ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I set out to explore Jean-Paul Sartre’s relationship to Freud’s conception of psychoanalysis, especially Freud’s notion of the unconscious and the role of freedom in the clinical encounter. In turn, I explore Freud’s conception of psychic reality and its relation to the unconscious, then Sartre’s critique of the unconscious from a phenomenological perspective, then Sartre’s conception of the emotions and their role in psychic conflict, and finally, I conclude with Sartre’s radical conception of psychic freedom and the question as to whether Freud’s notion of the unconscious is rooted in determinism or, rather, freedom in its essence. I conclude with some comments on how change is possible as an outcome of treatment utilizing Sartre’s conception of freedom.
