About Neil
Since you're here
I’d like to tell you about me and how I came to be interested in psychoanalysis in general and the Lacanian orientation in particular. I’d also like to share a very small amount about how I’ve experienced psychoanalysis, how that experience has affected me, and how it has shaped the way I live my day-to-day life.
I’m Neil Gorman: I’m a practicing Lacanian psychoanalyst, a member of the Lacanian Compass, the New Lacanian School (NLS), and the World Association of Psychoanalysis (WAP). I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who holds a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) and a Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) from the Aurora University George Williams School of Social Work. I also have a Bachelor’s degree (BA) in history from Northern Illinois University and a public educator’s license (PEL) that authorizes me to teach history and other social studies to students in grades 6-12.
I’ve been working in the mental health field since 2005, when I landed a entery level job at a substance abuse treatment center. Since that time, I’ve worked in treatment centers, schools, a university, and two large group practices.
Today
I own and operate a small clinical practice called Interlude Wellness in Downers Grove, Illinois, where I see patients and analysands in person and via HIPAA-secure telehealth platforms.
My interest in psychoanalysis
Took hold when I was in graduate school. I was taking a course called The History of Psychological Theory, and one of the first things we read was Freud’s introductory lectures to psychoanalysis. I had read a little Freud before that, and lots of secondary literature on Freud, but this was the first time I read Freud seriously, and I was completely captivated.
I continued reading about Freud and the psychoanalytic thinkers who came after him, which led me to Winnicott. I was very fascinated by Winnicott’s thought and clinical style, so I did a lot of extra reading about him.2
One day, I found a book titled Between Winnicott and Lacan: A Clinical Engagement. When I found it, I had never heard of Lacan. However, after reading a few chapters, I was convinced that Lacan was probably a very interesting thinker.
Curious, I ordered a copy of Lacan’s Écrits and, when it arrived, tried to read it. I was a fairly successful graduate student and thought I could handle this “difficult” text if I really put my mind to it. However, I discovered that the Écrits resisted all my attempts to understand it! Be that as it may, I was intrigued by what I did not understand. (Perhaps I was intrigued because I did not understand it.)
I reached out to people who had spent a lot of time with Lacan, and almost all responded generously. Many offered me help, and with their help, I came to understand Lacan’s writing a little bit more, and then a little bit more than that. This continued for a long time.
After I defended my dissertation and completed my graduate work, I found a Lacanian analyst and officially began my psychoanalytic experience as an analysand.
Now, many years have passed, and I continue to be fascinated by psychoanalysis, particularly Lacan’s approach.
My aim with writing Speaking Body is to share what I’ve learned with those who are interested.2
I’m immensely grateful to you for taking the time and attention to the things I make and put here. I hope you find them interesting and useful!
In addition to Speaking Body
I also co-host another podcast about psychoanalysis called Subject of the Unconscious.