To speak in tongues: language, diversity and psychoanalysis

Abstract

After reviewing the different psychoanalytical approaches to language of authors such as Freud, Lacan, Kristeva, Jung and Nicolas Abraham, the author examines the problem of 'analytical listening', of the attitude that every analyst must assume towards the words of the analysand, words that must be heard not just in terms of their content but above all in terms of their sound. We live in a culture in which visual images predominate over acoustic images and all too often this cultural trend is repeated in analysis, but it is only when we can hear the 'poetry' of the analysand's discourse that we are able to provide an 'echo', an analytical response that can co-symbolize with, that can offer to the analysand a word or a metaphor that will unlock the symbol hidden behind his or her words. The author then turns to the problem of bilinguism and its role in analysis. In her view, bilingual analysts are facilitated in their task of listening and of translation, because bilinguism facilitates the rapidity and fluidity of the analyst's associations, and at the same time sharpens his or her awareness of how the sound of a word can subtly change its meaning. The paper ends with a clinical vignette which illustrates the role that language can play in hysteria. In hysteria the dissociation between body and psyche is accompanied by a dissociation inside language itself, between verbalization and vocalization. These dissociations can be linked to the traumatic impact of the encounter between the 'language of tenderness' and the 'language of passion', between the child's attachment needs and parental sexuality. In such cases the failure of communication can be resolved principally through the use the analyst makes of the countertransference.

Cultural Incommensurability in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Western and Japanese Traditions

“…In the first scenario, Western therapists might gain knowledge and will be able to ask their Japanese clients if those stereotypes apply to that client's case. Traditional Japanese values and characteristics of communication styles are well documented (Connolly, 2002; Marsella, 1993; Marsella, Johnson, Johnson, & Brennan, 1998; Movahedi, 1996; Rothbaum et al, 2002). Therapists can therefore inquire about the meaning of that stereotype to the client and how the client is reacting to the therapist who presented that specific stereotype.…”

“…Simple miscommunication can be a source of confusion when more than one language is used. In addition, the most subtle parts of psychodynamic psychotherapy, such as client fantasies and early childhood experiences, are embodied in the language that was used at the time of those experiences (Connolly, 2002; Movahedi, 1996). Representing those experiences in a different language can be difficult, as can free association (a psychoanalytic concept also utilized in psychodynamic therapies to extract implicit memories by having the client verbalize to the therapist whatever comes to mind).…”

One Language and Two Mother Tongues in the Consulting Room: Dilemmas of a Bilingual Psychotherapist

“…Researchers found that having two languages at one's disposal can facilitate understanding of the client's experiences and foster communication. Connolly () found that bilingualism enabled her to make multiple links and associations in her work, which facilitated a deeper understanding of transference–countertransference and conflictual material. This process facilitated the acceptance of words as a source of sounds and rhythms rather than meaning, thus encouraging her to withhold from making interpretations and allowing her client to regress back to his/her preverbal state.…”

Interface between psychoanalysis and speech language and hearing sciences: a literature review

“…Thus, the words must be evaluated, listening beyond the content, analyzing the sound and the meaning of what was said 22 . For instance, the Lacanian psychoanalytic theory allows linking the communicative behavior and offers a set of symbolic coordinate 23 which may be escaping from the unconscious.…”