“It just doesn't make sense anymore. . . . Maybe early on there was an excuse for them to have these policies. But I feel that if someone is continuing to mandate these things, that they had a responsibility to look into: Is there any purpose at all to these? I mean, they've had ample time to be informed that these don't stop transmission, that they don't stop you from getting the illness.” - psychoanalyst in training
4/30/23 UPDATE: This psychoanalyst in training has received word that he will be able to resume seeing patients in person beginning in mid-May. His institute has also dropped its mask requirement.
In this episode of the New York Mandate Podcast, I talk with a psychoanalyst in training at a private Manhattan psychoanalysis institute. Although he has completed almost all of his coursework and obtained a master’s degree in his field, he is unable to finish his training program and obtain the credentials he needs to work because the institute’s ongoing vaccine mandate prevents him from seeing patients.
He talked with me about how the mandate has affected his ability to complete his training and begin his career, how his views on the mandate have been treated by his own psychoanalysts, and how his requests for medical and religious exemptions were handled.
We also talked about how mandates have affected him socially, and as an avid dancer.
More from this psychoanalyst in training:
You can contact him directly at flaquitocp@protonmail.com.
Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode:
Accusations of Psychosis for Freedom
This article by Michael Kane at Teachers for Choice covers the case of Long Island teacher Noelle Florio, who was required to undergo a psychiatric exam after she objected to COVID-related mandates. The examining psychiatrist attributed her views on COVID policies to psychosis, and declared her unfit to teach. Florio has taken legal action and is scheduled to give testimony in a public hearing on April 11.
At an October 2022 European Parliament hearing, Pfizer executive Janine Small stated that Pfizer did not test its COVID-19 vaccine for preventing transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in clinical trials.
Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination in the Workplace
This is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on December 13, 2021 requiring all workers in New York City who worked in a workplace or interacted with other workers or the public to be vaccinated. The order was rescinded on November 1, 2022.
“Key to NYC” Vaccination Mandate Executive Order
The “Key to NYC” mandate required both employees and patrons of restaurants, entertainment venues, and gyms to show proof of vaccination. It began on August 17, 2021, and was lifted on March 7, 2022.
About the New York Mandate Podcast
The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts.
In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers and to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools.
Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place.
The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice.
Join the Conversation
Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a New York vaccine mandate? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com.
New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 35: Psychoanalyst in Training