Editorial

The Society for Existential Analysis was founded in July 1988 by a group composed of psychoanalysis, psychotherapists, counsellors and students who thought it necessary to provide a forum for the analysis of existence from philosophical and psychological perspectives. To further this aim, we thought it important to create a new theoretical Journal for members to debate, exchange and develop ideas.

We have, now, the greatest pleasure in presenting the first issue of the Society's Journal which we, of course, expect will be the first of many. To start with, we have included the papers from the Society's founding Conference, December 3rd 1988, amongst which we have the contributions of John Heaton, Emmy van Deurzen-Smith and Steven Gans on the definition of "existential analysis". To open the debate, Chris Oakley's pointed critique of the Conference material plus three responses to this critique follow the original papers.

Thomas Szasz, who in February 1989 presented his autonomous psychotherapy approach to the Society, has very kindly authorized us to publish an outline of this approach in this first issue of the Journal. Professor Charles Scott, past President of the Society for Phenomenology in the USA, has contributed with a stimulating and original article on Foucault and the Question of Psychotherapeutic Liberation.

To close this issue, we have Dr. Leon Redler's contribution. For many years a friend and associate of R. D. Laing, he gives us here his thoughts and feelings in the form of an obituary on the occasion of Laing's death. This takes us to our second issue of the Journal, which will be a Special Memorial Issue on the Life and Work of R. D. Laing. Readers are invited to submit papers and personal reminiscences as soon as possible.

The Editors would like to thank all those who have helped in the preparation of this First Issue: to the Steering Committee and to the Publications Sub-Committee for their continuous support; to the Editorial Board for its reviews of material; and last but not least, to our contributors for their valuable articles.

We would also like to share with you how much, and against all odds, we have enjoyed working together in this editorial partnership. Producing this First Issue, facing all these problems regarding printing and publication and learning to find solutions to them, have been an adventure which we are both delighted to have gone through.

Without further ado, we invite your papers, comments and letters.

Carole Van Artsdalen
Elena Lea Zanger
Editors, Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis