A version of this manifesto was presented at the Division 39, 42nd Annual Spring Meeting. New York. April 2023

Abstract

The practice and theory of psychoanalysis offer ways to articulate what is happening in the world beyond the confines of the couch. Yet in practice, most of us still remain indoors, operating within our office walls or the bounds of cyberspace. The stoop, however, is an ideal metaphor for psychoanalysis’ place within society: a space that elevates a building and serves as both a gathering spot and a threshold—a blend of the public and private. As Lacan describes, this exemplifies “extimacy,” where the intimate converges with the external. It is a space where inside and outside meet, enabling us to engage with our neighbors and the world around us.

This manifesto introduces psychoanalytic thinkers and projects from around the world that have been “othered,” bringing psychoanalysis beyond the couch and into the streets. I believe that psychoanalysis must step out of the office and onto the stoop, to meet and engage with “neighbors”—theories, paradigms, and approaches that allow it to fulfill its own values.