Working with Afghan Students: Countertransference and Dissociated Processes of an Analyst in Training

ABSTRACT

This paper was developed as part of a panel for the International Psychoanalytic Association’s (IPA) 53^rd Congress in July 2023. In this paper I discuss treatment with students from the American University of Afghanistan as part of a team at New York University’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. The paper reviews the themes that I identified while working with three students from the university. The themes include issues of identity and power, role confusion, and finally the question “am I doing a good thing?” Simultaneously, I discuss my own countertransferential process and disavowed material based on my own cultural background.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Postscript

I received news that Salma has had her first interview with immigration for a P1 visa. She has also received an offer to attend a US university.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marty A. Cooper

Marty A. Cooper, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at State University of New York (SUNY) College at Old Westbury in the graduate Mental Health Counseling program. Dr. Cooper is a candidate and fellow of New York University’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. He is a licensed psychologist, a licensed mental health counselor, and a nationally certified counselor with regional and international experience. His research focuses on the intersections of multiple minority statuses with specific emphasis on sexual orientation and gender identity. Additional research interests include ageism, and indigenous populations. Dr. Cooper has a private practice in New York City. He is a volunteer psychologist with the New York City Medical Reserve Corp, the Post-Emergency Canvassing Operations, HealthRight International, and Physicians for Human Rights.