Connecting with South Africa

“Astrid Berg has a full understanding of the holistic interpretation of health, sickness, and healing from an African perspective. In her analysis and treatment of sickness and various forms of healing among the children of parents from different cultures, she never imposed from her own background any personal judgment of African spirituality. Instead, she wanted to learn more about the whole environment in which the child grows, and this she always does with respect and a welcoming attitude, enabling an honest dialogue with her. Besides learning from the African forms of healing, Astrid also learned that what Africans believe in—the centrality of ancestors as intermediaries between human beings and God—and what we practice have not only local but also global meanings. This is demonstrated in her open dialogue between African interpretation of dreams and that of the analytical (Jungian) psychologists. By so doing she creates an intercontinental web, connecting spiritualities around the globe. Connecting with South Africa will definitely build new bridges of trust, unity, and cooperation toward a common goal in the field of healing the souls of the world.”--Nokuzola Mndende, Director, Icamagu Institute, Eastern Cape, South Africa

"Astrid Berg has emerged as one of our most thoughtful and important scholars on the question of the application of psychoanalysis and analytic therapies across cultures. Connecting with South Africa: Cultural Communication and Understanding is written with admirable clarity, compassion, and a vision to lead the way into a new era where care for all patients begins with real listening, understanding and recognition of the Other. Sometimes the word 'culture' is invoked as a metaphor to justify avoidance of engagement with the complexity of lives from 'non-Western' backgrounds. In this book, Astrid Berg breaks these ideological boundaries (as well as the boundaries erected by the former apartheid state) and skilfully demonstrates what it means to be an engaged scholar. This book goes beyond teaching us about the application of psychoanalytic ideas to communication and understanding other cultures; Astrid berg has written a book about the ethics of practicing psychoanalytic work. It is a call to psychoanalytic work that is humane, connected, and more accessible."--Pumla Gobada-Madikizela, author of A Human Being Died That Night: A South African Story of Forgiveness