Psychoanalysis and Addiction

Psychoanalyst and author Graeme Daniels continues his reading of passages from his 2019 book, The Psychology of Tommy. In this installment, passages reflect upon the pivotal trauma within the opera's plot, then the adaptive (and not) unfolding of Tommy's affliction via psychosomatic or conversion symptoms, as well as the plainer expression of play.

Also, click here to read a review of Graeme's book by Kirkus magazine

In this 3rd episode about Tommy the rock opera, author and psychoanalyst Graeme Daniels reads from his book, The Psychology of Tommy, covering passages that describe the pivotal plot point of the opera's opening act, which relates themes of insecure narratives, implicit (or unconscious) memory, and the trauma of silenced witnessing

As a bonus, check out this review of Graeme's book from Kirkus Reviews. 

In this episode, author and psychoanalyst Graeme Daniels reads from his 2019 book, The Psychology of Tommy, about the famous 1969 rock opera, providing a social surround of its era, including the backdrop of post-WWII Britain, plus of an overview of relevant attachment theory that have informed interpretations of Tommy. 

In this episode, Graeme Daniels, author and psychoanalyst, marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of an academic paper about the rock opera Tommy, by reading the first chapter from his book The Psychology of Tommy, published in 2019. 

Author and psychoanalyst Graeme Daniels (An Analyst in Training: Psychoanalytic Candidacy Amid Covid and Other Distractions), goes beyond the basics in this rumination upon the concept of informed consent: a legal and ethical premise which decrees that the patient has the right to know what the treatment is such that they can consent to it. But what actually can be shared?

Psychoanalyst and author Graeme Daniels discusses his latest book, An Analyst in Training: Psychoanalytic Candidacy Amid Covid and Other Distractions, comparing its themes to those embedded in cherished novels from the 20th century: Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. 

In this episode, author and psychoanalyst Graeme Daniels reflects on his recent trip to Europe, in which he traveled safely yet not without disruption, and parlays observations into a discussion of Freudian and Lacanian ideas: those of repetition compulsion, "fort-da", the surprise of the "real", and the jouissance within symptoms. 

Author and psychoanalyst Graeme Daniels welcomes guest Eric Miller to talk about psychoanalytic training amid the Covid crisis, controversies relating to DEI, and the dawning of the AI revolution, as written about in Graeme's latest book, An Analyst in Training, published by Bloomsbury. 

Psychoanalyst and author Graeme Daniels reflects on his appearance at this year's American Psychoanalytic Association (Apsa) national meeting in San Francisco: his receiving the 2026 Lee Jaffe award for his paper, "Treatment of a recovering alcoholic with substitute addictions", and his presentation of that paper alongside discussant Dr. Lance Dodes

Author and psychoanalyst Graeme Daniels talks in this episode about program accreditation, training and educational standards in the field of professional psychology, the publishing of ideas--the fraught, much-marketed idea of "expertise"--and gives consumer tips on what to look for seeking mental health treatment