The Primacy of Affect

This edited volume features a diverse, eclectic range of voices exploring affect theory in relation to psychotherapy, culture and philosophy.

The 1990s saw the beginning of the affective turn, an important cultural shift which influenced to a considerable degree the arts, politics and culture in general but failed to reach the world of psychotherapy. What would it be like if practices such as psychotherapy took more fully on board the importance of affect? Based on the outcome of a series of seminars led by Manu Bazzano over the course of 2020–2025, this edited volume aims to break new ground by drawing on affect theory, queer and feminist theory, literature and art to outline new ways of practicing psychotherapy and supervision, of doing research and of engaging more creatively and effectively with the political challenges of our time.

The Primacy of Affect: Psychotherapy, Culture, Philosophy will benefit anyone working within or interested in psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, critical theory, contemporary philosophy, politics, the arts and literature.