Tobie Nathan

Tobie Nathan (born in 1948) is the most known representative of the Ethnopsychiatrie in France. He is professor with the Université of Paris VIII, diplomat and writer.

Biography

Born in Egypt, in Cairo, in 1948. Studies in France. Doctorate in psychology (1976), arts Doctorate and Social sciences (1983). Successively assistant, then lecturer with the University of Paris XIII, and since 1986, Professor of clinic psychology and pathological to the University of Paris VIII.

Tobie Nathan was interested in the Psychanalyse, then with psychotherapies and the ethnopsychiatrie. One can say that it is one of the most original theorists of psychotherapy. Always concerned with the bonds between psychopathology, practical clinical and social environment, it also has a practice of expertise - he is expert close the Court of Appeal of Paris.

Tobie Nathan created the first consultation of ethnopsychiatrie in France, in 1979, with the service of psychiatry of the child and the teenager of the Hospital Avicenne (Bobigny), then directed by Pr Serge Lebovici - consultation whose principles were taken again by all the other consultations in France and abroad (Quebec, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Brésil, Israel, Tahiti, Réunion).

It founded in 1993 the Center Georges-Devereux, university center of psychological assistance to the migrant families, within the UFR " Psychology, practices clinical and sociales" University of Paris VIII - center which it directed from 1993 to 1999. This center is in France the first university place of psychological private clinic within a UFR or a department of psychology. It gathers, on the campus from the university in Saint-Denis, in the same space a specific private clinic, university research in psychopathology and psychotherapy and the training of the postgraduate students.

With Georges Devereux, it founded, in 1978 the first French-speaking review of ethnopsychiatrie - Ethnopsychiatrica which appeared of 1978 to 1981. Then it founded in 1983 the Nouvelle Review of ethnopsychiatrie which delivered 36 numbers of 1983 to 1998 - with the editions of the wild Thought, in Grenoble.

Since February 2000, it directs a new review, Ethnopsy/the contemporary worlds of the cure, to the Hinderers to think in round, the Threshold, Paris.

From 1996 to 2000, it directed the UFR of " Psychology, practices clinical and sociales" University of Paris VIII.

From January 6th, 2000 to January 31st, 2003, it directed the remote Educational establishment (IED) of the Université of Paris VIII.

From February 2003 in August 2004, it directed the Delegation of the university Agence of the francophonie for Africa of the Big lakes, in Bujumbura (Burundi).

Since September 2004, it is Conseiller of co-operation and cultural activity close the Embassy of France in Israel in Tel-Aviv.

He is also novelist and published five novels and, in collaboration, a play. Presentation of its last novel: My patient Sigmund Freud

Ethnopsychiatrie

detailed Article: Ethnopsychiatrie

Tobie Nathan is an important representative of the ethnopsychiatrie, discipline founded by that which he regarded as his Master, the Psychanalyste Georges Devereux.

The ethnopsychiatrie proposes a new vision of the Psychothérapie and the patient whom she refuses to isolate from her family and cultural universe. The most visible aspect of this practice is the rehabilitation of the “traditional therapies”. To face the problems encountered by the immigrant populations the ethnopsychiatre takes with serious the explanations of the evil, of the disease and about misfortune charged to invisible the nonhuman ones ( such as the djinns , etc) and is concerned with traditional practices of désenvoutement. From its clinical practice, but also from anthropological observations of the traditional therapies, Tobie Nathan drew a general theory from the psychotherapies considered as techniques of influences. Such a theory makes it possible to compare the practices having course in advanced industrial society and those having course in the traditional worlds in their granting same legitimacy.

This approach started some controversies, particularly acute in the particular context of the French company and its attachment to universalism and the integration of the immigrants. Critics thus showed the ethnopsychiatrie to promote a form of cultural relativism which would result in to confine each one in its ethnicity and cultural - without holding account owing to the fact that it is about a therapeutic step Voir here a text which summarizes these questions well.

But the ethnopsychiatrie is not only one discipline intended for the assumption of responsibility of the migrants. It is interested in the attachments of the people and their social investments. Lately, the ethnopsychiatrie insisted much to emphasize the groups of users such as Mediagora (groups of patients suffering from phobia), Autisme France (parents of children reached of infantile autism), AFTOC (Association of patients suffering from Disorders obsessifs and compulsifs), etc… It stressed the importance of such associations to help the therapeutists to refine their methods and to evaluate them with the assistance of the patients. A series of texts giving an account of this innovative step: Psychotherapy its user proof

Major works

Literary texts:

My patient Sigmund Freud, Romance, Paris, Perrin, 2006.
Serial Eater, Romance, Romance Paris, Shores, 2004.
613, , Paris, Odile Jacob, 1999, and Shore-Blacks, Paris, 2004.
with Isabelle Stengers and Lucien Hounkpatin, damnation of Freud , Paris, hinderers to think in round, the Threshold, 1997.
God-Additive , novel, Paris, Shores, 1995.
Saraka Bô, Romance, Paris, Shores, 1993,

Scientific texts (cf lists detailed):

Under the direction of Tobie Nathan, '' the war of the Psychiatrists. '' Proclamation for a democratic psychotherapy . Paris, the Threshold, hinderers to think in round, 2006.
" This is not a psychotherapy… The ethnopsychiatrie in the Center Georges Devereux with Emilie Hermant, in '' the black Book of the psychoanalysis '', to dir. C. Meyer 2005, the Arenas
'' Of the trade with the devils. '' Paris, the Threshold - the hinderers to think in round, 2004.
'' We are not alone in the world '', Paris, the hinderers to think in round, the Threshold, 2001.
'' pagan Psychanalyse. Tests ethnopsychanalytic. '' 3rd edition. Odile Jacob pocket.
Elements of psychotherapy , in collaboration with Alain STRAINER, Serban IONESCU, Nathalie ZAJDE: '' Psychothérapies ''. Paris, Editions Odile Jacob, 1998.
'' Manifeste for a scientific psychopathology ''. in Tobie Nathan and Isabelle Stengers, Doctors and wizard , Paris, Odile Jacob, 1998.
the influence which cures , Paris, Editions Odile Jacob, 1994.
'' Fier not to have neither country nor friends, which stupidity it was ''. Principles of ethnopsychanalyse. Grenoble, the wild Thought, 1993.
the sperm of the Devil. Elements of ethnopsychothérapie . Paris, P.U.F., 215 p., 1988.
'' the madness of the others. Clinical treaty of ethnopsychiatrie. '' Paris, Dunod, collection " Psychismes" directed by Didier Anzieu, 240 p., 1986.
'' Psychanalyse and copulation of the insects. '' Editions of the wild thought, Grenoble, 96 p., 1983.

External bonds

Biography of Tobie Nathan on the ethnopsychiatrie.net site, site of the center Georges Devereux that it founded and of which he was the director a long time.

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