Leading articles

THE VIENNA PSYCHOANALYST wants to give not only already internationally established psychoanalysts, but also still unknown psychoanalysts the opportunity to post a self-written and not yet published article on the FrontPage of our online magazine!

Our Users then can leave comments, ask questions or discuss the articles in our forum. Our aim is to provide an international platform where for the first time anyone interested in psychoanalysis can exchange ideas on certain topics.
Articles are welcome in German and/ or English.

If you are interested, please send your article to
leadingarticle@theviennapsychoanalyst.at


(For reasons of readability, the male form is used with personal names, however the female form is also always intended.)

In our interview series "in conversation with“, we will briefly present the authors of the leading articles. We want to give our users the opportunity to read the leading article from a different point of view.


This week we are very glad to welcome Alfred Pritz:

Born October 31, 1952 in St. Lorenzen near Scheifling in Styria, Austria.
Studies in psychology, psychopathology and pedagogy in Salzburg.
Full professor and rector at the Sigmund Freud University Vienna.
Secretary General of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP);
President of the World Council for Psychotherapy;
Author and editor of 20 books of psychotherapy, such as dictionary of psychotherapy, Springer, 2000, Globalized Psychotherapy, Facultas., 2002; Intoxication without drugs, Springer, 2009, etc.



DWP: What brought you to psychoanalysis?

Alfred Pritz: Curiosity and my own psychological strain when I was 19.


DWP: If you had the opportunity to talk with Sigmund Freud, what would be the topic?
Are there any specific questions?

Alfred Pritz: Today, I would discuss with him the main social problem that I see; namely the trouble in the channeling of aggressiveness.


DWP: Fabric or leather couch?

Alfred Pritz: Is a matter of taste.


DWP: According to Bruno Bettelheim and the importance of fairy tales in childhood. Will you tell us your favorite fairy tale? And do you see parallels to your own adult life?

Alfred Pritz: My favorite fairy tale is the legend "Parzival", in which I’m mentioned.


DWP: I dream,….

Alfred Pritz: I often have bad dreams. But nightmares are also very informative.


DWP: What do you find good or particularly good in psychoanalysis and is there anything you do not like about it?

Alfred Pritz: Well, I think the basic reflexive attitude to life is good. Very good, I find that it helps many people existentially if it is exercised properly, so not only a thinking and discourse process alone but connected with humanity and warmth.


DWP: What challenges did you have to face during your analytic training?

Alfred Pitz: To believe in theories in which oneself doesn´t believe and getting rid of this disbelief, and in a balanced process, to internalize and externalize these theories.


DWP: Do you have a favorite Freud - quote?

Alfred Pritz: “The ego is not master in its own house.”


Thank you very much for this conversation, we are already looking forward to your leading article!