Guiding Analysis by the Analyst's Associations and Self-Analysis

Abstract

In this article I suggest one route to advancing Freud’s method of analyzing his own associations by basing psychoanalytic work on research of the analyst’s associations. On the one hand, I demonstrate the benefits of Freudian self-analysis; on the other, I attempt to further solutions to some problems of the classic model--objectivism and the faulty implementation of the fundamental rule of free association--caused by its foundations in the investigation of the analysand’s associations. I show that postclassical subjectivist and intersubjectivist theories do not resolve the model’s basic issues. By analyzing its various dimensions (social, educational, technical, theoretical, and epistemic), I illustrate the classic model’s defensiveness. Because these features are common to the analytic community, I term them collective defensive associations and suggest exploring them into every analyst's analysis. I demonstrate the method through examples of my work, guided by my associations.