Psychoanalysis vs Modern Therapy

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In this episode of 1Dime Radio, Tony (aka 1Dime) is joined by the autodidact psychoanalysis wizard Andrew Flores to discuss how certain assumptions of modern therapy, pop psychology, and mainstream psychology differ from Psychoanalysis, particularly Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and practice.

My guest, Andrew Flores (also known as “The Big Sig”, and part of the Young Žižekians collective called “The Vanishing Mediators”),  has an essay titled “Therapism, Psychoanalysis, and Ideology” featured in the new book Underground Theory Vol 1 (featuring Slavoj Zizek, Alenka Zupancic, and a bunch of nobodies, like myself! In his article, Andrew argues that much modern therapy functions as “ideology” for contemporary capitalism, and he critiques popular psychology figures such as Jordan Peterson, Gabor Mate, and Phil Stutz, Jonah Hill's therapist, popularized in Jonah Hill's latest Netflix documentary titled "Stutz" , which is about the life and psycho-therapeutic techniques of Jonah Hill's therapist, Phil Stutz. In his talk with Theory Underground, Andrew has an illuminating critique of Phil Stutz as the embodiment of popular therapy today from a Lacanian psychoanalytic perspective.

In this episode,  Andrew and I discuss the limitations and misconceptions associated with contemporary therapy practices, also known as “therapism”,  while contrasting it against the intricate theories of psychoanalytic therapy developed by Sigmund Freud and further elaborated upon by Jacques Lacan. He delves into the societal manifestation of therapism, critiquing figures in pop psychology, and key concepts of psychoanalysis such as the death drive, trauma and the role of sexual repression in personal problems. Andrew talks about the pervasive issues of the overly simplistic approach of many psychological therapies currently championed in the mainstream and emphasizes the significance of the unconscious, language and desire in psychoanalysis.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation

01:27 Modern Therapy and Pop Psychology

06:30 Psychoanalysis and its Importance

08:41 The Death Drive

11:42 Psychoanalysis vs Mainstream Psychology

17:30 Modern Therapy Culture

24:20 Critique of Popular Psychology Figures

29:15 The Unconscious 

34:43 The Importance of Language in Psychoanalysis

39:06 The Real in Lacanian Psychoanalysis

44:31 The Ego, Ideal Ego, Ego Ideal

48:48 Desire vs Drive

54:41 Trauma in Modern Therapy

01:05:30 The Symbolic Order

01:09:59 Lack 

01:15:23 “Repression” in Psychoanalysis

01:19:38 The Death Drive

01:25:37 Identification with the Symptom

01:30:26 “Law” and Prohibition

01:40:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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