Psychoanalysis in Changing Organizations

To do justice to the subject of using psychoanalysis to change organizations, it is necessary to explore the history of consulting in organizations. The term consulting is often used in psychoanalysis to refer to a patient’s first encounters with an analyst for the purpose of diagnosis and for arriving at a mutually agreeable recommendation for analysis or therapy. Consulting is also used when an analyst asks a colleague to review the course of treatment as a means of clarifying the dynamics and arriving at a clearer understanding of the treatment. Often in such consultations, counter transferences are involved and impede the progress of the treatment. It is a delicate and worthwhile task to ask for and receive such consultations in the interests of the patient.