Psychic trauma is an experience that overwhelms human capacity to cope. The diagnosis of PTSD was introduced in 1980, but traumatization as mental disorder can be retrospectively ascribed to many occurrences in history, its thorough description probably starting with the concept of’war neurosis’ by Freud. Psychoanalytic theory has since advanced: Bion, Winnicott, Lacan and Balint have made crucial contributions. This paper aims to explore on theoretical and practical approaches of contemporary psychoanalysis in the treatment of PTSD.

Austria is confronted with about 17 000 asylum seekers each year, amongst them over 3000 people from the Russian Federation, especially from Chechnya, thereby constituing the second biggest group. My paper is based on single case studies with Russian female clients at the Sigmund Freud University Outpatient clinic in Vienna, where psychotherapy in different languages is provided. Furthermore I am building upon my own practical experiences achieved in AmberMed, a medical center for people without insurance in Vienna. The literature review will include psychoanalytic approaches as provided by the 20th century's theorists of object relation in Western Europe.

The outcome will be psychotherapeutic insights based on thorough literature research as well as personal clinic experience. Furthermore recommendations will be offered regarding the prevention of burnouts of analysts in course of the treatment. As psychological trauma includes experiences of helplessness and disconnection from others, a recovery is only possible by establishing new relationship, of which the first might be with the psychoanalyst.