Psychogeography, Psychotherapy and Psychogeotherapy: a critique of containing space in therapeutic work

This thesis offers a critical exploration of the roles played by ideas of space and containment in psychotherapy. A wide range of existing approaches to the notion of therapeutic space in depth psychology are presented (particularly Freudian, post-Freudian, Jungian and post-Jungian perspectives). The dominant models of containment in psychotherapy are then interrogated. The thesis discusses these models from different perspectives, drawing on various disciplines, such as art, social studies, cultural studies and philosophy. Specifically, the thesis aims to employ approaches derived from psychogeography, with a focus on the praxis of ‘aimless walking’, in order to shed new light on classical concepts of therapeutic space and containment in depth psychology and psychotherapy. It is asked whether and how we can progress to consider alternative models of therapeutic space, leading to the proposal of what the author terms ‘psychogeotherapy’. This fresh approach is not offered as an instant solution to the problems noted with existing approaches, nor are such approaches inappropriately dismissed. A feature of the thesis is its analysis of various psychogeographical personal testimonies. The thesis is to be considered not only a critical piece of writing, but also a fresh and creative account of the work of psychotherapy.