Psychoanalysis Across Cultures: A Personal Journey of a Saudi Arabian Analysand through Egypt, Canada, and the United States

Abstract

This autoethnographic study explores the shaping and interaction of selfhood with psychoanalytic practices across the cultural landscapes of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Canada, and the United States through the 40-year journey of a Saudi Arabian analysand. The study aims to investigate the impact of cultural beliefs, particularly those influenced by Quranic interpretations and Sufism, on the understanding of psychoanalytic concepts and the formation of selfhood. Utilizing thematic analysis of personal notes and recollections, the study reveals the profound influence of cultural and religious systems on the analysand's sense of self and highlights the challenges and insights that emerge from engaging with Western psychoanalytic institutes as a non-Western analysand. The findings emphasize the need for culturally attuned psychoanalytic models that draw upon indigenous traditions and philosophical frameworks to better serve Arab-Islamic patients. Some important suggestions are to include cultural competency modules in psychoanalytic training programs, find a balance between Western theories and local spiritual traditions, deal with the analyst's unconscious cultural biases, create theoretical models that are based on evidence and can be used in real life, and require psychoanalytic institutes to do cultural sensitivity assessments. This study underscores the importance of cultural competence in psychoanalytic practice and contributes to the understanding of psychoanalysis across cultures.