Psychoanalysts





The stereotyped image of the psychoanalyst as a rather authoritarian figure has been replaced by any number of presentations of self. Most people have not been in a psychoanalyst’s office and have preconceptions of what it is like and how a psychoanalyst looks. These preconceptions are often fueled by how the profession has been portrayed in film and theater. The photographs in this book show actual psychoanalysts and their places of work.



At first glance the viewer may be drawn to the similarity in the images. Overall, however, these images show diversity and self-disclosure if one looks closely. Moreover, these images show how Freud’s notion of a “ blank screen” is a myth. How each person presents him or herself is revealed to the viewer and hence to the patient. This includes facial expression, body language, manner of dress, seating arrangement and nuances of the office setting including the dimensions of warm and cold, formal and informal.



None of the “Patients” (legs and feet) are actual patients.