‘Analysis is another shot at life’

In every consulting room there ought to be two rather frightened people the patient and the psychoanalyst If both are not one wonders why they are bothering to find out what everyone knowsrdquo said British psychoanalyst Wilfred BionA psychoanalyst describing such a challenging impasse admits ldquoItrsquos two people being vulnerable together I have seen a completely quiet patient stay uncommunicative for terrifyingly long Gradually he revealed to me the power of silence and we progressedrdquoMaking the unconscious conscious is central to psychoanalysis introduced by the legendary Sigmund Freud May 6 1856ndashSeptember 23 1939 who changed perceptions of mental health and human behaviour with revolutionary theories of the unconscious mind Analysts Shailesh Kapadia Aiveen Bharucha Manek Bharucha Minnie Dastur and Sarosh Forbes at a convocation Pics courtesyPTRCThe Indian Psychoanalytical Society IPS was established in Calcutta in 1922 three years after the British Psychoanalytical Society and is affiliated to the International Psychoanalytical Association IPA Helping to trace the history of the Psychoanalytic Therapy amp Research Centre PTRC senior training and supervisory psychoanalyst Minnie Dastur explains that all training academic and professional work is done by the Mumbai Chapter of the IPS The PTRC runs its clinics besides attending to administrative and accounting workThe pioneer of psychoanalysis in the country Girindrasekhar Bose was a University of Calcutta psychology student Subsequent to his 1917 doctoral thesis ldquoRepressionrdquo he exchanged correspondence with Freud in Vienna focusing on the Oedipus Complex Though the two men never met on Freudrsquos desk stood a Vishnu statue gifted by BoseDastur says ldquoWhile Freud may not have always agreed with Bose he was impressed by his intuition and interest He put Bose in touch with Emilio Servadio an Italian analyst here during the War years Bhupendra Desai from Bombay came to study in Calcutta with Boserdquo Girindrasekhar Bose established the Indian Psychoanalytical Society in Calcutta in 1922 right Bhupendra Desai who studied with Bose primarily introduced psychoanalytic training in BombayFreud encouraged the setting up of the IPS in Bosersquos home Back in Bombay Desai contributed to developing psychoanalytical training The 1940s saw analyst Freny Mehta helm the Indian Council of Mental Hygiene whose psychiatric social workers lectured at educational institutions Mehtarsquos soninlaw Sarosh Forbes became a founder member of the PTRCThe 1960s witnessed visits to the city from Kleinian analyst Dr Donald Meltzer and Martha Harris of the Tavistok Clinic in London A little later the eminent psychiatrist Dr Manek Bharucha and his wife Aiveen qualified there as did DasturAided by some enlightened industrialists in 1974 the PTRC began operating in Bombay as a public charity trust To set up a Tavistok training model in Bombay the Bharuchas invited child analysts and psychotherapists like Gianna Williams Gillian Ingall Margaret and Michael Rustin They formulated and registered a course of PTRC training independent of the Tavistok brandIndian and Israeli participants at the Frances Justin International Conference spearheaded by Micky Bhatia from India and Alina Schellekes from IsraelA first office in Tardeo in 1972 shifted to Horniman Circle before branching in Churchgate and Bandra In 1999 the Centre introduced the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training in India Forbes forged ties with Australian colleagues for PTRC to engage in IndoAustralian Conferences which the Israel Psychoanalytic Society joinedldquoPsychoanalysis unlocks the past for patients to relive an unlived liferdquo asserts Dastur ldquoToday there is more sexual awareness once undercover Any crisis is just a trigger Identifying the cause of trauma is uncomfortable Without daring to confront innermost feelings one cannot overcome grief anxiety and depression Avoiding this subterranean place creates earthquakes on the surfacerdquoDastur emphasises PTRC keenly wants to make psychoanalytic therapy available to children and adults for all psychic disorders and emotional problems mdash ldquoIt is indepth treatment going deep inside each personrsquos psyche to reach pain that is attempted to be avoided through spurious means addictions confused and damaging relationships conflicts within the self Reach out and you will find a hand to hold yourdquoTraining analyst teacher and supervisor Micky Bhatia had some experience overseas in the field of human rights and domestic violence She returned with a Masterrsquos in Counselling Within 15 minutes of meeting Bharucha she was disconcerted ldquoHe felt I knew nothing and should study all over again lsquoYou have a mind in your hands which can be seriously disturbedrsquo he said That vortex drew me in A senior told me lsquoAnalysis is another shot at lifersquordquoA psychologist and remedial educator in a school Banu Ismail worked with children with special needs till the Bharuchas started the Observation Training Course She says ldquoTraining in child psychotherapy and adult psychoanalysis was transformative providing an expansive understanding It wasnrsquot simply learning a new method of treatment the personal growth and insight were immenserdquo Aiveen Bharucha offered Ismail the role of director at the Horniman Circle outreach clinic committed to patients unable to afford private feesThe transfer to personal enhancement has similarly rewarded Nuzhat Khan who takes candidates in training for their personal analysis is part of the teaching faculty and a supervisor for studentsrsquo clinical work mdash ldquoWhat keeps me going is the need to pass on as best I can the invaluable training that was given to me Being with PTRC has taught me it is possible to conduct onersquos life with the same attention and thoughtfulness as one might do in a sessionrdquoVital PTRC initiatives include the Young Peoplersquos Counselling Service mdash a briefer model of four to six sessions addressing immediate concerns of young individuals not ready for longterm psychoanalysis The Infant Mental Health Programme of short therapeutic interventions for children under five also supports parents struggling with practical adjustments to parenthoodDissatisfied with her Economics degree Zarine DrsquoMonte qualified in Psychology worked with a paediatric neurologist and signed up with PTRC While enjoying analysis with children and adults she finds teaching the Infant Observation course most fulfilling Trainees observe a mother and newborn interact over two years ldquoThe motherrsquos capacity to emote with her baby anticipating every need is fascinating There can be misattunement between them too But as the British psychoanalyst DW Winnicott said As long as there is a good enough motherrdquoDrsquomontersquos wish list for PTRC prioritises motherinfant work even setting up motherinfant clinics ldquoIndividual personality forms in infancy In the earliest interaction between mother and infant the latter learns about relationships This relationship is a template to those that follow It is almost prophylactic work Prevention is better than curerdquoPractitioners unequivocally assert that psychoanalysis cuts into the heart of difficulty treating underlying problems not merely symptoms Ismail says ldquoThere is something very real and true about psychoanalysis The setting is structured but the free association gives patients a space to emote their feelings Meeting four to five times a week allows continuity in the thinking that allows patient and therapist to work closelyrdquoAnother training analyst and training supervisor with the Mumbai Chapter of the IPS Gouri Salvi says ldquoThe lsquotoo frequentrsquo sessions mdash intensive analysis mdash are perhaps not necessary for all yet make significant improvements in a number of cases Working through emotional difficulties at an early age makes adult life much easier to navigaterdquo Now living in Goa Salvi qualified here as a child and adult psychoanalyst Bringing out the PTRC newsletter since its inception she will be handing it over to a younger editorial teamEvery year an influx of bright curious students from diverse backgrounds brings fresh energy and perspectives A qualified student of the IPS becomes a member of the IPA The practice of psychoanalysts and the Mumbai Chapterrsquos training programmes going online during COVID opened up access to patients and aspiring students outside the city No longer a taboo topic mental health is spoken about freely The need for its services has peaked postpandemicManju Mukhi oversees counselling programmes extended to city institutions like Cardinal Gracias High School Alexandra Girlsrsquo School and Sir Cowasjee Jehangir School Therapists conduct workshops with extremely distressed underprivileged children Highlighting how psychoanalysis art and myth are related the Continuing Professional Development Cell organises events which students analysts and the public attend PTRC students present short papers to assess art film and literature through a psychoanalytic lensldquoOur PTRC training is as great as any internationallyrdquo says Bhatia adding ldquoI used to believe interpretations had to be brilliant to be effective Patients have taught me that the simplest most ordinary observation can open up a whole inner worldrdquoReach PTRC on 9321834505May 6The day Freud was born in 1856 in Freiberg Moravia Czech RepublicAuthorpublisher Meher Marfatia writes fortnightly on everything that makes her love Mumbai and adore Bombay You can reach her at mehermarfatiamiddaycomwwwmeher marfatiacomatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params