The Analyst's Advocate
This column was first published in the February 2001 newsletter of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute. Dr. Lynn Friedman began writing for the popular media in 1999. Writing for the Washington Post interactive site, she served as their work-life expert, wrote columns and hosted a monthly online show, "Surviving and thriving at life and work". She served as a columnist for Washingtonjobs.com, a print magazine, and a subsidiary of the Washington Post. She has been actively involved in teaching since 1979, having taught courses and lectured in a wide range of university and medical settings. From 1986-1999, she taught at Carnegie Mellon University. Currently she is on the adjunct faculty of the Organizational Development/Human Resources Management and the Clinical Counseling Programs at Johns Hopkins University. She has a full-time analytic practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland where she specializes in work-life (career) concerns.
How The Analyst Can Become a University Lecturer -- Advocacy for Psychoanalysis
Teaching is one way to heighten public awareness of psychoanalysis. It can
lead to consultative relationships, referrals and opportunities to engage in meaningful research collaborations with non-analytic colleagues. These
activities, when well done, can culminate in visibility, recognition and
credibility. But, where, what and at what level might one teach? How might
those who prefer only to give a few lectures a year proceed? How does one
go about obtaining an adjunct university appointment? How does one
negotiate salary? Prior to arriving on campus, what steps might one take in order increase the likelihood of a favorable reception? And, finally and importantly, how might one "witness" for psychoanalysis? Each will be
addressed in turn.
Where, in the university, can you teach?
Traditionally, psychoanalysts have taught primarily in clinical settings
such as schools of medicine within departments of psychiatry. Or, they have taught in schools of social work or in departments of psychology. While reaching out to these groups is vitally important, we need not limit
ourselves to these traditional venues. In fact, there is every reason to
extend the traditional boundaries of our outreach efforts to embrace a
broader audience. There are many academic arenas in which we can make a
contribution. These include, schools of: public health, public policy,
business, organizational development/human resources, dentistry,
chiropractics, physical therapy, pastoral care, education and law as well as liberal arts departments, such as: literature, drama, sociology, journalism, philosophy, political science, women's studies, African American studies, history and art.
What can you teach?
Analysts can offer expertise in many areas. In particular, two kinds of
expertise stand out: knowledge of theories of human behavior and skill in
communications (i.e. interviewing). Accounting for, and addressing, the
vagaries of human behavior is the focus of many non-clinical departments,
such as drama, history, philosophy and literature. Similarly, teaching
students effective communication and interviewing skills is important to
virtually any discipline that trains students to interact with the public.
For example, those conducting research or seeking information might
greatly benefit from coursework in interviewing, process consultation
and/or communication skills. And, who is better qualified to teach these
courses then a psychoanalyst?
At what level should you teach?
Historically, analysts have taught clinicians primarily at the graduate,
post-graduate and advanced post-graduate levels. Some analysts have the
bias that the higher the educational level the more prestigious the post.
This is unfortunate inasmuch as the earlier we have an impact the more
effective we can be.
The "undergraduate psychology department as a site of advocacy for
psychoanalysis" will be focus of a future column. It should be noted that
teaching at the undergraduate level is important for two reasons. First,
this is a time when students begin to formulate their career plans. Those who
are applying to graduate school must select the
theoretical orientation of their graduate programs. Because psychoanalysis
is not always represented, the best and the brightest may be lured
elsewhere. Second, many undergraduates enter psychology courses to better
understand themselves. Consequently, they may seek treatment as an adjuvant to this experience. In fact, many approach their abnormal psychology professor for referrals. Yet, typically their instructors are not analysts. Consequently, treatment recommendations and decisions are made without any awareness of, or knowledge about, the availability and/or efficacy of psychoanalytic treatments. This is unfortunate in as much as many might find these treatments quite helpful.
Teaching a few lectures
If you are unsure about whether you will enjoy teaching then consider
serving as a guest lecturer. If you know people involved in full-time academia then you might offer to do an interesting guest lecture for a colleague's class.
But, what if you are not connected to anyone in academia? Or, what if you
want to reach out beyond the traditional scope of your discipline? What if
you are a physician who wants to teach undergraduates? Or, what if you are a social worker who wants to teach dentists? Teaching in a discipline outside of your own is a relatively easy goal to achieve.
Decide what university population could benefit from your talk. That is, in what department would you like to lecture? In what course(s)? Obtain a
copy of the course catalogue. Read about the program in which you wish to
teach. Review the text that the students are reading. Pick a topic that
interests you and do a literature review. In bringing people to
psychoanalysis, it is important to be conversant not only with the analytic
literature but also with the literature that that they are assimilating. In that way, you can help students to translate their current theoretical understanding into psychoanalytic terms. Conversely, you can help
students to translate psychoanalytic theory into everyday language. Also,
go to the bookstore and review assigned texts for the course. If your topic will be new to their curriculum then make the case for why your lecture might be useful.
Obtain a listing of faculty within the program. Learn about the faculty
person who is teaching the course in which you would like to lecture.
Anticipate that in order gain entry into the university setting you may have to make 4-5 contacts. One way to accomplish this expeditiously is to contact several faculty teaching the same course either within one
university or across campuses.
Odds are, if you are giving a lecture that will help liberal arts students
to deepen their understanding of human behavior then you will be
well-received. Similarly, if your talk helps students in more applied
disciplines to improve their interactions with customers, clients, research
subjects or patients, then faculty will be eager to incorporate your offering in
their courses.
Obtaining an adjunct appointment
Universities and their individual departments differ markedly in the ways
and the extent to which they use adjunct faculty. If you do not have a
history of teaching at the university level then it is important to
document your effectiveness in this arena. Stellar teaching evaluations,
even from analytic candidates, can provide compelling evidence of your
skill. Also, ask those for whom you have guest lectured to
provide references for you. In fact, when you guest lecture you may want
to garner further testimony of your skill: ask students to complete
evaluations. Establish relationships with those in a position to hire you and make them aware of your availability. In particular, let them know if you are willing to teach if they find themselves "in a pinch". Helping out in this situation is an excellent way to convey your commitment to teaching.
Negotiating Salary
If your primary teaching experience has been at the institute or in medical
schools then you are in for a pleasant surprise. At universities, adjuncts get paid! Albeit this is not a lucrative enterprise, but they do get paid. The
amounts paid vary as a function of the discipline, the school, the
department and the adjunct faculty person. My informal research in the
Washington, D.C. area reveals that adjunct salaries vary from $7500.00 per
course, at some business schools, to $1500.00 per course at some community
colleges. So, if salary is of interest to you then don't discuss it with the
decision maker until you have learned about the salary ranges for adjuncts.
After clarifying that, present yourself as someone by virtue of his/her
experience (i.e. years and years and years of extensive, training) is
seasoned and who, consequently, warrants top pay. If compensation is inconsequential to
you then consider donating the salary to our low fee clinic.
Preparing for your arrival on campus
If the university setting is new to you then it is important to learn as
much as you can about it prior to the start of the semester. Subscribe to
the student newspaper. In this way, you will be aware of some of the
"goings on" on campus. Using case examples from the paper to explicate analytic concepts, you can make the material come alive. Consider
observing a few classes in the department. If you can, talk with full-time
faculty and fellow adjuncts to learn more about the university culture and
mores. Before preparing your syllabus look at the requirements in
comparable courses. Initially, it is a good idea to make your expectations
consistent with those of your colleagues.
"Witnessing for psychoanalysis"
How one goes about extolling the virtues of psychoanalysis is very much a
matter of personal style and taste. Often the ideas that you present will
be compelling and students may approach you to learn about
more comprehensive training in this area. If the interest is great,
consider recommending that the department offer a course on applied
psychoanalysis. Alternatively, you may want to make students aware of the
plethora of continuing education programs both within our institute and
others in the area. Also, consider describing, and even advocating for, our reduced fee clinic.
(c) 2001 Lynn Friedman, Ph.D.
Lynn Friedman, Ph.D. practices in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She can be reached at: (301) 656-9650. She welcomes your input and feedback. Please note, this material is copyrighted and may not be cited without proper attribution.
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