Freudian School of Melbourne
| Freudian School of Melbourne (FSM) | |
|---|---|
| Organization details | |
| Type | School of Lacanian Psychoanalysis |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder(s) | Oscar Zentner, María Inés Rotmiler de Zentner |
| Key figures | Oscar Zentner |
| Orientation | Lacanian ("Pure Psychoanalysis") |
| Institutional context | |
| Predecessor | Founded with Lacan's personal encouragement |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Relation to IPA | None |
| Operations | |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia |
| Geographic scope | Australia |
| Training function | Seminars, Analysis |
| Publications | Papers of the Freudian School of Melbourne |
| Website | [fsom.org.au |
| Freudian School of Melbourne | |
|---|---|
| Organization details | |
| Type | School |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder(s) | Oscar Zentner, María-Inés Rotmiler de Zentner |
| Orientation | Lacanian |
| Institutional context | |
| Affiliation | Autonomous (Independent) |
| Operations | |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia |
| Website | www.fsom.org.au |
The Freudian School of Melbourne (FSM) is an autonomous psychoanalytic school based in Melbourne, Australia. Established in 1977, it is the first Lacanian school to be founded in the English-speaking world. Dedicated to the training of analysts and the transmission of psychoanalysis, the School is oriented by the teachings of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan.
The FSM distinguishes itself by its strict adherence to the institutional devices invented by Lacan, specifically the Cartel and the Pass (la passe), which it utilizes to interrogate the end of analysis and the qualification of the analyst.
History
- Foundation
The Freudian School of Melbourne was founded in 1977 by the Argentine psychoanalysts Oscar Zentner and María-Inés Rotmiler de Zentner, who had emigrated to Australia earlier that year due to the political instability and "Dirty War" in Argentina. Prior to their arrival, the Zentners were members of the Escuela Freudiana de Buenos Aires (EFBA), founded by Oscar Masotta.
The School was established with the specific aim of introducing Lacanian psychoanalysis to the English-speaking world, operating independently of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), which held hegemony over Australian psychoanalysis at the time. Its founding statutes were modeled on those of Lacan's École Freudienne de Paris (EFP), emphasizing a return to the ethical and clinical foundations of Freud's discovery.
- Institutional Development and Splits
In 1992, the founders Oscar Zentner and María-Inés Rotmiler de Zentner resigned from the School they had established. Their resignation letter, published in Volume 13 of the Papers of the Freudian School of Melbourne (1992), marked a significant moment in the institution's history. Despite this departure, the FSM continued its operations, maintaining its specific Lacanian orientation.
The School has navigated the complex landscape of Lacanian psychoanalysis in Australia, coexisting with other organizations such as the Australian Centre for Psychoanalysis (ACP), which was established in 1986. Unlike the ACP and other local groups, the FSM has remained institutionally autonomous, declining affiliation with major international federations such as the World Association of Psychoanalysis (WAP).
Institutional Structure
The institutional structure of the Freudian School of Melbourne is designed to avoid the bureaucratization of knowledge and to sustain the "psychoanalytic discourse." It operates through a distinction between the Directorate (administrative governance) and the School (epistemic and clinical formation).
- Membership Grades
The FSM designates specific titles to its members based on their relationship to the School and their clinical formation:
- Member of the School (M.F.S.M.): Those who participate in the work of the School.
- Analyst Member of the School (A.M.F.S.M.): Practitioners whose formation and practice are recognized by the School.
- Analyst of the School (A.S.F.S.M.): A title designated through the procedure of the Pass. This title is equivalent to the French Analyste de l'École (AE) and signifies that the analyst has provided testimony of the end of their analysis and the passage from analysand to analyst.
- The Cartel
The Cartel is the primary organ of work within the School. Following Lacan's "Founding Act" of 1964, a cartel consists of four members (plus-one) who meet to elaborate on a specific psychoanalytic text or concept. The "Plus-One" (le plus-un) is responsible for supervising the work, ensuring it does not devolve into group psychology, and provoking a product from each member.
- The Pass
The FSM is one of the few schools in the English-speaking world to fully implement the procedure of the Pass (The Pass). This device was introduced by Lacan in his "Proposition of 9 October 1967" to investigate the moment of the "pass" from analysand to analyst. The procedure involves:
- The Passand (passant): The analysand who requests the pass.
- The Passers (passeurs): Two analysands in the pass, chosen by their analysts, who hear the testimony of the passand.
- The Jury of Nomination: A committee that receives the testimony from the passers (without meeting the passand) and decides on the nomination to the rank of Analyst of the School (A.S.F.S.M.).
Training and Transmission
The formation of a psychoanalyst at the FSM is not based on a university curriculum but rests on the tripod of:
- **Personal Analysis:** The candidate's own psychoanalysis.
- **Supervision** (Control): Clinical supervision of cases.
- **Work in the School:** Participation in seminars, cartels, and clinical presentations.
The School organizes regular seminars, clinical days, and an annual "Homage to Lacan." It also hosts visiting analysts from Europe and Latin America to foster international exchange.
- Publications
The School maintains a robust publishing record, essential for the transmission of its work:
- Papers of the Freudian School of Melbourne: The School's flagship printed journal, publishing clinical and theoretical texts by members and international contributors. It is one of the longest-running Lacanian journals in English.
- écritique: An electronic journal (e-journal) launched to provide wider access to contemporary psychoanalytic writing and the School's "letters."
Notable Members
- **Oscar Zentner**: Co-founder (resigned 1992).
- **María-Inés Rotmiler de Zentner**: Co-founder (resigned 1992).
- **Rodney Kleiman**: A long-serving Co-Director and Analyst of the School (deceased 2024).
- **Linda Clifton**: Former Director and Analyst of the School.
- **David Pereira**: Analyst of the School and frequent contributor to its publications.
- **Michael Plastow**: Psychoanalyst and editor of écritique.
See Also
References
- Lacan, J., Founding Act, 1964.
- Zentner, O., "The cultivation of the hatred of knowledge", in Papers of the Freudian School of Melbourne, Vol. 1.
- Papers of the Freudian School of Melbourne, Volumes 1–26.