Sara London. The Performance Therapist and Authentic Therapeutic Identity

Sara London. The Performance Therapist and Authentic Therapeutic Identity. 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158, 2024. - p. 119Exploring what it means to be an authentic therapist in the present day, Sara London playfully melds together the tenets of performance art and psychoanalytic theory to advance the hopeful new notion of the performance therapist.In an era where the therapist is now more of a public-facing entity than ever before, developing a sense of who one is both inside and outside of the consulting room is a complex undertaking. In response, London recon- ceptualises the therapist’s identity in a contemporary way, transcending pre-conceived labels, by bringing an understanding of performance art into an analysis of psychotherapeutic practice. Through this interdisciplinary approach, London attends to the complex questions faced by psychoanalysts and psychotherapists in training and practice: can a therapist perform and be authentic? Can a therapist perform and have truly intimate relationships within the confines of that performance? And can a therapist perform as themselves?This provocative and highly original work will provide both new and experienced psychotherapists with an understanding of the clinical and philosophical significance of performance art in cultivating therapeutic identity.Sara London, M.A. is a freelance journalist, author, and satirist- when convenient. She has a graduate degree in a specialized psychoanalytic research program from New York University’s Gallatin School. Additionally, she writes articles about psychology, wellness, pop culture, and the future of work primarily to fund her many hare-brained schemes.