MIGRATION ABROAD FOR TRAINING AND TRAINING BY SHUTTLE ANALYSIS
(Abstract)

Stasė Meškauskienė (Lithuania)

My presentation focuses on different ways of gaining psychoanalytical education. The topic is framed by my personal experience in studying psychoanalysis abroad and afterwards working as an analyst for number of “shuttle” analysands from East European countries.

In Lithuania as in many East European countries no analytical traditions were established until the Second World War. After incorporation in the Soviet  Union  in 1940 all possibilities for psychoanalytical education were ceased although psychotherapeutic  methods were practiced and highly estimated. Due to enthusiasm of the local specialists and support from European Psychoanalytical Federation and Finnish Psychoanalytical Society in 1990 the group of specialists went to Helsinki (Finland) for full analytical training. This outstanding project required enormous efforts – to move from homeland loosing all positions here, taking families together and starting a new life in foreign country. Adaptation to external reality required much energy and strength. Coming back after six years abroad was also marked by many problems and unexpected difficulties.

Another  way to gain psychoanalytical education, as an alternative to long term emigration, is training in “shuttle” format . The method ,which historically was used in Freud’s time and episodically in later decades,   was accepted by the IPA for East European candidates due  to  peculiarities of external circumstances in this area. Unusual analytical setting in extreme “shuttle” life situation arises many problems, doubts and questions.  Psychoanalytical process is colored by repeating  traumatic separations, long pauses between visits and minimum of common shared reality.  The interplay between external and internal reality  gives specific character to transference fantasies and  some defense mechanisms. The comparison of two periods (until 2002 and after 2002, when the PIEE was established ) shows the influence  of the PIEE on inner dynamics of  candidates.