Patricia McCarthy – A Question of Research for Psychoanalysis, The Health Service and The University
 
THE LETTER 38 (Autumn 2006) pages 71-80
 
Introduction
 
I am not in a position to address my original topic The state of the transference today at The Freud 150 event because of a change of circumstance. However Barry O’Donnell has prevailed upon me to talk about the question of research as it applies to Psychoanalysis, the Health Service and the University. This is in the context of my recent appointment as Director of the School of Psychotherapy at St. Vincent’s University Hospital and UCD. For the moment, I cannot afford to dwell too much on the fact that technically I am succeeding Cormac Gallagher as Director of the School, simply because I feel like I have been thrown in at the deep end and have to thrash about a bit in order to take my bearings in relation to changes that are unfolding about us. Cognisant as I am of these changes purely as they impinge on the practice of psychoanalysis, they are taking place not only in the University but in the Health Service with both of these domains also having an influence on each other.