Peripheral Be-ing in three acts: where our thinking grows stronger than the power of place

Abstract

The text proposes a critical reflection on psychoanalysis in the peripheral context and its intersections with race, gender, class, and religion. Drawing from practical and theoretical experiences, the authors explore the potential of a peripheral listening, which acknowledges the social and historical imprints on psychic suffering, contrasting with the elitist neutrality of traditional psychoanalysis. The text addresses themes such as structural racism, transfemicide, African-based religiosity, and the ethical implications of a politicized clinical practice, advocating for a psychoanalysis that embraces differences, welcomes otherness, and fosters an affirmative and transformative practice in the periphery.