Dana Amir (; born 1966) is a full professor at Haifa University, clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, poet and literature researcher.
Biography Dana Amir was born and raised in HaifaRiff, Racheli (November 20, 2016). An interview with Dana Amir. Makor Rishon. and attended the Hebrew Reali School. She has a B.A. in psychology and philosophy, M.A. in clinical psychology, and Ph.D in the philosophy of psychoanalysis. She wrote her PhD thesis on The Lyrical Dimension of Mental Space. All degrees were obtained from Haifa University.Dana Amir, Lexicon of Modern Hebrew Literature, The Ohio State University (abridged article written by Gilad Meiri, in: Stavi, Zissi and Schwartz, Yigal (ed.) The Heksherim Lexicon of Israeli Authors, Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir – Publishing House and Heksherim Institute for Jewish and Israeli Literature and Culture, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 2014, pp. 103-104).
Dana Amir is a clinical psychologist, training and supervising psychoanalyst, at the International Psychoanalytic Association and at the Israel Psychoanalytic Society. She is a full professor, vice dean for research and head of the interdisciplinary doctoral program in psychoanalysis, department of counseling and human development at Haifa University, and the editor-in-chief of Maarag - the Israel Annual of Psychoanalysis (published by the Hebrew University).Biography. Orcid, connecting research and researchers
Her research, which received the Israel Science Foundation research grant more than once, focuses on the connection between language and psychopathology.Amir, D. (2014). Cleft Tongue: The Language of Psychic Structures. New York and London: Karnac Books. (Translated from Hebrew with back cover text by Professor Alessandra Lemma, Unit Director, Psychological Therapies Development Unit, Tavistock Center). 161 pp. Amir developed several psycho-linguistic concepts which map various pathological dimensions: "Pseudo-Language" versus "Concrete Language",Amir, D. (2010). The influence of mother-baby bond on the development of concrete language versus pseudo-language. Sihot, 2, 147-157 (Hebrew). "Psychotic Syntax",Amir, D. (2010). The split between voice and meaning: The dual function of psychotic syntax. International Forum of Psychoanalysis, 19 (1), 34- 42. "Autistic Syntax",Amir, D. (2013). The Psychic Organ Point of Autistic Syntax. Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 39(1): 3-21. "The Chameleon Language of perversion"Amir, D. (2013). The Chameleon Language of Perversion. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 23: 393-407. and "the inner function of the witness".Amir, D. (2012). The Inner Witness. The International Journal of Psycho-analysis, 93:879–896. She is also researching modes of traumatic testimony,Amir, D. (2018). Bearing Witness to the Witness: A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Four Modes of Traumatic Testimony. London & New-York: Routledge (foreword by prof. Dori Laub). 170 pp. and the language of the perpetrator. Amir, D. (2017). Screen Confessions: A current analysis of Nazi Perpetrators' “Newspeak”. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society Vol. 23, 1, 97–114.
Poetry Dana Amir published seven poetry books, and her poems were published in various journals in Hebrew as well as in Anthologies in French and Spanish.
According to the prize committee, Amir’s book includes a new poetic division and a poetry essay inspired by Rilke’s Duineser Elegien. The committee noted that the collection reflects the development of Amir’s poetic work and emphasizes dialogical and introspective elements in her poetry.Sela, Maya (December 22, 2013). ACUM Prize. Haaretz.
Awards Literary 1993 - The Adler National Poetry Prize 2012 - The Prime-Minister National Prize for Hebrew Literature 2013 - Nathan Alterman poetry prize for All My Names
Academic 2006 - The Bahat Prize for Academic Original Book 2011 - The Frances Tustin International Memorial Prize 2013 - The IPA (International Psychoanalytic Association) Sacerdoti Prize 2017 - Distinguished Psychoanalytic Educators Award for Outstanding Contributions to Psychoanalytic Education 2017 - The IPA (International Psychoanalytic Association) Hayman Prize 2020 - The Outstanding Senior Researcher Award of the University of Haifa 2020 - The annual International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies prize for the best paper published in 2020. 2025 - The IPA (International Psychoanalytic Association) Hayman Prize 2025 - The International Sigourney Award
Selected works Psychoanalytic non-fiction books Amir, D. (2008). On the Lyricism of the Mind, Haifa University and Magness Press, Jerusalem (Hebrew), Winner of the Bahat Prize, 2006. 110 pp. Amir, D. (2016). On the Lyricism of the Mind: Psychoanalysis and Literature. New York: Routledge. (Translated from Hebrew). 100 pp. Amir, D. (2013). Cleft Tongue: A Psychoanalytic Study of Psychopathology and Language. Magness Press, Jerusalem. (Hebrew). Published with the support of The Israel Science Foundation (ISF). 182 pp. Amir, D. (2014). Cleft Tongue: The Language of Psychic Structures. New-York and London: Karnac Books. (Translated from Hebrew with back cover text by Professor Alessandra Lemma, Unit Director, Psychological Therapies Development Unit, Tavistock Center). 161 pp. Amir, D. (2018). Bearing Witness to the Witness: A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Four Modes of Traumatic Testimony. London & New-York: Routledge (foreword by prof. Dori Laub). 170 pp. Amir, D. (2018). Bearing Witness to the Witness: Four Modes of Traumatic Testimony. Jerusalem: Magness (Hebrew translation from English). Published with the support of the Research Authority of the University of Haifa. Published Verse (Hebrew) 236 pp. Amir, D. (2020). Screen Confessions. Resling (Hebrew) 160 pp. Amir, D. (2021). Psychoanalysis on the Verge of Language: Clinical Cases on the Edge. New York and London: Routledge. (Translated from Hebrew) 110 pp. Amir, D. (2023). The Exile from Speech. Resling (Hebrew) 142 pp. Amir, D. (2024). Psychoanalysis as Radical Hospitality. New-York & London: Routledge. Amir, D. Grief Has No End (2026). Tel-Aviv: Bookworm (Hebrew). 92 pp. Amir, D. Sobre soltar a língua: A voz humana diante do insuportável (2016): Blucher, Portugal, 2026
Published verse (books in Hebrew) Amir, D. (1993). Now, in this Sweetness. Tel-Aviv: Sifriat Hapo'alim. Amir, D. (1998). Until the Earth Comes. Tel-Aviv: Hakibbutz Hame'uhad. Amir, D. (2004). The Life of Ahino'am. Tel-Aviv: Rhythmus-Hakibbutz Hame'uhad. Amir, D. (2007). Poems of Innig. Tel-Aviv: Rhythmus-Hakibbutz Hame'uhad. Amir, D. All My Names (2014). Selected Poems. Tel-Aviv: Hakibitz Hameuhad. Amir, D. Rending (2016). Ra'anana: Even Hoshen. Amir, D. Kaddish on Light and Darkness (2019). Tel-Aviv: Afik. Amir, D. Millstones (2021). Tel-Aviv: Afik. Amir, D. Her Weight In Me (2023). Tel-Aviv: Afik. Amir, D. And Onward (2024). Tel-Aviv: Tarsat. Amir, D. The Origin of Ways (2025). Tel-Aviv: Hakibbutz Hame'uhad.
References
External links Dana Amir's profile, in Google Scholar