[Psychoanalysis beyond Freud].

Abstract

Since Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) formulated his first psychoanalytic theories about 100 years ago, there has been a rapid development in psychoanalytic theory and therapy. In this paper, central concepts in the four psychoanalytic "psychologies"--drive/ego psychology, object relations theory, self psychology and interpersonal psychoanalysis--are presented. Basic concepts in psychoanalysis have been under a continuous critical review, and psychoanalytic theories remain versatile. The unconscious and the exploration of subjective experience are central common themes. The role of the psychoanalyst has changed from expert to explorer, working together with the patient. At the same time, the analyst has become more active in the therapy room. The analyst's contribution to what is happening between the analyst and the patient has been increasingly emphasized. The development in psychoanalysis has parallelled both developments in the theory of knowledge as well as the change in cultural trends. Creating meaning is central to the psychoanalytic process, but there are divergent views as to how this happens: by articulating meaning, by uncovering meaning, by constructing or deconstructing meaning. The narrative tradition in which the central point is to tell stories about oneself, is discussed more thoroughly in the paper. The authors challenge the view that psychoanalysis is the work of Freud only.