Freud and the Changing World : Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Its Troubles

A highly original, convivial dialogue between two leading psychoanalysts invites the reader to pause and reflect on current transformations and emotional affects in a changing world. Two analysts of different generations dialogue openly on the psychoanalytic experience, the relationship between patient and analyst, and the setting that continually comes to life in the session. Key themes discussed include social changes, the need to emotionally tune in to the distrust of today's patients, online therapies, public mental health services, and new forms of sexuality and relationships. The heart of the book deals with major changes in psychoanalysis, whereby 'how' to talk to patients and how to approach them is just as important as 'what' is said in the consulting room. The limited use of technical terms promotes the book's usability in every chapter and makes it accessible to every type of reader. Where technical terms are inescapable, a useful glossary is provided to explain these key concepts, providing clarity and understanding of the psychoanalytic field. The perfect book to illuminate the continuing contribution of psychoanalysis to the world.

Stefano Bolognini is a psychiatrist and a training and supervising analyst of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society (SPI). He is former President of the SPI and past President of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), after having been IPA board representative for two mandates and member and chair of several IPA committees. He is a former member of the European editorial board of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis and of the European Psychoanalytical Federation (EPF) theoretical working party. He is also honorary member of the New York Contemporary Freudian Society (CFS), the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies (LAISPS), and the Florence Psychoanalytic Center (CPF), and a member of the advisory board of the International Psychoanalytic University of Berlin (IPU). He was the founder of the IPA Inter-Regional Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychoanalysis (IRED) and former chair. He has published over 280 psychoanalytic papers and eight books, including Vital Flows between the Self and Non-Self: The Interpsychic (Routledge, 2022), which won the 2023 Gradiva Award. Dr Bolognini lives and works in Bologna, Italy.

Luca Nicoli is a full member of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society (SPI) and the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). He was formerly adjunct professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Parma, and is currently a lecturer at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Specialisation School of Psychotherapy. He has been an editorial member of the Italian Journal of Psychoanalysis, and is currently a reviewer for the International Journal of Psychoanalysis. He has published in Italian and international scientific journals, as well as several psychoanalytic books. The popular book The New Analyst's Guide to the Galaxy: Questions about Contemporary Psychoanalysis, co-written with Antonino Ferro (Karnac, 2017), has been translated into five languages.