What, from a psychoanalytic point of view, constitute the facts of life ? What are the stories that our professional mentors tell us about the psychological equivalents of the birds and the bees ? How useful are these stories, and in what ways do they help those of us who work with couples understand and change the sexual difficulties that they present us with? Do these stories, indeed, have anything to say about sex, or might they, like the inventions of embarrassed parents, deflect our attention away from what we really need to know in relating to the sexual lives of our patients?This book explores sexuality in the contexts of couple relationships and psychotherapy. It presents a range of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic perspectives from which problematic sexual experience that is, sexual experience that has troubled couples sufficiently for them to seek outside help might be understood and worked with. Rooted in clinical practice the book assembles a rich diversity of approaches that will interest anyone wanting to learn more about the affective dimensions of sexual experience and seeking to apply this in their work with couples. The contributors are all closely associated with the Tavistock Centre of Couple Relationships, either as staff, neighbouring colleagues at the Tavistock and Portman Clinics, or through its professional association, the Society of Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists."

This book offers a new perspective on conscience as an as yet unrealized human potential, but a potential toward which human beings are naturally driven. A distinction is made between a "mature" or "healthy" conscience - a "conscience capable of maturation" - and the classical notion of the superego; it also postulates that the two may represent two separate lines of development. Conscience is seen to be inseparable from consciousness; the development of a mature conscience is seen to have its foundation in the development of a true or authentic self, while the classical notion of the superego is viewed as an often pathological manifestation of this natural mental potential. Theological ideas are relevant to any discussion of morality, conscience and guilt. Freud's and Bion's perspectives on religion are closely examined, revealing fundamental differences in their views of the mind. The author incorporates the metaphysical perspective central to Bion's concept of "O" as fundamental to an understanding of the development of a healthy conscience.

A Psychoanalytic Study of the Wounded Healer uses qualitative research to examine the popular myth that therapists are 'wounded healers'. Rhona M. Fear presents the life stories of seven well-known psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, including Sigmund Freud, John Bowlby and Patrick Casement. Fear uses grounded theory to analyse her research and categorise her results, focusing closely on experiences including trauma in early life, attachment problems, mental disturbance and resistance to authority figures. The book identifies patterns and common themes in the life stories of these leading figures and explains what this research can tell us about the enduring myth of the wounded healer. Accessibly written, A Psychoanalytic Study of the Wounded Healer will be of great interest to psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, counsellors, and others in the helping professions.

James Grotstein describes in detail how to understand and to interpret in an analytic session. Clinical sessions are described in stenographic detail and display complete sessions. The author goes to great lengths to detail his private observations, reveries, and countertransferences as well as his thinking about how, when, and what should be interpreted.

Since the 1990s, the social sciences have begun to change. Traditional models of human rationality which opposed reason to passion are being challenged. The familiar split between individual and society, psychology and sociology, is now recognized as unhelpful to the study of both. And, as ways have been sought to overcome such splits, psychoanalysis has increasingly appeared in the breach. Drawing also on some aspects of discourse psychology, continental philosophy and anthropological and neuro-scientific understandings of the emotions, psycho-social studies has emerged as an embryonic new paradigm in the human sciences in the UK. Psycho-social studies uses psychoanalytic concepts and principles to illuminate core issues within the social sciences. Psycho-social studies is also informing the development of new methodologies in the social sciences including the use of free association and biographical interview methods, the application of infant observation methodologies to social observation, the development of psychoanalytic ethnography/fieldwork and attention to transference/countertransference dynamics in the research process.This book examines some of these methodological developments and draws upon the experiences of a group of researchers and doctoral students based around the Centre for Psycho-Social Studies at the University of the West of England.

"Vulnerablity to Psychosis" provides the clinician with important perspectives on the origins and development of delusions in psychosis and offers a new perspective regarding the radical differences between delusional and normal or neurotic thought, and how these differences come about.Franco De Masi addresses the human vulnerability to psychosis. He invites the reader into a thoughtful, systematic exploration of many aspects of the complex problems associated with psychotic illnesses: its ontogenesis and the emotional crises that lead to the dominance of psychotic thinking, the function of psychosis with regard to reality, its eruption or progression (depending upon the type of psychosis involved) and, crucially, the difficult and painstaking task of treatment.

The first book to provide an accessible introduction to neuropsychoanalysis. Covers the theoretical foundations and history of the field, along with an overview of current models relevant to psychoanalysis. It presents the state-of-the-art in neuropsychoanalytic research and theory as well as suggestions for future research and clinical-therapeutic implications.

For decades, psychoanalysis has had a monopoly for the unconscious. In the 1980s, however, Cognitive Orientation began focus on consciousness, and that was followed by the boom of study of the unconscious. The unconscious has now been studied in the scope of several empirical settings, and under a variety of concepts implicit memory, implicit knowledge, procedural knowledge, semantic activation without conscious identification, and tacit knowledge.Talvitie and the contributors show how the psychoanalysts answer might be seen in terms of the cognitivists ones it has created an approach, through which phenomena found by psychoanalysts can be studied in the framework of cognitive neuroscience. The approach takes seriously both the clinical data gathered in the scope of clinical practice of psychoanalysis during the past 110 years, and the empirical and theoretical achievements of the present-day cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary theory."

This book provides an up-to-date, accessible introduction to the relationship between families, prisons and penal policies in the United Kingdom. It explores current debates in relation to prisoners and their families, and introduces the reader to relevant theoretical approaches. Interdisciplinary in nature, the book incorporates perspectives drawn from criminology, sociology, social work and law. The book includes: a current exploration of key aspects of the consequences of imprisonment for prisoners and their families an assessment of the role of current prison policies and practices in promoting and maintaining family relationships a summary of the current law in relation to prisoners and their families, with reference to the relevant legislation and recent case law.

This volume advances a comprehensive transdisciplinary approach to the affective lives of institutions - theoretical, conceptual, empirical, and critical. With this approach, the volume foregrounds the role of affect in sustaining as well as transforming institutional arrangements that are deeply problematic. As part of its analysis, this book develops a novel understanding of institutional affect. It explores how institutions produce, frame, and condition affective dynamics and emotional repertoires, in ways that engender conformance or resistance to institutional requirements. This collection of works will be important for scholars and students of interdisciplinary affect and emotion studies from a wide range of disciplines, including social sciences, cultural studies, social and cultural anthropology, organizational and institution studies, media studies, social philosophy, aesthetics, and critical theory.

In this book a widely recognized authority on religion and psychoanalysis takes a fascinating journey into Freud's past to examine the roots of his atheism. Dr. Ana-Maria Rizzuto reviews and reorganizes data about Freud's development and life circumstances to provide a psychodynamic interpretation of his rejection of God. She argues that Freud's early life and family relationships made it psychically impossible for him to believe in a provident and caring divine being. The book traces significant aspects of Freud's relationship with his father and mother, his childhood nanny, and other relatives and outlines his religious evolution from somewhat conventional beliefs as a young boy to adult unbelief. Dr. Rizzuto presents significant new details about the Philippson Bible-a copy of which Freud's father presented to Sigmund on his thirty-fifth birthday-and shows how the illustrations in that edition related to Freud's passion for collecting antiquities. The book brings to light critical aspects of Freud's early and late object relations and their lasting impact on his rejection of God.

A Framework for the Imaginary is an extraordinary depiction of one analyst's efforts to receive and respond to the vivid impressions of her patients' raw and sometimes even "unmentalized" experiences as they are highlighted in the transference-countertransference connection. Dr. Mitrani attempts to feel, suffer, mentally transform, and, finally, verbally construct - for and with the patient - possible meanings for those immediate versions of life's earliest experiences as they are reenacted in the therapeutic relationship. She uses insights from this therapeutic work to contribute to the metapsychology of British and American object relations as well as to the psychoanalytic theory of technique. In these eleven essays, four of which are printed here for the first time, Dr. Mitrani masterfully integrates the work of Klein, Winnicott, Bion, and Tustin as she leads us on an expedition through primitive emotional territories. She clears the way toward detecting and understanding the survival function of certain pathological maneuvers deployed by patients when confronted by unthinkable anxieties. In her vivid accounts of numerous clinical cases, she provides and demonstrates the tools needed to effect a transformation of unmentalized experiences within the context of the therapeutic relationship. Throughout her writings, she warns of some of the pitfalls we may encounter along the way.

"Having spent a considerable portion of my working life dealing with psychoanalytic literature, I started reading biographies and autobiographies of major figures in this sphere when I retired. It must be said that psychoanalysts autobiographies are pretty thin on the ground. The names which stood out most were Wilfred Bion, Donald Winnicott and Melanie Klein. It is well known that Bion wrote several volumes which may be broadly defined as autobiography, whereas we have to rely on Robert Rodman s and Brett Kahr s biographies in order to learn of Winnicott s life. There are, of course, many articles scattered through the literature of personal memories of him by Harry Guntrip, Margaret Little, Renata Gaddini, Masud Khan, etc. There are at least two biographies of Klein and many instances of reference to her life in articles and parts of books. These will be the subject of a further book to be researched.On trying to find what material actually existed, it struck me that there were vast amounts of material relevant to the lives, work and ideas of both men in the form of reviews, articles and books. There did not, however appear to be compilations of such work other than limited lists appearing on various web pages via the Internet.With considerable renewed interest in Bion s contribution to various disciplines beyond the psychoanalytic and psychotherapeutic, I hope that this work will be of use to practitioners, researchers and students. The list of secondary sources is by no means exhaustive and it is unlikely that it ever will be due to the constantly growing interest in Bion s ideas and contributions to various fields." -- Harry Karnac from the Introduction"

This book provides an up-to-date, accessible introduction to the relationship between families, prisons and penal policies in the United Kingdom. It explores current debates in relation to prisoners and their families, and introduces the reader to relevant theoretical approaches. Interdisciplinary in nature, the book incorporates perspectives drawn from criminology, sociology, social work and law. The book includes: a current exploration of key aspects of the consequences of imprisonment for prisoners and their families an assessment of the role of current prison policies and practices in promoting and maintaining family relationships a summary of the current law in relation to prisoners and their families, with reference to the relevant legislation and recent case law.

The condition of the human subject demands that he acquire his existence at the price of a real passion. And what indeed could inspire more passion than this ambiguous being, constantly trying to balance dynamically where nature and culture intersect? The psychoanalytical approach launched by Freud a century ago has constantly posited as a structural fact the precarious position of human subjectivity. It conceives the latter as knocked off center, even torn apart, by the different logics emanating from the instances that make up the psychical apparatus.This book does not conceive of the subject as supposed to represent the human person as a whole, nor as the narcissistic image the latter can have of him/herself, still less as the reflexive notion of self which tends to designate an overall self-referential ( self-centered ) function. The subject the author is trying to define psychoanalytically is not characterized by plenitude or naturalness, but seems rather to define itself as a precarious function, resulting from the human newborn s condition of prematuration, and therefore from the earliest drive transactions between the baby and its mother, including the mother s verbal and gestural responses. Working as a psychoanalyst to help a patient establish better bonds between the different registers of his psyche does not imply giving in to unifying, globalizing, simplifying, or isolating illusions, but rather requires that we never lose sight of the heterogeneity (including the irremediable differentiation of the sexes) which is just what Freud s metapsychology introduced. Thus the ordeal of otherness with regard to the sex we don t have, the language we don t speak, the means we don t possess is indispensable in affirming a subjectivity."

This book guides therapists trained in EMDR in the successful integration of the creative arts therapies to make the healing potential of EMDR safer and more accessible for patients who present with complex trauma. Contributors from the respective fields of creative and expressive arts therapies offer their best ideas on how to combine EMDR with these therapies for maximum benefit for people from diverse backgrounds, orientations, and vulnerable populations. Chapters offer detailed case studies and images, insightful theoretical approaches, and how-to instructions to creatively enhance clinical work. Additionally, the book addresses current critical issues in the field, including the importance of an integrative and open approach when addressing cultural, racial and diversity issues, and creative interventions with clients through teletherapy. Creative arts therapy practitioners such as art therapists, play therapists, and dance/movement therapists will find this a compelling introductory guide to EMDR.

Tessa Baradon is a leading figure in the field of Parent-Infant Psychotherapy (PIP). Research comes from the world-renowned Anna Freud Centre, London.

First book on this topic written from a psychoanalytic perspective. Timely topic with a unique approach. Book will be useful to clinicians working with asexual clients and patients.

1. The new book for eminent analyst, Juliet Mitchell, looking at the sibling relationship 2. This important new book further develops her vital theory of The Law of the Mother, re-iterating her argument with more evidence for its structural importance in the psyche 3. In this book, Mitchell deftly extends psychoanalytical theory to include the social self and looks at how a new sibling in the family can be the source of extensive trauma in a young person

First book to examine the role of implication in psychoanalysis and society more generally * Has contributions from major names in relational psychoanalysis * Social justice is a hot topic in relational psychoanalysis

Contemporary psychodynamic theory profoundly impacts our understanding of the development of psychopathology in children and adolescents. This book creates new concepts derived from contemporary psychodynamic theory that necessitate a revision to the principles underlying our understanding of and approach to young patients in psychotherapy. Moreover, this book reviews recent contributions from contemporary two-person relational psychodynamic theory and makes use of detailed case examples to bring to life this theory's practical applications in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Psychotherapists and students of psychotherapy will find this book a valuable source of information on contemporary psychodynamic theory and a useful resource for introducing a contemporary style into their practice, co-constructing with the patient a narrative to achieve the desired goals.

In his 1889 novella The Kreutzer Sonata Lev Tolstoy declared war on human sexuality. Having fathered thirteen children by his wife and at least two children by peasant women, the great Russian writer now has the arrogance to suggest that people should stop having children. Psychoanalysis of Tolstoy's diaries and other private materials reveals that Tolstoy's anti-sex position was grounded in a sadistic attitude towards women (including his wife Sonia) and a punishing, masochistic attitude towards himself. These feelings, in turn, were related to the trauma of maternal loss in Tolstoy's early childhood.

Illustrated by the author to give a sense of the spaces discussed. Clinical examples throughout. Academically rigorous as well as relevant to professionals.

In this book, edited by Jose Carlos Calich and Helmut Hinz, outstanding authors from different regions and traditions present an excellent and scholarly panorama of psychoanalytical pluralism on the concept of unconscious. It fosters reflection, doubts and debates on the theme and nurtures the creativity that may later be reflected in theoretical progress and a greater understanding and effect of clinical practice."

First published in 2007. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.