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Christopher Bollas need no introduction for Scandinavian analysts. Together with the lawyer, David Sundelson, he has written a book with a dramatic title, that perfectly corresponds to it's contents. Fundamentally, the focus of the book is the chances of survival of psychoanalysis in countries where the old, sacrosanct principle — that doctors and other therapists have professional confidentiality — is increasingly undermined by a legislation that imposes mandatory reporting on therapists. The book is aimed both at psychoanalysts, psychotherapists and other therapists, and at legislators, and the general public.
The book takes it's outset in American conditions, but also mentions conditions in other countries such as Sweden, that, just as the other Scandinavian countries, has a legislation that undermines the right for psychoanalysts (and psychotherapists) to absolute confidentiality. Lawyers, priests, and journalists still have the right to secrecy, whereas psychotherapists can be ordered by law to report confidential information.
Bollas and Sundelson set out to answer three questions: How did the loss of privacy come about? What does it mean for clinical practice? What, if anything, can we do about it?
In the preface, they answer the first question: “We believe that the developments we describe derive in large measure from the links between psychoanalysis and its parent professions: psychiatry, psychology and social work. These disciplines may not be capable of or interested in preserving the integrity of psychoanalysis. However, psychoanalysts have not yet declared their independence from disciplines that have to a considerable extent allied themselves with the forces of intrusion and disclosure”.
The authors stress the need to enlighten the legislators, the jurists and the laity about the essence of psychoanalysis. This is not an easy job, but throughout the book, particularly in chapter three, they give instructive descriptions illustrating the necessity of absolut