artificial Intelligence bots for assigning narrative ratings with four dimensions of the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale-Global Rating Method.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize the assessment of complex psychoanalytic constructs, particularly in narrative personality assessment. This study explores if artificial intelligence bots, powered by large language models, and utilizing expert-refined system prompts, can rate narratives accurately using four dimensions of the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method (SCORS-G). Two experts familiar with the SCORS-G system developed highly detailed system prompts for four SCORS-G dimensions. Two bots were created for each dimension, one using ChatGPT-4o and one using Claude-3.5-Sonnet. Bots rated 196 narratives taken from SCORS-G training materials. These narratives are routinely used to train and assess human raters. Agreement between bot and human experts were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. Level of agreement was at or exceeded the level obtained by most human raters after initial training, with single-rater intraclass correlation coefficients being notably high. Of note, bots were particularly accurate at rating dimensions that focus on relational and emotional aspects of narratives (e.g., affective quality of representations; emotional investment in relationships). Overall, the study provides support for the utility of artificial intelligence bots in alleviating burdens associated with narrative assessment of personality. Findings indicate that they even have potential for assessing complicated features of object relations. Bots have some applications that can be employed immediately, particularly in research settings, while additional research is necessary before they are capable of being used in clinical settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Correction to “A new instrument to assess counterdependency, evaluated in the context of postpartum depression” by Blum et al. (2021).
Reports an error in "A new instrument to assess counterdependency, evaluated in the context of postpartum depression" by Lawrence D. Blum, Arielle Horenstein, Matthew M. Carper, Jonathan P. Stange, Jonah N. Cohen, Andrea Doyle and Vernon Smith (Psychoanalytic Psychology, 2021[Jan], Vol 38[1], 49-57; see record 2020-45075-001). In the original article, in Table 1, there are three errors in the “Factor 1: Suffering” section. A superscript letter “a” (indicating that the item was reverse scored) is missing from Item 14. It should read, “14. I like to spend my free time with others.a” Item 5’s Factor 3 should read “0.302” instead of “0.304.” In addition, Item 26 is missing after Item 5. It should read “26. I get angry when people hurt me. Factor 1 = 0.334, Factor 2 = —, Factor 3 = 0.304.” (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2020-45075-001). Counterdependency, a concept that describes defensive activity against dependent strivings, especially wishes to be taken care of, is gradually receiving increased clinical recognition. Clinical observation suggests its importance in many women with postpartum depression (PPD). In this article we report the development of a new self-report instrument to assess counterdependency, the SB Counterdependency Inventory (SBCI). We test the instrument in a population of women visiting websites concerning PPD. We find the instrument to have high reliability, good convergent validity, and that it discriminates between a population with PPD and a control population. Our results with the SBCI help to empirically establish the role of counterdependency as a psychological feature that is associated with PPD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of How does analysis cure? Essays on a psychoanalytic method, psychoanalytic organizations and psychoanalysts.
Reviews the book, How Does Analysis Cure? Essays on a Psychoanalytic Method, Psychoanalytic Organizations and Psychoanalysts by Fred Busch (see record ## (see record 2025-35816-000). Busch asks, in his book’s title, “how does analysis cure?” He answers this by essentially focusing on one goal: helping his patient notice the flow of his internal thoughts, and then thinking about these thoughts as data regarding what is going on internally. This builds a patient’s capacity for self-analysis and continued new insights posttermination, along with more complex unsaturated internal representations, which Busch views as developing internal structure. Busch writes clearly. He provides many clinical examples. His themes—stay close to the patient’s associations (and everything in a session is an association), clarify what is going on at the surface, step by step, before you “interpret” unconscious conflict, do not rely on analytic authority, help a patient get to know himself and the workings of his mind, and help him learn to treat his mental contents as associations that he can use postanalysis—all these are worthwhile lessons for us all. A reader comes away from this book enriched and thinking more deeply about the question of psychoanalytic “cure.” (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of Beyond the pleasure principle.
Reviews the book, Beyond the Pleasure Principle by Sigmund Freud and C. J. M. Hubback (1922). From the poetry of Chamisso to the theatrics of Goethe to the philosophies of Nietzsche, the intellectual history of the word “Jenseits” is nothing but rich. “Jenseits” is a compound noun fashioned from the words “that” and “side.” Throughout its literary tenure, the word has engendered deeply spiritual and poetic connotations that both illuminate and shadow human knowledge of “that‑side.” The German-speaking world uses “Jenseitsgericht” to translate ancient Egyptian juridical traditions concerning the afterlife; Karl Popper’s intensive contemplations of the “Jenseits” deeply inspired many of his works, including In Search of a Better World; Friedrich Schiller understood the “Jenseits” and “Diesseits” as “Geistischeantipoden” (literally translated as “spiritual antipodes”; Herrmann, 2010). The “Jenseits” is understood to be a concept that can never truly be known—or, in the words of Karl Popper: “Ich weiss, dass ich nichts weiss—und kaum das” (“I know that I do not know, and barely that”; Popper, 1987/1991, p. 195). The opposite of “Jenseits” is “Diesseits,” also a compound word literally translated as “this-side.” Thinkers such as Kant and Heidegger stressed the importance of the “Diesseits,” which rationally explores immediate reality. The “Diesseits”—arguably more concrete and tangible—tends to be more human-centric and logical in its approach to the world. Acknowledging the rich historical traditions of “Jenseits” and “Diesseits” is important when considering Sigmund Freud’s 1922 essay Beyond the Pleasure Principle, because his word choice is not haphazard. In the title itself, Freud is making a clear statement: he is traversing the unknown. The present essay begins to traverse “that-side” by analyzing: (a) Freud’s notions of energy and how they characterize the human psychical apparatus, (b) the process and logic behind repression, (c) the differences between pleasure and unpleasure with an emphasis on infantile sexuality, (d) the repetition compulsion’s manifestation in child’s play, (e) Strachey’s translation of the word “fort,” (f) the repetition compulsion’s manifestation as transference, and (h) different perspectives on Freud’s work with regard to contemporary psychoanalysis. Throughout this essay, the use of secondary sources that seek to redefine, synthesize, or challenge Freud’s ideas and writings will be severely limited. Instead, the text will be labored with descriptive, logical banality as the tumult of the repetition compulsion is navigated. Only secondary literature that clarifies—rather than prescribes—Freud’s work will be used, primarily that of Laplanche and Pontalis. In the final section, greater academic and epistemological freedom will be taken to synthesize the pleasure principle, repetition compulsion, and Freud’s work on psychoanalysis aggregately. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of Observing the Other: Writings in Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy, and Psychiatry.
Reviews the book, Observing the Other: Writings in Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy, and Psychiatry by Peter J. Buckley (2024). This book is divided into two sections, “Case studies” and “Cultural interfaces,” with a total of 11 chapters. The titles of the various chapters illustrate the breadth and depth of Buckley's interests in psychiatry and psychoanalysis. In summary, this little volume would be a valuable addition for students in the field, not only because there are many valuable clinical insights but also because of a scoping review of the practice of psychodynamic treatment over more than 50 years. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of Psychoanalysis and the unspoken.
Reviews the book, Psychoanalysis and the Unspoken by Joyce Slochower (see record 2025-34989-000). Joyce Slochower’s most recent book, Psychoanalysis and the Unspoken, is a collection of some of her most important articles, as well as new essays representing her major contributions to the field of psychoanalysis. In this book, Slochower brings together reworkings of some of her earlier contributions as well as later articles about different topics, all articulating her exploration of psychoanalytic ideals and their limitations. The first part of the book focuses on Slochower’s early theorizing about the concept of holding in a relational context. Part 2 of the book addresses boundary crossings, violations, and challenges in psychoanalytic work and within the psychoanalytic community. The final section of the book is titled “Beyond the Consultation Room: Mourning, Actuality, and Illusion.” Here, Slochower expands the concept of therapeutic potential beyond the consultation room, addressing topics such as mourning, aging, and psychoanalytic writing. Psychoanalysis and the Unspoken is an expression of Slochower’s credo: prioritizing patient care over theoretical idealization and rigidity. She encourages the reader to hold her theory lightly, to carefully examine idealizations, and to remain open to one’s limitations. Slochower models a way of being that is both aware and critical of the theoretical underbellies and limitations, while at the same time deeply engaged with and supported by one’s theory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of Existential psychoanalysis: A contemporary introduction.
Reviews the book, Existential Psychoanalysis: A Contemporary Introduction by M. Guy Thompson (2025). Thompson insists that existential psychoanalysis is a conversation, not an expert’s pronouncement, and that the analyst’s character—more than technique—determines therapeutic efficacy. At first glance, this may seem to diverge from Sartre’s dictum that we are what we do, but Thompson reconciles this by recognizing that our way-of-being manifests in what we enact. Transference, in this view, is not a barrier but a mutual revelation, a primal dimension of the real. The key insights the reviewer took from Thompson’s work are as follows: Therapists should read philosophy, ideally with philosophically sophisticated clinicians. Psychoanalysis is uniquely suited to be reframed existentially. Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre are foundational to existential therapy; Husserl and Merleau-Ponty also deserve serious study. Freud, Bion, Winnicott, and Lacan can be read as existential analysts. The reviewer recommends this book for its readability, its scope, and for rekindling the spirit of those heady days of the 1960s and early 1970s (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of How Children Grieve: What Adults Miss, and What They Can Do to Help: A Guide for Parents, Teachers, Therapists, and Caregivers to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, and Moving.
Reviews the book, How Children Grieve: What Adults Miss, and What They Can Do to Help: A Guide for Parents, Teachers, Therapists, and Caregivers to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, and Moving by Corrine Masur (2024). Masur’s book is a work for the lay public that is sorely needed and that adeptly fills the need for a resource regarding coping with death in children and adolescents. The book is written in a personal, engaging, and especially coherent manner, making it an easy-to-read volume for parents at what is likely the most vulnerable-making aspect of their lives. Her ability to discriminate among a variety of kinds of death and loss (e.g, divorce, illness, violence) is both the work’s greatest strength and subtle weakness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of Textbook of psychoanalysis (third edition).
Reviews the book, Textbook of Psychoanalysis (Third Edition) by Glen O. Gabbard, Bonnie E. Litowitz, and Paul Williams (2024). This textbook consists of an introduction and four parts (a total of 28 chapters). The editors begin by outlining the various challenges psychoanalysis faces in the contemporary era and emphasize the importance of psychoanalytic thinking in coping with these challenges. Part I (Chapters 1–4) emphasizes the new treatment issues facing psychoanalysis. Part II (Chapters 5–13) explores the origins, development, and innovations of the major classical schools of psychoanalytic thought. Part III (Chapters 14–24) systematically explains the core concepts and treatment methods in the field of psychoanalysis. Part IV (Chapters 25–28) is a highly comprehensive synthesis of empirical research on psychoanalysis. In this book, readers may come to better recognize that psychoanalysis is not only a clinical treatment technique but also a theoretical system and research method, and it also has cultural criticism and social analysis functions. While this book adopts an inclusive and neutral perspective, this approach comes at the expense of theoretical depth, which may leave some readers unsatisfied if they seek a more rigorous exploration of specific psychoanalytic frameworks. Nevertheless, these limitations do not diminish the textbook’s overall contributions. As both a synthesis of psychoanalytic knowledge and a bridge between tradition and modernity, theory and practice, and academia and culture, this work holds significant scholarly value. The authors trace the history of psychoanalysis, emphasizing its essence as both a science and an art—an ever-evolving field that responds to the shifting needs of psyche and soma, as well as to the constantly changing environment our psyche comes to inhabit. In summary, the open academic stance and well-structured design of this textbook make it an essential resource for teaching and learning in the field of psychoanalysis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Review of End of the world: Civilization and its fate.
Reviews the book, End of the World: Civilization and Its Fate by Jon Mills (2024). This book is a scholarly study of the risks the world faces. For example, factors such as overpopulation, the threat of nuclear war, biological and other forms of terrorism, ecocide, economic disparities, immediate gratification along with a lack of sacrifice, and scarcity of resources, to name just a few. It is also a study of the psychological reasons why we face them. Reasons include disavowal, an existential fear of death, the prevalence of human aggression, dissociation, and the human death wish. Mills’s extremely powerful and timely work is a troubling journey through the many risks we face for our world today. He has researched the material with impressive depth and detail. His psychoanalytic treatment of the subject is unique and compelling. Having read this book, the reviewer far better appreciates the number and degree of these dangers, including what it is about our psychologies that lead us toward the abyss. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>