Why Can’t We See It?

ABSTRACT

The relevance of a patient’s experience of physical punishment in childhood may be obscured and difficult to acknowledge for both patient and analyst. This paper illustrates my own struggle with the issue by presenting excerpts of my work with an adult analytic patient, children in a mental health clinic, and PTSD patients in the Veterans Administration system. In the discussion that follows I demonstrate how the psychoanalytic concept of disavowal can be useful in expanding our ability to engage in meaningful discussions with our patients regarding this issue.

KEYWORDS:

• Resistance
• disavowal
• spanking
• trauma
• defense

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Neal Spira

Neal Spira, M.D., is a training and supervising analyst and former Dean of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. He is a clinical assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He has been in private practice for over 35 years, treating adults, children and adolescents. Dr. Spira is past president of the Chicago Psychoanalytic 170 Society and past Councilor at Large for the American Psychoanalytic Association.