Editorial Introduction

This fourth issue of PSC for 2026 presents a number of thought-provoking articles and comments. It begins with Shir Shanun’s theoretically rich paper that shows how Jonathan Lear’s notion of radical hope can help preserve emotional connection, meaning, and imaginative possibility in situations/cases which seem impossible—including cases of social conflict, hatred, and othering. Douglas Zimmerman’s paper explores how relational psychoanalysis can be integrated with newer approaches, including ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, to expand therapeutic possibilities and foster hope in individuals struggling with conditions such as OCD, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. In a timely paper, Jeffrey Bennett draws on Intersubjective Self Psychology to examine the psychological and relational dynamics of charismatic leader-follower bonds and the desires, fantasies, and group processes underlying contemporary charismatic political movements.

The journal continues with a moving paper by JoAnn Ponder who presents clinical vignettes of blind and visually impaired adults, showing how a relational self-psychological approach can address experiences of ableism and othering while fostering connection, resilience, and healthy psychological development. The paper by Osama Bhatti documents how serious a problem erotic countertransference transgressions are in psychiatric practice and argues for greater awareness, training, supervision, and professional boundaries to protect both patients and clinicians.

Lisa Ruesch describes the treatment of an older Ashkenazi Jewish woman by a middle-aged Chinese woman therapist, exploring how carefully calibrated twinship and alter-ego selfobject experiences supported connection and therapeutic change through trauma, aging, and the COVID-19 period. John R. Paddock’s paper holds that analysts often understand the deepest meaning of a patient’s communication only retrospectively, by listening backwards, allowing later sessions and developments in the treat