Not only will this unique Congress of Francophone Analysts take place in Montreal, Quebec, but also simultaneous translation will open the world of French analysis to Anglophone participants and will greatly facilitate exchange across the linguistic divide. This is the first time that the highly regarded Congrès des Psychanalystes de Langues Française (CPLF) has reached out to an English-speaking audience. The aim is to further foster important links and communication between French and Anglo-Saxon psychoanalysis.
The theme of the Congress, “The Actual in Psychoanalysis,” was suggested by Canadian psychoanalyst Dominique Scarfone of Montreal's vibrant French analytic society. The “actual” is meant as a clinical and theoretical dimension related to matters not yet symbolized, hence not yet subjected to mourning and integration into the time fabric of the subject's psyche. The actual is what presents itself in the actuality of the analysis and what has yet to be represented.
Two monographs will be at the center of the event, one by Scarfone and one by the French analytic couple, Sylvie Dreyfus-Asséo and Robert Asséo from the Paris Psychoanalytic Society. Scarfone's paper, “The Unpast: Actuality of the Unconscious,” suggests that the actual, which began with Freud's “actual neuroses,” plays a central role in the clinical analytic situation as well as in a contemporary theoretical formulation of psychoanalysis. The two French colleagues' monograph: “Mourning in Culture—The Actual ‘bit by bit,‘ “ is a theoretical and clinical contribution whose focus takes a historical turn. It deals with the dark years that rocked the world from the time of Hitler's rise to power until the first few years following the occupation of France, which included the racial policies of the French government under Marshall Pétain (between 1939 and 1941). The two monographs are made available well in advance of the meeting for individual and group study.
Most of the Congress will be spent in plenary sessions, except for a half-day of simultaneous workshops in French and English as well as clinical workshops for candidates. The range of discussions and papers points to a rich and rewarding conference. The Congress will take place at the downtown Bonaventure Hilton Hotel, adjacent to Old Montreal, the original 17th century settlement. Montreal is the second largest Francophone city in the world. As an important center of Quebec culture, its bilingual effervescence and European flavor is widely recognized. The city has many museums, festivals, beautiful public gardens, and a multi-ethnic cuisine.
In addition to a festive party planned for Saturday night, the organizing committee has its sights set on the launching of a new show by Quebec's own Cirque du Soleil, a company known internationally for its high quality of creative artistry and physical feats of amazing dexterity.
The Bonaventure Hilton Hotel has set aside a limited number of rooms at the special rate of $199 (Can) with breakfast included for the Congress participants. In addition to Montreal, the province of Quebec offers unrivaled possibilities for sightseeing; the best time to visit is late spring.
To register for the Congress contact the SPP: