Psychoanalysis in Asia

Reviews / Votes

'Psychoanalysis in Asia outlines the most stimulating challenge in recent international psychoanalytic history. First India and Japan, then China, Korea and Taiwan have joined our worldwide scientific, professional and institutional community; and we are expecting not only a strong development of the psychoanalytic activity in those countries, but also a new original and intercultural cross-fertilization from those countries towards psychoanalytic thinking. I feel sure psychoanalysis will influence Asia, and Asia will influence psychoanalysis.'- Stefano Bolognini, President of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society, President Elect of the International Psychoanalytical Association 'Psychoanalysis in Asia is an impressive and groundbreaking book that collects viewpoints of twenty-four participant observers from China, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Europe. Universal assumptions are relativized; issues of method and clinic, trust and shame, culture and language, are explored both personally and institutionally. This book is a must-read for all mental health professionals and for all readers interested in the developing dialogue between the peoples and cultures of Asia and the West.'- Peter Loewenberg, Professor, UCLA; Chair, International Psychoanalytical Association China Committee'Psychoanalysis has been showing its great potential for development since it was introduced to Asia. In China, it is amazing that psychoanalysis is so warmly welcomed and so fast developing. As the world starts to pay more and more attention to, and think of the development of, psychoanalysis in Asia, this book comes at just the right time. Psychoanalysis in Asia is a very thought-provoking book and it covers the viewpoints from Asia and Europe. It is a window through which we can see how the east and west are thinking of the encounter between western psychoanalysis and Asia. This book should be strongly recommended for anyone interested in the culture of Asia and the West.'- Prof. Cai Zhuoji, Chairman of the China Association for Mental Health (CAMH), Former President of Beijing An Ding HospitalThe book is a collection of the papers presented at the first IPA Psychoanalytic Conference in China on the occasion of the Centenary of the International Psychoanalytical Association. This meeting represented an historic turning point in the long journey of psychoanalysis. For the first time mental health professionals from China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, Russia (including Siberia), Ukraine and Latvia joined together with their western colleagues, to engage in a scientific project and in the common endeavour of developing further a psychoanalytic culture in Asia. Many now look at the Far East as the future area of expansion of psychoanalysis in coincidence with the rapid social changes and the economic progress of the region. The content includes: an introduction by the editors aimed at setting the scene, a conceptual backdrop by western analysts which deals with the encounter of 'the other' in a different culture and the challenges it poses for psychoanalysis. It then presents papers from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan which illustrate the history of their groups and societies, their struggle in establishing psychoanalysis in their countries, the tension of introducing a western science in the local culture and the clinical work in the Asian context.