ABSTRACT
Psychoanalysis is an emancipatory and democratizing practice. Psychoanalysis has remained steadily, even increasingly, interested in understanding and providing treatment for pathologies that result from failed environments and failed relationships. If free speech is instrumental to democracy, the government might ensure some basic equality of access of all ideas, groups, and individuals to the "market-place of ideas" by reducing the speech rights of the rich and powerful and increasing those of the weak-voiced. If including more voices in the public conversation is necessary to fulfill the promise of the First Amendment, perhaps then a full recognition of the facilitating power of psychotherapy for silenced, excluded voices might provide a constitutional argument for universal psychotherapy insurance benefits. An emerging space between private and public, invisibility and visibility, silence and speech becomes possible, setting the stage for shared participation and a greater experience of genuine freedom.
