Psychoanalysis In China Research Articles

Prologue: Psychoanalysis in China

Prologue: Psychoanalysis in China

Link and "Ren Lun", transitional and "Zhong Yong": a discussion of "Fairbairn, Pichón Rivière, and the future of psychoanalysis in China" by David E. Scharff

Professor David Scharff's lecture, "Fairbairn, Pichón Rivière, and the future of psychoanalysis in China" (2021) provoked me to think about the similarities between some of the theories of psychoanalysis and Confucianism, and on the basis of this similarity and connection, then to explain and apply this to a case study, and finally to point out a possible major direction for the future of psychoanalysis in China. It is by linking psychoanalysis with Confucianism, in a "transitional" way similar to the Confucian "Zhong Yong" in psychoanalytic therapy, that the relationship between the patient and the family and society is put back in a "good enough" link.

The psychoanalytic unconscious and Buddhist unconscious (alaya-consciousness)

The unconscious is a central concept in psychoanalysis, and alaya-consciousness is a central concept in Buddhism. Although the unconscious is not a dominate concept in Western philosophy and psychology, there is a great deal of correspondence between the unconscious in psychoanalysis and alaya-consciousness in Buddhism. Psychoanalysis and Buddhism agree that the conscious is only a small part of the human mind, and that the vast majority of it is not the conscious. The compatibility of the unconscious in psychoanalysis and alaya-consciousness in Buddhism provides an important way to localise psychoanalysis in China. The Buddhist theory of alaya-consciousness is deeper and more systematic than the psychoanalytic theory of the unconscious, and this difference also provides the possibility of improving theory and technology of psychoanalysis from a Buddhist perspective. In addition, the integration of Buddhism and psychoanalysis is an important way to modernise Buddhism.

‘Our “China Within”’: Minjian Sinopsy Today, a Segue

In this article I have set out to draw an ethnographically inflected, composite scene of what I would loosely term ‘Sinopsy’ today, drawing on a series of explorative conversations on ‘psychoanalysis in China’ and the questionnaire-based interviews I undertook (between 2015 and 2020) with 18 psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, psychological counselors and engaged academics in or from mainland China, ranging from seasoned professionals to new-generation trainees. My ongoing, modest hope is to get to see a bigger and ‘democalligraphically’ evolving picture of a kind of praxis-oriented community-serving minjian psychoanalysis on the ground. As I turn to this understudied, cartographically complex, porously open-ended zone of Sinopsychoanalysis in the making, a silhouette seems to be emerging on the horizon, itself a question in motion: What is (in) it for people in China, and across and beyond its great walls? Focusing on its transitional specificity, its active indeterminacy and eclectic adaptivity exemplified by Sino-Lacanian analysts’ practices among others, I also try to contextualize its deeper and broader psychocultural dimensions, especially given the turbulent (post)modernity of China, where its ongoing epochal traumas are inextricably private and public, familial, national and diasporic.

Tributes to Jingyuan Zhang and Psychoanalysis in China

Tributes to Jingyuan Zhang and <i>Psychoanalysis in China</i>

Group relations conferences in China 2014 to 2019: theory and dynamics

This is a longitudinal inquiry into the theory and dynamics of four group relations conferences in China from 2014 to 2019. The study triangulates field notes, document artefacts, and verbatim transcribed interviews to investigate the application of Wilfred Bion's basic assumption (BA) group theory in the context of temporary learning institutions devoted to the examination of authority, leadership, and conscious/unconscious processes in groups. Given that group relations theory and practice in the Tavistock tradition is grounded in psychoanalysis and open systems theory, the study integrates psychoanalytic and psychodynamic systems theory in the analysis and interpretation of conference dynamics. The study concludes that group relations has important implications for psychoanalysis in China in light of: 1) the "psycho boom" in contemporary China; 2) the possibilities of cross-cultural learning and knowledge transfer; 3) cross-cultural trust building; 4) professional development of human services, mental health, and organisational development professionals; and 5) the application of psychoanalytical theory and practices to the understanding of organisational development in China.

Chinese culture and psychoanalysis

An emotional and intellectual affinity between Chinese culture and psychoanalysis has surprised and attracted many of us who work and teach in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan. A primary motive for seeking analysis and psychoanalytic training is because psychoanalysis serves as an inner resource for modern Chinese to resist the authority and moral coercion from family, repressive institutions, and the state. Despite the current focus on the narcissism of wealth, power, and fame among affluent urban Chinese, the reception of psychoanalysis is conditioned by contemporary and ancient cultural factors. For contemporary Chinese, psychoanalysis is an exciting tool of personal liberation to build a sense of an autonomous self that is not a part of traditional Chinese values and family structures. This article will focus on the traditional imperatives, suggesting that explicit trends in Chinese culture and philosophical and religious traditions contribute to explaining why there is currently an enthusiastic responsiveness to psychoanalysis in China (Scharff &amp; Varvin, 2014). To those who have worked and taught in China there appears to be a cultural aptitude for the psychodynamic modes of thought, its dialectics, the coexistence of contradictions, the suspension and collapse of linear time categories that allows Chinese students and candidates to “take to” and under-stand analytic thought and practice. I believe the Chinese will, in the tradition of their rich and ancient intellectual heritage, develop a form of “Chinese psychoanalysis” which will synthesise the Western psychoanalytic “schools” and teachings with uniquely Chinese tempers, flavours, registers, and characteristics (Gerlach et al., 2013).

The History of Psychoanalysis in China

ABSTRACTThis article provides an overview of the development of psychoanalysis in China based on literature and personal observations. We situate this history in the context of the cognate disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy, all of which are shaped by the massive political and social transformations of modern and contemporary China. Our account starts with a preliminary beginning prior to 1949, which fell largely outside the clinical domain. What follows is a brief description of how this nascent development was extinguished under three decades of radical socialism. The main part of the article deals with the post-reform period that began in the late 1970s, as the introduction of Western psychotherapy and psychoanalysis became possible again after the Cultural Revolution. Emphasis is placed on the past 15 years or so, a period known for an explosive growth of professional and popular interests in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and psychology in China’s major cities.

CAPA in China

ABSTRACTThis is the story of the self-organized alumni association called “CAPA in China (CIC),” voluntarily formed by graduates and students of the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance. It presents a picture of the new generation of Chinese psychodynamic psychotherapists who are building a home for themselves and for psychotherapy and psychoanalysis in China by their continuous striving for professionalism and identity.

Review of Psychoanalysis in China.

Review of Psychoanalysis in China.

Psychoanalysis in China: an Essay on the Recent Literature in English

Using extensive quotation, the author reviews the introduction and current state of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy in China from the vantage point of recent publications in English. Psychoanalysis was briefly introduced to China before the Communist era, then forbidden, and has experienced an accelerated reintroduction since the late 1980s. The author briefly summarizes the cultural and historical background of China relevant to the introduction of psychoanalysis, the traumatic history of China, and the deep structure of thought and philosophical differences from Western culture that challenge a simple imposition of psychoanalytic ideas and practice, and some psychological effects of rapid cultural change throughout China. Training programs in China, the general enthusiasm for analysis among the Chinese, and a number of notable contributions by Western and Chinese authors are discussed. Also surveyed are the use of distance technology for training and treatment, the personal experience of Chinese senior and junior colleagues, and ongoing challenges to the continuing growth of psychoanalysis and analytic psychotherapy in China.

The Development of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis in China

ABSTRACTThe history of psychoanalysis in China started already in 1912, followed by a great interest from Chinese intellectuals in the 20s and 30s. Since 1983 psychoanalysts from different Western countries, especially Germany and Norway, teach psychodynamic psychotherapy at Chinese psychiatric institutions. Meanwhile the IPA offers full psychoanalytic training in Beijing and in Shanghai. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Issue Introduction: Psychoanalysis in China

Issue Introduction: Psychoanalysis in China

Oedipus in China: Can we export psychoanalysis?

The author describes experiences gathered during several years of teaching psychodynamic psychotherapy with psychologists and psychiatrists within a 2-year-training programme in Shanghai, China. Questions and problems of the reception of psychoanalysis – shame, sexuality, harmony, abstinence – as well as the possibilities and limitations of exporting psychoanalysis are discussed. The possible future development of psychoanalysis in China is also outlined.

Psychoanalysis in China Before the Revolution:

No abstract available for this article.

Why Is There No Psychoanalysis in China?

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ArticleNo AccessWhy Is There No Psychoanalysis in China?PAUL LOWINGERPAUL LOWINGERSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Apr 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.12.1525-aAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail "Why Is There No Psychoanalysis in China?." American Journal of Psychiatry, 142(12), pp. 1525-a–1526 Access content To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access. Personal login Institutional Login Sign in via OpenAthens Purchase Save for later Item saved, go to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry $35.00 Add to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry Checkout Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability. Not a subscriber? Subscribe Now / Learn More PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development. Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.). FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byNone Volume 142Issue 12 December 1985Pages 1525-a-1526 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2006 Published in print 1 December 1985