The political role of Medical Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy Faculty (RCPsych) Newsletter ~ Winter 2012

In this journal we explore, among other things, the professional identity of Medical Psychotherapists. I believe this identity lies with what we do: to promote a particular way of thinking in our “target patients”: individuals, groups, institutions… in order to reduce internal strife and produce therapeutic results.

I would like to propose another “target patient”. We have something to say about the group dynamics of entire countries. In order to move into this new field we might need new concepts and I would like to borrow one from Thucydides which I find relevant at the present time.

When describing the final stages of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides talked about “stasis”, by which he meant a situation in which the community does not assume that the law rules over every individual independently of their social class or particular situation. Thus, the empire of the law is replaced by some type of social strife, close to a civil war in which people’s social identity is situated in a social class or another subgroup and these subgroups oppose each other leading to a political paralysis. It has been suggested that this process led to the destruction of the Classical Greece and its take over by Macedon and Rome.

The current economic and fiscal crisis has deep social consequences, to the point of triggering a social crisis in some places. I understand that Spain has reached the point of “stasis”, with working classes protesting that bankers and politicians created the problem and make them pay for it and rulers complaining about tax fraud and lack of union to face the national problems. While the rift between classes has been a traditional problem in Spain (e. g. speed cameras on the roads are well hidden to catch unruly drivers rather than displayed in order to dissuade them from speeding), the situation is now much worse and the media is using the expression “moral ruin”. Italy is persecuting gypsies and the rise of political extremism is worrying in France and Greece.

While Britain has more social cohesion than other countries, scandals like the claim of expenses at the House of Lords and the bonuses paid to bankers unearthed a deep social discontent which needs to be managed adequately or could severely damage the feeling of “everybody being on the same boat”.

I think that the interpretation of these anxieties and the search for a space in which they can be thought about might have a therapeutic effect on a nation and that it is a responsibility of psychotherapists to contribute to this task. I admit this is a political endeavour, but one which is independent from running for any kind of office or lobbying for a particular decision.

Psychoanalysis, with its individual approach, helped individuals but did not bring about the political change expected in “The Future of an Illusion”. Perhaps social changes can be achieved with a wider approach. I believe it is our responsibility to try.