Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the book. The book explores the struggle for the profession as a whole to find ways of thinking and working that incorporate racial difference effectively, by addressing and overcoming the inherent institutionalized racism that is embedded in early psychoanalytic writing as well as in our own cultural makeup. The book highlights the failure of psychoanalysis to face its own truths about issues of race and white racism in the selection and training of psychotherapists and in the delivery of psychotherapy. It describes how difficult and painful as well as how useful it can prove to be if disability is overtly present in the consulting room. The book shows the collection of pieces in which therapists write about their experiences of dealing with situations requiring a deviation from conventional professional practice.