Paper short abstract:

Recent studies show a surge in private psychotherapy in countries like Russia, viewing it as a self-shaping tool. My research at a Russian therapy centre (2021-22) examines how therapists envision social change. I analyse how, amidst the war in Ukraine, therapists seek a new 'therapised' society.

Paper long abstract:

Recent studies indicate a growing popularity of private psychotherapy in various countries, including Russia. Psychotherapy is often seen as a technology of the self, shaping individuals' values, discourse, and behaviour. It is commonly perceived as individualistic, focusing solely on personal experiences and grounded in the mistrust towards social institutions. In this talk, I explore an overlooked aspect of psychotherapy: how psychotherapists envision the social world and possible collective transformation. I approach psychotherapy as a cultural, i.e., meaning-making industry. My ethnographic and interview-based research, conducted at a therapeutic training centre in Russia from 2021 to 2022, reveals a prevalent ideal of a socially transformative ‘therapised’ subject and violence-free sociality. These ideals imply breaking the cycle of violence imposed by the state and family across generations and passing on new attitudes resulting from therapy to future generations as a sort of heritage, ultimately making Russia a ‘normal’, i.e., ‘European’ country. I investigate ethnographically the implications and tensions of pursuing these ideals amidst the major disruptions caused by the pandemic and Russia's war against Ukraine.