The Pathology of Democracy

On Wednesday 8 October 2003, the French National Assembly passed a bill intended to regulate, for the first time, the practice of psychotherapy in France. Moved by Bernard Accoyer, the purpose of the legislation was to restrict the practice of psychotherapy to psychiatrists and clinical psychologists; it would effectively no longer be legal for any other practitioners, including psychoanalysts, to practice in the sphere of mental health. This volume contains Jacques-Alain Miller's letter to Bernard Accoyer, opposing the bill. Contributions from Bernard Burgoyne and Russell Grigg are also included, examining the implications of such a bill for France and for elsewhere.