The concept of psychological trauma in psychodynamic French theory: From metaphor to clinical usefulness

Abstract

This article examines the hermeneutical conceptualization of psychological trauma in contemporary French psychodynamic theory and the clinical importance this approach still holds beyond the community of English-speaking trauma clinicians. Starting with the historical background of the psychodynamic French trauma concept, it investigates the potential contribution to the current knowledge on psychotraumatology internationally and aims to clarify differences and similarities between these approaches in the light of the leading paradigms of today. The position of the psychodynamic contemporary French authors is that stress and trauma do not necessarily fit into the same concept. The French classical and psychodynamic description of psychological trauma is based concepts such as the effroi de la mort (frozen fright of death) and the repetition syndrome (syndrome de répétition). A better understanding of these clinically relevant theories sheds another light on the currently used concepts in mainstream literature and the discussion on PTSD in DSM-5. The comparison of trauma concepts in different cultures and/or language groups, in a context of globalization of trauma societies, could be useful in bridging the existing conceptual gaps, understanding critical differences in clinical practice and offering a more integrative view of psychological trauma.