PSYCHOANALYTIC PROFESSIONALITY

''Science'' and ''profession'' are not equal. Even in ''hard core scie nce'' a distinction is made between the two. Professional treatment in psychotherapy cannot sufficiently be described as ''application'' or ''consuming'' of scientific knowledge. Professionals act upon very dif ferent stores of knowledge, only part of which are scientific results. Hence the thesis, science be part of the professional environment and vice versa. Science and profession can no longer be viewed as hierarc hically organized, science is not ''above'' profession. Only in an out dated hierarchical model, science can be seen as ''application'' in pr ofessional practice. Science and profession are functionally different iated systems side to side, not one above the other. Clinical examples illustrate professional operations. Thus the author feels psychothera py should not be described as ''realization of therapy variables''; th e professional's position vis a vis science is more autonomous.