Professional Practice Analysis and Kulturarbeit

Abstract

This article deals with the psychological work required from professionals working in the sphere of care and social work in order to be able to commit themselves to the different patients they work with on a daily basis. This psychological work which, in the wake of the works of Nathalie Zaltzman (1998, 2007), is based on a transformational group process, with reference to Freud (1932) is called 'Kulturarbeit'. We propose that this process operates specifically within self-reflective spaces for which Professional Practice Analysis (PPA) serves as a paradigm. A clinical situation will help us to discuss the effectiveness and the validity of this approach.

On the Vicissitudes of Professionalism. Commentary on Professional Practice Analysis and Kulturarbeit

“…The professional needs to lend himself to the transference with the patients without being destroyed by their subjectivity or annihilated when he visits regions of the archaic. (Gaillard et al, 2012: 244).…”

“…In so far, it adds a ‘temporal’ and ‘historisicing’ dimension to Freud’s concept of symbolisation (Freud) and Bion’s idea of a transformation of psychic elements (Bion, 1961; cf. Gaillard et al, 2012: 240–251).…”

“…As such, it is relevant especially for professionals working in institutionalized social work and managed care. For Gaillard et al ‘work with patients entrusted in an institution implies that the professional lends himself to the establishment of transference from the patients’ and constantly putting him at the risk ‘of finding himself entrapped in the trammels of the “deadly”, of being “used” by the other person and consequently being seduced, disposessed, intruded or abused’ (Gaillard et al, 2012: 243. Regarding requisite professional practice, they suggest thus that ‘each professional’ in an institutional care team of whatever preoccupation (including psychotherapy) ‘needs to be periodically assured that his own destructiveness has not had, for a time, the upper hand’ (Gaillard et al: 247; italics i.…”