| dc.description.abstract | This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the lived experiences of Lacanian psychoanalysts undergoing formation. The research aimed to elucidate the subjective dimensions of the psychoanalytic journey by addressing three primary questions: (a) What are psychoanalysts’ fundamental experiences and challenges during their formation and training? (b) How do psychoanalysts perceive the impact of their formation on their professional development? (c) What roles do supervision, personal analysis, and organizational support play in the formation of psychoanalysts?
Three participants affiliated with the Colorado Analytic Forum were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using IPA’s six-step process, incorporating reflexive journaling and member-checking to ensure trustworthiness.
Four Group Experiential Themes (GETs) emerged: Challenge, Personal and Professional Growth, Effects/Acts, and Formation. Participants navigated clinical, conceptual, and personal challenges, with growth occurring through validating inner strengths and reconciling external ideals with internal truths. Pivotal turning points, catalyzed by adversity and realization, led to decisive actions that realigned developmental trajectories. Formation itself emerged as an ongoing process of reconciling theory and practice, external pressures and internal ethics.
The findings illuminate the transformative nature of the psychoanalytic formation journey, characterized by continuous self-reflection, immersion in the analytic method, and the pursuit of understanding the unconscious. Supervision, personal analysis, and organizational support played crucial roles, facilitating growth, providing guidance, and shaping the participants’ evolving identities as analysts.
This study contributes to the understanding of the subjective dimensions of contemporary Lacanian psychoanalytic formation. The findings offer valuable insights for enhancing training practices, support mechanisms, and the ongoing development of psychoanalysts. By embracing the complexity and perpetual nature of formation, this research invites further exploration of the profound personal and professional odyssey undertaken by those dedicating themselves to the practice of psychoanalysis. | en_US |
