L'uso del lettino nella psicoanalisi contemporanea: revisione della letteratura e una ricerca empirica

Use of the couch in contemporary psychoanalysis: review of the literature and an empirical research. After a review of psychoanalytic approaches to the use of the couch in analytic practice, the authors present an empirical research on a sample of Italian analysts from the main institutes and associations (SPI, CIPA, AIPA, AIPsi, AIPP, ISIPSé, SIPRe, ASP). Psychoanalysts were asked to answer a questionnaire (Psychoanalytic Couch Questionnaire [PCQ]) aimed at investigating: (a) sociodemographic characteristics; (b) theoretical and clinical models; (c) attitude toward the couch in the analytic setting. The findings of this reseaech show that: (a) most analysts do not consider the couch as essential to their analytic practice; (b) their clinical approach to the couch is more influenced by their educational background than by their theoretical membership; (c) the rigorous adhesion to the technical tenet of the couch clearly distinguishes classical analysts (SPI, AIPP) from post-classical (ISIPSé, SIPRe, ASP) and junghian (AIPA, CIPA) analysts. [KEY WORDS: couch, psychoanalytic technique, theory of technique, research, Italy]