There has been a long and distinguished tradition of psychoanalytic involvement in the public sector and, at present, a number of psychoanalysts work in public organisations, principally in the National Health Service, as well as in private practice. The article looks into the differences between these settings. The topic is particularly relevant in an era when psychoanalysis and its applications are under threat alongside increasing fragmentation of services, with the resulting stresses on staff working in pressured environments with complex cases, often without sufficient support and training. The Author explores through theoretical considerations and short clinical sketches how psychoanalytically-informed work can be used alongside other treatment methods, and how health service staff can best be trained and supported.
Keywords: Psychotherapy; Psychoanalysis; Public Service; Setting; Therapeutic Effects