Lives of the Unconscious. A Podcast on Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy

Cécile Loetz & Jakob Mueller
  • 4.9 (59)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

This podcast is devoted to topics on psychotherapy, contemporary psychoanalysis, and psychodynamic therapy methods, as well as social issues. A new episode is published every Friday. Recommended readings can be found attached to each respective episode. Website: https://www.psy-cast.org

  1. 04/25/2025

    Episode 37: Male Perversion and Sexual Violence

    Support our project and get access to the scripts for all episodes: https://www.patreon.com/lives From catcalling and unsolicited “dick pics” to upskirting and other forms of sexual assault—sexualized violence is omnipresent, especially on social media, and is often perpetrated by men. Research also shows that other forms of sexualized violence frequently, though by no means exclusively, originate from men. This episode explores how such behaviors can be understood and how they intersect with a psychoanalytic perspective on perversion. The topic of female perversion will be addressed in a separate episode. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Script to this episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/127342722/ Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY Literature Recommendations: - Massie, H. & Szajnberg, N. M. (1997). The ontogeny of a sexual fetish from birth to age 30 and memory processes. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 78, 755–771. - Stoller, R. (1975). Perversion: The Erotic Form of Hatred. New York: Pantheon Books. - McDougall, J. (1985). Plea for a Measure of Abnormality. New York: International Universities Press. - Chasseguet-Smirgel, J. (1996). Creativity and Perversion. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

    33 min
  2. Episode 36. What poverty does tu us. And what it has to do with our history.

    11/29/2024

    Episode 36. What poverty does tu us. And what it has to do with our history.

    We are back with a new episode! "Behind what is referred to in psychoanalysis as fate neurosis or repetition compulsion often lurks the uncanny magnetism of one's own social class" Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Script to this episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116944972 Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY Literature Recommendations: - Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction. A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. Harvard University Press. - Morgan, D. (2019). The Unconscious in Social and Political Life. Phoenix Publishing House. - Ryan, J. (2017). Class and Psychoanalysis: Landscapes of Inequality. London: Routledge.

    35 min
  3. Episode 35. Envy. A hidden force within human relations

    04/29/2023

    Episode 35. Envy. A hidden force within human relations

    Envy can arise wherever there exists inequality between people: in societies and families, between siblings, genders, and generations. “Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay” (R.W. Emerson). Envy has a bad reputation, at times even considered taboo, and yet still it proves to be ever-present. This episode explores the psychoanalytic understanding of envy and its implications for society and therapeutic processes, such as the phenomenon known as ‘negative therapeutic reaction.’ However, envy is not only destructive, but is also a driving force of human development. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY

    39 min

  4. 02/28/2023

    Episode 34. Dissociative Identity Disorder - Secret Lives

    The idea of split personality is fertile ground for stories of great imagination—while regrettably also inspiring and perpetuating numerous misunderstandings that continue to cling to the kind of personality organization that we will take up in this episode. *there is a small cultural variation in the episode. We use the German abbreviation "DIS" for Dissociative Identity Disorder. In English, however, the expression "DID" is common. We think that the episode is still easy to understand and hope you enjoy listening to it. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY

    41 min
  5. Episode 33.The Phantom of Emptiness. On the Psychodynamics of White Depression.

    01/04/2023

    Episode 33.The Phantom of Emptiness. On the Psychodynamics of White Depression.

    In contrast to “black depression,” white depression denotes an often inconspicuous, insidious affliction that can last a lifetime. Its distinguishing quality is a feeling of meaninglessness and emptiness that is nearly impossible to grasp, even if everything in life actually appears to be working out and there is reason to be joyful. As if, despite all efforts, it was simply impossible to truly believe in anything at all, as if all love and enthusiasm were simply a stage play, acted out for others. What this is all about and where such feelings towards life can come from is the subject of this episode. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY

    45 min
  6. Episode 32.The Pseudo-Community. Or: The Family behind the Rubber Fence

    11/25/2022

    Episode 32.The Pseudo-Community. Or: The Family behind the Rubber Fence

    “You’re free to do anything you want! But this man, of all people—you’ll never be happy with him.” Or: “Of course, if you don’t have time, you don’t have to come to the birthday dinner. But Uncle Henry will be very sad if you don’t. He was asking about you.” Or: “Yeah, yeah, I got it, independence is very important. But your own apartment, what’s the point? You can live with us, it’s much cheaper—and we’ll leave you alone.” Sentences like this are likely to be familiar in every family. In some families, however, there is a system to this way of communicating. In this episode, we look at the so-called “family behind the rubber fence.” Generally unremarkable from the outside, while highly prone to conflict on the inside, the force binding these kinds of families together is nearly inescapable. In contrast to the “clan-family,” in which deviation is openly disapproved of and attacked, communications within the pseudo-community convey a subtle message of dependency, an intangible ban on separating and individuating oneself from the family: beyond the family, lies the threat of catastrophe. A violent clash ensues if any family member risks breaking away from the family, sometimes even lead-ing to illness. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY

    34 min
  7. Episode 31. A Lover's Bind: The Psychoanalysis of Romantic Relationships

    10/17/2022

    Episode 31. A Lover's Bind: The Psychoanalysis of Romantic Relationships

    One couple fights over household responsibilities. Another is trapped in a cycle of jealousy and control. Still another strives for total harmony and oneness—only to be tormented by intense anxiety the moment small differences arise. With the help of the famous psychodynamic concept of collusion, this episode deals with the often conflictual relations between couples. We often encounter in romantic relationships the contours of our unconscious longings and fears, factors that are anchored in our personal history and that are decisive in the selection of a partner. Topics include: the relationship dynamics of jealousy, narcissistic relationship dynamics, as well as helper dynamics. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY

    39 min
  8. Episode 30: On the psychoanalysis of addictive disorders

    09/16/2022

    Episode 30: On the psychoanalysis of addictive disorders

    Addiction is one of the most widespread forms of mental illness. However, it is also burdened with many stigmas, and those suffering from it are often stigmatized. Treating it is considered difficult. But why do people become addicted? Can anyone become an addict? What is the psychological function of addictive behavior? This episode is an introduction to the psychoanalytic understanding of addictive disorders, focusing especially on the unconscious dynamics of shame and guilt. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QH82X6SWVJ9LY

    33 min
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4.9
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59 Ratings

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This podcast is devoted to topics on psychotherapy, contemporary psychoanalysis, and psychodynamic therapy methods, as well as social issues. A new episode is published every Friday. Recommended readings can be found attached to each respective episode. Website: https://www.psy-cast.org

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