Psychoanalysis and War: On Witnessing Ukrainian Psychoanalysts

Abstract

This contribution serves as an introduction to the special section that features writings by Ukrainian psychoanalysts who have been impacted in their work and their lives by the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Large-scale wars have been significant to the development and changes in psychoanalytic theory and practice since its inception. These articles highlight horrendous challenges and adaptations in psychoanalytic work as well as in the lives of psychoanalysts as human beings amidst the violence of war. Issues such as therapeutic frame, survival, relational dynamics, disclosure, refugee and crisis work, peer supervision, and professional commitments are discussed via both theoretical exploration and case illustration.