Off the Couch and into the Streets: Psychotherapy and Political Activism

Abstract

In this article, the author discusses the intersection between psychotherapy and social activism. She argues that activism is a form of empathy in action and is a natural extension of her work as a therapist. The author reviews the history of psychoanalysis and social activism, demonstrating that the roots of psychoanalysis were embedded in the work of social activism. She discusses some of the recent history of events in her state that led her to engage in activism and some issues this presents for clinical practice.

KEYWORDS:

• political activism
• psychiatry
• psychoanalysis

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Rebecca Eder, PhD, for all her invaluable editorial assistance; Jonathan Flescher, MD, for all his technical assistance; and William S. Meyer, MSW, for his ongoing support for this project and me.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Susan L. Eder

Susan L. Eder, MD, is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. She has a private practice in Raleigh, NC, and works at The Lucy Daniels Center, where she supervises young social workers engaged in psychotherapy with children and families. She received her medical education at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. She completed her residency and fellowship in child psychiatry at The Payne Whitney Clinic–Cornell University Medical Center, and New York Hospital, in New York City. Dr. Eder is involved in political activism locally and nationally. In 2013, she was arrested when she engaged in civil disobedience as part of the Moral Monday Movement.