Book description
'Psychoanalysis has, from its inception, been a discipline concerned
with overcoming the ill effects of certain social taboos. Given this
focus, it might be assumed that psychoanalysis and its practitioners are
free of the constraints imposed by restrictive taboos. This book
challenges this idea by examining a sampling of the taboos that are rife
in the field. It is not intended to offer a complete summary of all of
the forbidden ideas, clinical procedures, behaviors and institutional
practices in psychoanalysis, but rather to raise consciousness about the
fact that even within a field which encourages freedom of expression,
many issues remain difficult to fully discuss both in the consulting
room and in professional discourse. The book provides a refreshing,
thoughtful, honest look at many of the taboos present in psychoanalysis,
even at this moment of greatly improved communication between the
various theoretical schools in the field. Reading it provides a sense of
freedom for the reader, as speaking of forbidden thoughts always does.
We hope the book will inspire others to seriously consider the taboos
that hamper their practices, and that further ideas on these issues will
come to light.' - Lori Bohm, from the Introduction
