ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors begin their discussion by using the lenses of openness, accountability, and integration to help sharpen their perspective on the central themes. Cultural change is essential if the profession is to continue to progress, as marked by increased tendencies toward openness, accountability, and integration. The culture of psychoanalysis became dominated to an unhealthy degree by a communal longing for things to remain as they were, without acceptance of changes that had taken place vis-a-vis theoretical framework, technique, and an understanding of how the profession was perceived by the broader public. The critical thinking that leads to progress in the theory of psychoanalysis can originate from either within the field or, as is often the case, from extra-analytic sources. The emergence of theoretical pluralism has been a distinguishing characteristic of the field of psychoanalysis. The authors revisit some of the dynamics of the profession’s development and conclude with a composite vision of the future of psychoanalysis.
