The Experience of Voice in Analytic Listening

With Guest Speaker: Dana Amir

_{Art credits: | Amanda Blake Soule | Silence 2020 | Photography}

Discussing the experience of voice in analytic listening, this paper describes the central role of the voice in psychic development as well as in the therapeutic process, focusing on two psychopathologies: the vocal adhesive identification, which is characteristic of autistic states, and the psychotic split between voice and meaning. Pointing to the difference between these two vocal phenomena both in terms of its origins and in terms of its enactment in the therapeutic relations, two modes of therapeutic intervention are suggested: interpretation of the voice and interpretation through the voice.

Dana Amir is a clinical psychologist, supervising and training analyst at the Israel Psychoanalytic Society, full professor, Vice Dean for Research and head of the interdisciplinary doctoral program in psychoanalysis at Haifa University, editor in chief of Maarag – the Israel Annual of Psychoanalysis, poetess and literature researcher. She is the author of six poetry books, two memoirs in prose and four psychoanalytic non-fiction books: Cleft Tongue (Karnac, 2014), On the Lyricism of the Mind (Routledge, 2016), Bearing Witness to the Witness (Routledge, 2018) and Psychoanalysis on the Verge of Language: Clinical Cases on the Edge (Routledge, 2021). Amir brings our attention to the many aspects of the relations between psychic processes and the principles of language. She casts a light on regions that are outside the reach of verbal expression or even clash with any effort at articulation. She has developed several psycho-linguistic concepts which map various pathological dimensions: “Pseudo-Language” versus “Concrete Language”, “Psychotic Syntax”, “Autistic Syntax”, “The Chameleon Language of perversion” and “the inner function of the witness”. Dana Amir is the winner of numerous literary as well as academic prizes, including five international psychoanalytic awards. Some of these include: The Frances Tustin International Memorial Prize (2011), the IPA Sacerdoti Prize (2013), the IPA’s Hayman Prize (2017), the annual International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies prize for the best paper published in 2020.

Readings:

Anzieu, Didier (1979) The Sound Image of the Self. Int. Rev. Psycho-Anal. 6, 23

Learning Objectives: At the end of this program/session/event participants will be able to:

Understand the concept of the experience of voice in psychic development.
Be able to identify qualities of the experience of voice in the transference and in the countertransference.
Learn about the phenomenon of vocal adhesive identification and skills in therapeutic work with it.

FORMAT: Theoretical discussion of paper 55min; break of 15 minutes; discussant remarks and/or clinical case discussion with attendees, applying concepts from the theory 70 minutes.

Registration is closed.
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