Three Hot Potatoes, or Nick Totton's Courage in Inconveniencing the Field of Psychotherapy

Abstract

Nick Totton has over a number of years written vigorously about paradoxical, conflict-laden and otherwise inconvenient topics and, in doing so, has contributed significantly to various psychotherapeutic milieux. This paper focuses on three “hot potatoes” that Totton has written about, areas that presented uncomfortable conflicts in and into psychotherapy, namely: body, relationality, and politics. Being aware of and working with the body compels us to confront our aggressive and erotic drives, our wounds and yearnings, and as therapists often reveals us to our clients more than we intend. Being relational also entails the therapist revealing more of themselves and challenges the traditional analytic assumption (let alone the reality or usefulness of) a neutral, “blank-slate” position. Thirdly, I argue that taking an explicit political stance challenges the clinician's comfortable, clinic-bound practice, and discomforts the psychotherapist's habitual position regarding social involvement.