Roy Schafer

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Roy Schafer (1922–2018) was an American psychoanalyst and theorist best known for his development of narrative psychoanalysis and his critique of traditional drive theory. He argued that psychoanalysis should focus on understanding the stories people tell about their lives, rather than uncovering hidden drives or instincts. Schafer's work emphasized the co-creative nature of the analytic process, where both analyst and patient contribute to the construction of meaning.

Biography

Roy Schafer was a significant figure in the evolution of psychoanalytic thought, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century. His career spanned several decades, during which he challenged established orthodoxies and proposed innovative approaches to theory and practice.

Early Life and Education

Schafer received his Ph.D. in psychology from Clark University in 1948. His early work was influenced by ego psychology, particularly the ideas of Heinz Hartmann and David Rapaport. He also drew inspiration from interpersonal psychoanalysis, especially the work of Harry Stack Sullivan. These influences shaped his early thinking about the importance of interpersonal relationships and the role of the ego in mediating between internal drives and external reality.[1]

Career and Contributions

Schafer's career was marked by a gradual but consistent departure from traditional Freudian concepts. He became increasingly critical of drive theory, which he saw as overly deterministic and reductionistic. In its place, he proposed a narrative approach to psychoanalysis, which emphasized the importance of language, meaning, and interpersonal relations.

Schafer held various academic and clinical positions throughout his career. He was a training and supervising analyst at the Western New England Institute for Psychoanalysis and a clinical professor of psychology at Yale University. He also served as president of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association.

Schafer's most influential books include Aspects of Internalization (1968), A New Language for Psychoanalysis (1976), The Analytic Attitude (1983), and Retelling a Life: Narration and Dialogue in Psychoanalysis (1992). These works articulated his narrative approach to psychoanalysis and challenged many of the field's core assumptions.

Engagement with Psychoanalysis

Schafer's engagement with psychoanalysis was characterized by a critical and reconstructive approach. He sought to retain the valuable insights of psychoanalytic theory while discarding elements he considered outdated or problematic.

Critique of Drive Theory

Schafer argued that drive theory, with its emphasis on instincts and biological determinism, was inadequate for understanding the complexities of human experience. He believed that it reduced individuals to passive recipients of internal drives, neglecting the role of agency, meaning, and interpersonal relations. He proposed that psychoanalysis should instead focus on understanding how individuals actively construct their experiences through language and narrative.[2]

Narrative Psychoanalysis

Schafer's narrative approach to psychoanalysis emphasized the importance of stories in shaping human experience. He argued that individuals make sense of their lives by constructing narratives that give meaning to their past, present, and future. Psychoanalysis, according to Schafer, should be concerned with understanding these narratives and helping individuals to revise them in ways that promote greater well-being.[3]

Action Language

To facilitate his narrative approach, Schafer developed a new language for psychoanalysis, which he called "action language." Action language is a way of describing psychological phenomena in terms of actions, rather than drives or instincts. For example, instead of saying that someone is "motivated by aggression," one would say that they are "acting aggressively." This shift in language, according to Schafer, allows for a more nuanced and agentic understanding of human behavior.[4]

The Analytic Attitude

Schafer emphasized the importance of the analyst's attitude in the psychoanalytic process. He argued that the analyst should adopt an attitude of respect, empathy, and curiosity, and should avoid imposing their own interpretations or theories on the patient. The analyst's role, according to Schafer, is to help the patient explore their own narratives and to co-create new meanings.[5]

Theoretical Contributions

Schafer made several significant theoretical contributions to psychoanalysis, including his critique of drive theory, his development of narrative psychoanalysis, his concept of action language, and his emphasis on the analytic attitude.

Narrative as Constitutive of Reality

Schafer argued that narratives are not simply representations of reality, but are constitutive of reality itself. In other words, the stories we tell about our lives shape our experiences and our sense of self. This idea has important implications for psychoanalysis, as it suggests that changing one's narrative can lead to profound changes in one's life.

Interpretation as Co-Creation

Schafer challenged the traditional view of interpretation as the analyst's uncovering of hidden meanings. He argued that interpretation is a co-creative process, in which both analyst and patient contribute to the construction of meaning. The analyst's interpretations, according to Schafer, should be seen as suggestions or possibilities, rather than as definitive truths.

Emphasis on Agency and Responsibility

Schafer's work emphasized the importance of agency and responsibility in human experience. He argued that individuals are not simply passive victims of their past or their unconscious, but are active agents who can shape their own lives. Psychoanalysis, according to Schafer, should help individuals to take responsibility for their actions and to create more fulfilling lives.

Clinical and Institutional Work

Schafer was a practicing psychoanalyst for many years, and his clinical experience informed his theoretical work. He also played an active role in the psychoanalytic community, serving as a training and supervising analyst and as president of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association.

Schafer's clinical work was characterized by his emphasis on the co-creative nature of the analytic process and his respect for the patient's autonomy. He sought to create a therapeutic environment in which patients felt safe to explore their own narratives and to construct new meanings.

Influence and Legacy

Roy Schafer's work has had a significant influence on psychoanalysis and related fields. His narrative approach has been embraced by many clinicians and theorists, and his ideas have been applied to a wide range of clinical and theoretical issues.

Schafer's emphasis on language, meaning, and interpersonal relations has helped to shift psychoanalysis away from its traditional focus on drives and instincts. His work has also contributed to a greater appreciation of the role of culture and context in shaping human experience.

Schafer's legacy continues to inspire and challenge psychoanalytic thinkers and practitioners today. His work remains relevant for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of human experience and the power of narrative.

Key Works

  • Aspects of Internalization (1968): An early exploration of the concept of internalization and its role in the development of the self.
  • A New Language for Psychoanalysis (1976): A groundbreaking work that introduces the concept of action language and proposes a narrative approach to psychoanalysis.
  • The Analytic Attitude (1983): An exploration of the analyst's role in the psychoanalytic process, emphasizing the importance of respect, empathy, and curiosity.
  • Retelling a Life: Narration and Dialogue in Psychoanalysis (1992): A comprehensive articulation of Schafer's narrative approach to psychoanalysis, emphasizing the co-creative nature of interpretation and the power of narrative to shape human experience.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Schafer, Roy. Aspects of Internalization. New York: International Universities Press, 1968.
  2. ↑ Schafer, Roy. A New Language for Psychoanalysis. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976.
  3. ↑ Schafer, Roy. Retelling a Life: Narration and Dialogue in Psychoanalysis. New York: Basic Books, 1992.
  4. ↑ Schafer, Roy. A New Language for Psychoanalysis.
  5. ↑ Schafer, Roy. The Analytic Attitude. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
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