Jessica LaHote, French and Psychology major, wins second place in the Histories, Literatures, Religions, and Cultures category at the 2017 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum

Written by Meghna Gautam

Congratulations on your recent win at the 2017 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum! What was your research topic? 
My research is on the role of psychoanalysis as psychotherapy in France. In the United States, psychoanalysis has lost a great deal of its authority in the fields of psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s. As a result, it is often not recommended to patients seeking psychotherapeutic treatment. In France, on the other hand, someone who is seeking a therapist today would still be likely to encounter one that uses psychoanalytic techniques. I have been looking at the cultural and historic reasons behind this difference in treatment and whether the role of psychoanalysis has evolved over the last fifteen years.

My presentation at the Denman was in the “Histories of Literatures, Religions, and Cultures” category. I have been conducting this research in fulfillment of the requirements for an undergraduate honors thesis, so I have been working independently, with the guidance of my wonderful advisor, Dr. Jennifer Willging...Read the full article on the Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures website.