Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research

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Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research
Organization details
TypeTraining Institute and Registered Charity
Founded1985
Founder(s)Bice Benvenuto, Bernard Burgoyne, Richard Klein, Darian Leader
OrientationLacanian and Freudian
Institutional context
AffiliationUnited Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
Operations
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Geographic scopeNational (UK)
Training functionClinical Training Programme (4+ years)
PublicationsJCFAR, The CFAR Library (Book Series)
Websitecfar.org.uk


The Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research (CFAR) is a psychoanalytic training organization and registered charity based in London. Founded in 1985, it is one of the primary institutions for Lacanian psychoanalysis in the United Kingdom.

CFAR is dedicated to the study, practice, and transmission of psychoanalysis within a framework that integrates the classical teachings of Sigmund Freud with the innovations of Jacques Lacan. Unlike institutes affiliated with the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) or the World Association of Psychoanalysis (WAP), CFAR operates as an independent organization. It is a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), authorized to accredit psychoanalysts for professional registration in the UK.[1]

History

Context and Origins

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the reception of Lacan's work in the English-speaking world was largely confined to university departments (literary theory, film studies) rather than clinical institutions. The British psychoanalytic establishment, dominated by the British Psychoanalytical Society (Independent, Kleinian, and Contemporary Freudian groups), was largely resistant to Lacanian technique.

Founding (1985)

CFAR was founded in 1985 by a group of psychoanalysts and scholars who sought to establish a rigorous clinical training program based on Lacan's teaching, outside the IPA. The founding members were:

  • Bice Benvenuto, translator of Lacan's Seminars and co-author of The Works of Jacques Lacan (1986).
  • Bernard Burgoyne, a mathematician and psychoanalyst known for his work on Lacan's topology.
  • Richard Klein, a key figure in the transmission of Lacanian theory in the UK.
  • Darian Leader, a prolific author and analyst who later became a primary public voice for Lacanian analysis in Britain.[2]

The Centre was established as a charity with the specific aim of advancing public education in psychoanalysis and providing low-cost treatment to the community.

Organizational Structure

CFAR is governed by a Management Committee and a Board of Trustees, reflecting its status as a registered charity in the UK.

Affiliation

While deeply rooted in the Lacanian orientation, CFAR maintains institutional independence. It is not a component school of the World Association of Psychoanalysis (WAP) (whose UK affiliate is the London Society of the New Lacanian School), nor is it part of the International Lacanian Association (ALI). It functions as a "College" within the Psychoanalysis and Jungian Analysis Section of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

Training and Formation

The Centre offers a tiered structure of psychoanalytic education, emphasizing that the formation of an analyst is not merely academic but requires personal transformation.

Clinical Training Programme

The core of CFAR's activity is its Clinical Training Programme, which typically lasts a minimum of four years. The requirements generally align with UKCP standards while maintaining specific Lacanian devices:

  • Personal Analysis: Trainees must be in personal analysis with a UKCP-registered analyst (or equivalent) for the duration of the training, at a frequency of at least twice a week.
  • Supervision: Clinical work must be supervised by approved supervisors.
  • Seminars: A curriculum covering Freud's case histories, Lacan's Écrits and Seminars, technique, and psychopathology.
  • Clinical Papers: Submission of theoretical and clinical papers demonstrating the trainee's grasp of analytic ethics and technique.

Institutional Devices

While CFAR utilizes standard educational structures (seminars, lectures), it also integrates specific Lacanian institutional forms:

  • The Cartel: Following Lacan's "Founding Act" of 1964, CFAR encourages the formation of cartels—small study groups of four members plus a "Plus-One" (le plus-un)—to facilitate work on specific texts or clinical problems.[3]
  • The Pass: Unlike WAP schools (like the NLS or ECF), CFAR does not use the Pass (la passe) as the formal institutional mechanism for membership or authorization. Instead, authorization is granted through the approval of the Training Committee based on the completion of the clinical training requirements and the candidate's readiness for independent practice.

Key Concepts and Orientation

CFAR's theoretical orientation is characterized by a "Return to Freud" through the lens of Lacan. Key emphases include:

  • The centrality of speech and language in the analytic cure.
  • The distinction between the Subject of the Unconscious and the Ego.
  • The use of variable length sessions (scansion), though adapted to the UK regulatory context.
  • A strong focus on Lacanian topology (knots, mathemes) and clinical structures (neurosis, psychosis, perversion).
  • An engagement with contemporary pathologies (anorexia, addiction, depression) distinct from the medical or DSM models.

Publications

CFAR is a significant publisher of Lacanian texts in English, playing a crucial role in the dissemination of the "Freudian Field."

  • JCFAR (Journal of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research): The centre's official peer-reviewed journal, publishing clinical papers, translations of French texts, and book reviews.[4]
  • The CFAR Library: A book series published in association with Routledge (formerly Karnac). This series includes translations of major seminars and original works by members. Notable titles include works on Autism, Obsessional Neurosis, and Feminine Sexuality.

Notable Members

  • Darian Leader – Founding member, author of What is Madness? and The New Black.
  • Bice Benvenuto – Founding member.
  • Bernard Burgoyne – Founding member, emeritus professor of psychoanalysis.
  • Anouchka Grose – Analyst and writer.
  • Alan Rowan – Long-time contributor to JCFAR.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ CFAR Clinical Training Programme. Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
  2. ↑ Leader, D. (2003). Freud's Footnotes. Faber & Faber.
  3. ↑ Lacan, J. (1964). "Founding Act of the École Freudienne de Paris".
  4. ↑ JCFAR Official Website.
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