I. MISSION
The working style of the Psychoanalytic School reveals itself through its teaching, and there is a necessary connection between the theory of the treatment direction and the structures created within the association to sustain the transmission of psychoanalysis and the dissemination of psychoanalytic knowledge.
Speaking about psychoanalysis directly relates to the legacy left to psychoanalysts by Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan. They bequeathed to us an unassailable conviction that psychoanalysis is needed by the world and is needed by man.
There is no separation in this matter: as a result of the Möbius strip, we have a continuity between psychoanalysis and its intention and the dissemination of psychoanalysis. We believe that teaching psychoanalysis must be connected with one's own analysis and the dissemination of analysis.
Our task is to establish this continuity with the dissemination of psychoanalysis. Sinthome serves as a bridge between intention and dissemination. Both fall within the School's competence because it is the place where theory arising from practice is developed.
II. MEMBERSHIP
PASSEWhile presenting his plan for founding the École freudienne de Paris (EFP), Jacques Lacan said that those joining do not have to align themselves with it entirely. "It is not about the number of followers, but about determined workers, of whom [their existence] I now know." Elsewhere, he referred to the unconscious itself as the ideal worker. Thus, expressing in this way the Ideal-I, which we embraced fifty-nine years later, and decided that the only way to enter the School is through the passe, placing our trust in the unconscious as the means of recruiting and appointing our Members.
We consider the guarantees arising from the "pass" (fr. passe) as decisive when choosing a candidate for a School Member rather than a person's more or less complex predispositions, such as character traits, education, or mental health status. In psychoanalysis, there is no criterion of "normality" or being sufficiently prepared. This stems from the very nature of psychic conflict, in which the dimension of the divided subject emerges through the presence of the unconscious and logical time as a sign of anticipated certainty, following Lacan further.
Thus, if you have experience with your own analysis and are wondering whether you could become an analyst or already practice and seek support for your work, familiarize yourself with the mechanisms of the passe to begin the process of admission to the School. If, on the other hand, you have not undergone your analysis but find Lacanian psychoanalytic theory appealing, we encourage you to visit our Clinic, participate in open meetings, and... solve crosswords!
Jacques Lacan, Opening of the meeting in Caracas, July 12, 1980
IV. HISTORY
The subject, as long as desire stands behind it, is present in discourse long before birth. In our case, Krzysztof Pawlak's desire was decisive. Tracing how this desire was realized, one can observe the path to establishing the School and its subsequent fate.
ARE YOU A PSYCHOANALYST?
Krzysztof Pawlak is 31 years old and has been undergoing analysis with Zbigniew Sokolik for almost five years. On a daily basis, he works at the Department of Sexology and Interpersonal Relations in Warsaw. Just before Christmas, he receives a phone call from Barbara Gorczyca with a question and an invitation to next year's Polish-French days at the Paris Ecole de la Cause Freudienne (ECF). Barbara Gorczyca, a French psychoanalyst of Polish origin, is currently in Krakow as a guest of Jerzy Aleksandrowicz, along with Roland Broca.
POLISH-FRENCH DAYS
Polish-French days are held in Paris, attended by a Polish delegation consisting of psychoanalysts: Krzysztof Pawlak and Czesław Dziekanowski, as well as several therapists from the Jerzy Aleksandrowicz Center for Neurotic Disorders Treatment. For the first time, French Lacanists start talking about "investing" in Poland. Already in autumn, a Belgian, Maurice Krajzman, comes to Poland with Barbara Gorczyca and becomes the Polish group of Lacanists' supervisor and later Pawlak's supervisor.
UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW
Krzysztof Pawlak begins teaching at the Institute of Psychology, University of Warsaw.
TRANSLATION OF FUNCTION AND FIELD
While the Round Table talks are underway in Warsaw, Barbara Gorczyca, Krzysztof Pawlak, and Arnold Pawelski, among others, undertake the first translation of Jacques Lacan's work "Function and Field of Speech and Language in Psychoanalysis" into Polish in Zakopane.
Alina Henzel-Korzeniowska opens her practice in Nowa Huta, Krakow. For Krzysztof Pawlak and Arnold Pawelski, this becomes an opportunity to promote psychoanalysis. Thus, the Krakow Research Group "Impuls Psychoanalityczny" is formed. In July, during the VI Rencontre Internationale du Champ Freudien, Krzysztof Pawlak and Zbigniew Sokolik are guests of Paul and Eugenie Lemoine. During a breakfast at the Richelieu Palace, a plan for developing Lacanian psychoanalysis in Poland is outlined.
● Lacanists conquer the East [link to the article]
THE FIRST ARTICLE
In the monograph "New Phenomena in Psychotherapy," edited by Maria Lis-Turlejska, the first article on Lacanian psychoanalysis in Poland is published. The author is Krzysztof Pawlak, and the title is "Psychoanalysis according to Jacques Lacan" ("Psychoanalysis according to Jacques Lacan").
TRANSLATION OF SEMINAR XI
Among the people attending Krzysztof Pawlak's seminar in Krakow, work begins on translating Jacques Lacan's "The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis." Alongside Pawlak, Barbara Kowalów and Robert Andruszko collaborate on the text.
The group from Krakow and Poznan travels to the VIII Rencontre du Champ Freudien. Colette Soler is the supervisor of the Polish delegation in Paris.
FREUDIAN PERSPECTIVE
The Psychoanalytic Society "Freudian Perspective" is established, bringing together groups from Krakow, Poznan, and the organizing community from Warsaw, centered around the students of Krzysztof Pawlak. In total, there are about 50 people! In the bulletin published by the Perspective, alongside translations of Jacques Lacan's works, one can find texts by Riccardo Carrabino, Janusz Kotara, and Bogdan Wolf. In June, Riccardo Carrabino visited Poland for the first time, invited by Krzysztof Pawlak to conduct his first two-week seminar.
DISRUPTION OF THE FREUDIAN PERSPECTIVE
During the conference organized by the Freudian Perspective group at the "Forum" hotel, a delegation from L'École Européenne de Psychanalyse - Développement (EEP-D) arrives, including Carole Dewambrechies from Belgium and Riccardo Carrabino from Italy. As a result of R. Carrabino's proposal to the members of the Perspective on the second day of the congress, the First Autumn Scientific Days of the Krakow Circle take place in October, establishing an affiliation with EEP-D. At the request of students led by Łukasz Mokrosiński, Krzysztof Pawlak starts rebuilding the structures in Warsaw and Krakow.
PAWLAK’S PASSE
In May, after four years of efforts, Krzysztof Pawlak completes his passe in L'Association Mondiale de Psychanalyse / World Association of Psychoanalysis (AMP/WAP) in Paris. The positive outcome leads to his delegation to the psychoanalytic community in Greece... probably due to the somewhat "antique" nature of his analysis, as stated in the verdict of the Cartel-Passe.
● Correspondence scans
EPFCL
In the process of forming the association, Sinthome establishes cooperation with the Ecole de Psychanalyse des Forums du Champ lacanien (EPFCL), an association founded by Colette Soler after she departed from Ecole de la Cause Freudienne (ECF) in 1998.
SINTHOME
On March 2nd, the founding meeting of the Sinthome - Lacanian Psychoanalysis Group (SGPL) association occurs. Nineteen founding members attend it, and the list of offices includes eight names. Anna Wojakowska-Skiba becomes the first chairperson of the newly established association. The French EPFCL mentors Sinthome, and SGPL becomes its Polish Forum.
EDUCATIONAL STUDY
On September 26-27, the first classes of the three-year Training Program established by Sinthome occur. The curriculum for the first year of Study includes an introduction to humanistic studies and selected topics in psychiatry and pharmacotherapy. The second year provides an introduction to theory and a discussion of fundamental psychoanalytic concepts. The program of the third year of the Study assumes the discussion of the innovative Lacanian classification of clinical structures concerning classical nosology.
SINTHOME DISRUPTION
On June 26, due to intense internal tensions within the Group, most of the core leadership members resign from their positions and leave the association, establishing the Polish Forum of Lacanian Fields (FPPL) on that day. The remaining members, under the guidance of Stefan Gabler, Przemysław Szubartowicz, and Sławomir Żukowski, decide to work independently from that moment on, implementing the principle of not favoring any particular approach to gaining knowledge in the field of Lacanian psychoanalysis.
BASIC COURSE
On September 17, as part of the newly established School for the Formation of Psychoanalysts (SFP), the Basic Course begins. The program is inspired by the Basic School, a five-year training cycle developed by Corpo Freudiano Escola de Psicanalise from Brazil, part of the association network Convergencia. The functioning style of SFP itself is based on the Lacanian training model derived from ancient traditions, as well as the rules established and followed in the Lacanian School of Psychoanalysis (LSP) in Berkeley, and the general principles of the School's functioning within the NLS (New Lacanian School).
COVID
The pandemic and the consequent shift to a fully remote mode bring an intensification of activities and significant changes in thinking about the subjectivity of the School. Tomasz Dubis becomes the association's chairman and, together with Krzysztof Pawlak and Szymon Stoczek, forms a new Board, undertaking the task of reforming the association and the School.
THE SCHOOL
The transition from Group to School becomes symbolized, initiated by establishing the School of Psychoanalyst Formation (SFP), which is a part of the association but possesses a distinct identity, regulations, authorities, and even membership. From this year onwards, we operate under the name "Sinthome - Lacanian School of Psychoanalysis".
PASSE
We are conducting the first passe in Poland. Following the Lacanian principle, authorizing ourselves and facing the Other in the accreditation procedure of School Members planned for next year.
● Ac(t)creditation
V. GENEALOGY
Since we have already come into existence, it is important to realize to ourselves and others where we have emerged from and where we derive ourselves. For the psychoanalytic movement, "succession" and the transmission of the mission of promoting psychoanalysis are significant matters. Is there something to promote? And what about "succession"? Does the psychoanalytic movement pass down the Holy Grail of psychoanalysis to generations of psychoanalysts? This matter will forever remain open for discussion. One thing we know for sure is that the Holy Grail of psychoanalysis is the mystery of Freud's desire, also known as the analytic desire. Does Sinthome have a connection with Freud? And Lacan? One can find out by following the graph below.
By using a continuous line →, we indicated the direction of transmitting psychoanalysis through personal analysis, and with a dashed line ⇢, we represented the vector of supervision. The fields of our School members were filled with black color. Last update: March 2023.
VI. VISITORS
We had the honor of hosting such distinguished guests as Elisabeth Roudinesco, Renata Salecl, Colette Soler, Luis Izcovich, Bruce Fink, Stuart Schneiderman, Marco Antonio Coutinho Jorge, Alain Didier-Weill, as well as Paola Mieli from Après-Coup Psychoanalytic Association in New York and Raul Moncayo from Lacanian School of Psychoanalysis in Berkeley, California, and many others.