Contemporary psychoanalysis in relation to analytical psychology: Introduction and questionnaire

1. What in your opinion brings about, or facilitates therapeutic change? How has your perspective on this evolved in your practice? Could you offer a clinical example?

2. How do you conceive the role of the analyst in the treatment experience? What, if any, changes in your conceptions of this role have occurred? How has this manifested in clinical encounters? Could you offer a vignette?

3. What role do dreams play in your analytic practice? What approaches to dreams do you find most helpful? Do you consider cultural aspects of dream material to be a valuable source of information? How do you handle dreams clinically?

4. The Oedipus myth is one that has been employed extensively by psychoanalysts for its psychological and developmental value. What place does the Oedipus complex currently hold in your thought? How do you view the role of the Oedipus complex in female development and psychology? Have you employed other myths to enhance your understanding of human behaviour? If so, what role or function does myth have in the clinical setting?

5. Do you see a place for discussion of religious attitudes or spiritual seeking of analysands within the context of analysis? Have your views of these kinds of concerns altered over time?

6. Various contemporary analytic theories of personality include the concept of a self; which if any of these do you find useful? In the practice of analysis which of these models do you deem the most clinically applicable? How do your choices overlap, if at all, with Jung's conception of the self (a succinct statement of Jung's formulation can be supplied if it would be helpful)?

7. What is your theoretical perspective on adult development, of psychological growth and maturation? Can this be compared with Jung's model of a lifelong potential for unfolding of the personality (what he termed ‘individuation’ - again, a lexicon of Jungian terms can be provided)?

8. What do you consider the central paradigm shifts occurring in psychoanalysis today, and if possible comment on how they are related to developments in other fields?

9. What topics do you feel would generate the liveliest response from psychoanalysts interested in furthering dialogue between our communities?

[The project was initiated in April 2000 and the final versions of the responses were received between April and July 2001]