The psychoanalytic internship in an Emergency Room: An integrative function

Abstract

The authors retrace the intervention conducted through their internship in the emergency room of a Roman hospital, wondering how psychoanalytic psychotherapy can help with the current problems in the emergency department. The report will introduce cases and situations that represent a critical issue in the relationship between the department and its clients, developing a proposal for supplementary psychological function focused on symbolic de – reification of the problems and on the process of interpretation of what is happening in the relationship between, health providers, patients and families. The paper wants to build up literature about psychological function in the new setting of the intervention, bearing witness to the scientific community about the psychology’s efficacy in the host activities of the emergency department and more generally in organizational contexts that don’t provide a psychological function integrated in their act. From their experience, the authors propose reflections about models and methods of psychoanalytic intervention in organizational contexts.