Digital technology is here to stay and the psychoanalytic community should grapple with it

Abstract

Digital technologies have revolutionised our lives and are also gradually affecting the way psychoanalytic psychotherapists and their patients interact. The author claims that these changes need to be embraced responsibly and with an open mind by the profession and illustrates some of his own experiences with clinical material.

Keywords::

• Internet
• psychotherapy
• Skype™
• technology

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Drs Francesca Bell and Gabriele Colombini for their helpful contributions with regard to their experience with Skype™.

Notes

^1. The Skype™ name originates from an abbreviation of Sky Peer-to-Peer.

^2. Mr X gave me permission to quote his comments.