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Psychoanalysis & You

Psychoanalysis & You

By: APsA American Psychoanalytic Association
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The official podcast of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA) about psychoanalysis and everyday life, culture, and politics. Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Ep 23 - Polarization with Sue Kolod

    Ep 23 - Polarization with Sue Kolod
    Jun 29 2026

    In episode 23 of Psychoanalysis & You, host Gail Saltz speaks with Sue Kolod, president of the North American Psychoanalytic Confederation and co-leader of the Depolarization Project, about understanding and addressing polarization in our personal and political lives.

    Kolod and Salts discuss what happens when disagreement becomes toxic, like when you dash into a store to avoid walking past a person you fundamentally oppose, and asks what psychoanalysis has to offer in response. Drawing on concepts from Vanik Volkan about "chosen trauma" and "large group identity," she examines why deeply held beliefs feel so personal, and why curiosity about ourselves and others becomes nearly impossible under polarization.

    Through vivid examples—including her own experience with the Boston Conversations Project where pro-life and pro-choice women found unexpected common ground—Kolod illustrates how human connection, empathy, and an understanding of the historical and family experiences shaping our convictions can help us maintain relationships across deep disagreement.

    This episode offers concrete insights into the defense mechanisms (splitting, projection) that drive polarization and explores how leaders and "surprising validators" can create the safety necessary for dialogue.
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    39 mins
  • Ep 22 - Feeling Disorders with Gila Ashtor

    Ep 22 - Feeling Disorders with Gila Ashtor
    Jun 1 2026
    What does it mean to lose touch with your own feelings, even while functioning well in everyday life? In this episode of Psychoanalysis & You, Dr. Gail Saltz speaks with psychoanalyst Dr. Gila Ashtor about what she calls “feeling disorders”—experiences like gaslighting, empty consent, and toxic relationships that reflect a deeper difficulty in accessing and trusting one’s own emotional life. Ashtor explains how many patients today appear high-functioning yet feel disconnected, uncertain, or on “autopilot,” and how this can fall outside traditional diagnostic categories. The discussion explores how modern culture, social media, and therapy trends may reinforce emotional disconnection, and why psychoanalysis aims instead to restore curiosity, emotional range, and a stronger sense of internal experience. The episode also examines gaslighting and “empty consent,” and how subtle relational dynamics can lead people to override their own perceptions without recognizing it at the time. Overall, the conversation focuses on how psychoanalytic work helps people reconnect with their feelings and build a more vivid, internally grounded sense of self.
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    50 mins
  • EP 21 Pathological Narcissism with Diana Diamond

    EP 21 Pathological Narcissism with Diana Diamond
    Apr 27 2026
    What’s the difference between healthy confidence and pathological narcissism? Dr. Gail Saltz is joined by psychoanalyst Diana Diamond to break down how narcissism functions on a spectrum. From everyday self-esteem to more severe forms that disrupt relationships and identity. They explore why pathological narcissism alternates between grandiosity and vulnerability, how it shows up in personal and professional life, and why it has historically been difficult to treat. Diamond also discusses a psychoanalytic treatment approach that shows promise, along with the broader cultural forces—from social media to leadership dynamics—that may be amplifying narcissistic traits today. At its core, the conversation returns to this: lasting well-being is grounded less in status or admiration, and more in the capacity for genuine relationships. Diana Diamond is a psychoanalytic clinician, professor, and researcher. Dr. Diamond specializes in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and supervision. In her private practice, she treats patients who are experiencing conflicts around normative life cycle transitions (e.g., puberty, marriage, parenthood) and who have difficulties with intimacy, identity formation, and goal definition. She also works with patients with severe problems in interpersonal functioning and self- and affect-regulation. She also treats couples and families. Her general therapeutic orientation is informed by contemporary psychoanalytic object relations theory, which integrates the contributions of attachment theory and cognitive neuroscience.
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    Less than 1 minute
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