Psychoanalysis and Philosophy in Berlin
The text discusses the motivations behind becoming a psychoanalyst, emphasizing that intentions of healing and understanding typically stem from fantasy, which misaligns with the true role of an analyst. It argues that actual desire for analysis emerges only through personal analytic experience, leading to a novel relation to suffering and desire, independent of moral goals.
Lacan reminds us: love is not necessarily mutual. In analysis, it is the patient who loves, and the analyst who listens. This non-reciprocal love—far from being cold—is what makes psychoanalysis possible. Only by refusing to mirror love can the analyst help transform it, rather than dissolve it.
I’m thrilled to share the release of my new pamphlet with Everyday Analysis, titled "Against Reality.” You can buy it in digital or printed format here. One of the most common misuses of Freud’s notion of the “reality principle” is confusing it with the adaptation of the patient to reality. In doing so, many psychoanalysts… Continue reading Against Reality – A New Pamphlet with Everyday Analysis
I am excited to announce that I will be conducting a three-hour workshop on “Working with Neurodiversity” as part of the Program of Continuing Studies (PCS) at the Freud Lacan Institute in Dublin. 📅 Date: Saturday, June 15⏰ Time: 10:00 - 13:30 Dublin-GMT📍 Location: In-Person and via Zoom The Freud Lacan Institute is a fantastic Dublin-based initiative dedicated… Continue reading Working with Neurodiversity: Freud Lacan Institute Workshop in Dublin
Next week marks the beginning of an extensive seminar on clinical structures in psychoanalysis, a collaboration with Theory Underground. I am very excited about this project, which is designed to distinguish itself both in form and content. I am particularly looking forward to working closely with Dave from Theory Underground. Dave will be assisting me… Continue reading Extensive Seminar on the Clinical Structures
This seminar offers a deep dive into Lacan's psychoanalytic approach. The second installment spans five sessions, covering topics like transference, diagnosis, interpretations, the analyst's desire, and clinical case study building. It's open to all, whether or not they attended the first part. The hybrid format combines in-person and Zoom sessions.
I extend a warm invitation to join my five-part seminar with Parrhesia Berlin taking place in-person and online every week on Wednesdays at 7pm, starting this week. 5 Wednesdays - October 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 7- 9 pm Where: Gerichtstrasse 45, 13347 Berlin-Wedding or Zoom. For tickets. Jacques Lacan, a luminary in the… Continue reading The Psychoanalytic Act in Five Acts: The Direction of Treatment for Lacan
Darren Aronofsky's 2022 film, "The Whale", is a cinematic interpretation of Samuel D. Hunter's stage play of the same name. It delves into the last days in the life of Charlie (played by Brendan Fraser), a morbidly obese English teacher living in self-inflicted isolation. After acknowledging his impending demise due to compulsive eating and self-neglect,… Continue reading The Whale (2022): Film Review and Critique
I'm thrilled to announce that Stephanie Swales will be joining us all the way from Dallas for a series of lectures and workshops in Germany. If you are residing in Berlin or the Ruhr District, this presents a splendid opportunity to attend these events in person. For those based outside Germany, worry not as the… Continue reading Guest in Germany: Stephanie Swales
I want to invite all of those reading this blog in Dublin to join us on Saturday, May 20th for an in-person events, with the possibility of attendance by Zoom for those who can’t make it in person. I was invited by the Freud Lacan Institute (FLi) to give a three-hour hybrid seminar (10-1, Dublin-GMT) on the… Continue reading Talk at FLi (Dublin) – Autism and the Voice
Leon Brenner 