A Psychoanalytic Liberation Psychology: Anti-Capitalist Approaches

Psychoanalytic Liberation Psychology challenges conventional psychological paradigms by developing a radical approach where psychoanalysis meets liberation psychology.

Drawing from his psycho-political work in South Africa, Nick Malherbe articulates how this approach functions as a powerful counterforce to capitalism’s psychological grip on society and individuals. Rather than presenting a definitive framework, this book offers theoretical insights alongside concrete case reflections that illuminate both the generative potential and inherent challenges of this work. Malherbe invites readers to participate in an ongoing dialogue about what psychoanalytic liberation psychology could become.

Psychoanalytic Liberation Psychology creates space for critical discourse about the role of both psychoanalysis and liberation psychology in anti-capitalist social movements. It will be essential reading for psychoanalysts, psychologists, and scholars across disciplines and will provide valuable insights for academics in psychoanalytic studies and psycho-political fields, while remaining accessible to practitioners seeking to integrate liberatory approaches into their work.

Nick Malherbe is a researcher at the Institute for Social and Health Sciences and the South African Medical Research Council at the University of South Africa.