“ON TRANSIENCE: THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE“

by Prof. Dr. Clara Pracana,
Portuguese Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy,
Lisbon, Portugal

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this talk is to reflect upon impermanence and change, from a psychological and psycho-analytical perspective. With change, comes loss and sometimes gain. Humans don’t like change, we were not hardwired for that. It makes us suffer, specially with loss that come with it. This can include many types of change, some lighter, some very difficult like unemployment, divorce, aging and the loss of beauty; others that may be really dramatic, like disease and death.
It’s our duty, as professionals, to reflect about it and help others to cope with this painful reality of life.

Keywords: Transience, transitoriness, change, aging, loss, disease, death, mourning.

BIOGRAPHY

Clara Pracana is a psychoanalyst, author and lecturer. She was born in the Azores, Portugal and lives in Lisbon.
She has a Ph.D. in Applied Psychology and a Masters in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology. She is a founding and full member of the Portuguese Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy, Portugal, affiliated with the International Federation of Psychoanalytic Societies.
She is a regular lecturer on psychoanalytical topics and has published many papers and four books. She is also a training analyst.