“Dear Institute…”: Candid commentaries from candidates in psychoanalytic training

This book is a collection of commentaries by 40 psychoanalysts-in-training spanning across 29 different countries, shedding light on the state of contemporary psychoanalysis – its training, practice and relevance. The perception and landscape of typical psychoanalysis, the typical psychoanalyst and the typical psychoanalytic trainee have witnessed a tectonic shift since Dr. Sigmund Freud first introduced this technique over a hundred years ago. This book challenges and inspires us to think, at all levels, about reimagining how psychoanalysis should be taught in the 21st century. Inspired by Fred Busch’s Dear Candidate (Routledge, 2021), chapters are written in the style of personal letters from candidates to their faculty and institutes. Each contributor shares a piece of their mind – and their heart – about the trials and tribulations of the process of psychoanalytic training – what they cherished, what they loathed, why they spoke up and why they dropped out. This book is an important read for both prospective candidates as well as veteran psychoanalysts and institutional leaders.