Resistance is an unfortunate term for the manifestation of defense mechanisms in the treatment situation. Use of the word to a psychoanalytically unsophisticated patient may evoke undesired consequences because to a patient, it implies deliberate intent and thus, blame. From the patient's unconscious, or at time conscious, point of view, these defenses protect the individual from a variety of intrapsychic or interpersonal dangers. As long as these defenses are in play, the process of exploration and discovery comes to a halt. They must be understood and carefully analyzed for they are at the heart of the treatment impasse. This book is written for the professional psychotherapist who may be puzzled why work with a particular patient or client is going nowhere. It brings to the therapist's attention a wide variety of these defenses, these resistances, so that they can be addressed and resolved.

From the start of life, all of us strive to achieve two goals: intimacy with another person and discovery and expression of our own identity. All too often, however, we experience these goals as conflicting. Being and Loving is an outgrowth of Dr. Horner's work as a teacher and psychotherapist. In this book, she focuses on the image of self and of others formed in the first three years of life and guides readers down a carefully chosen path that leads to a workable solution to their problems. To all those who have experienced frustration and despair born of conflict between being and loving, this book says, "Give it another try."

"Perhaps the acid test for any book on psychoanalytic theory is the light it sheds on the complex problems that a therapist faces. This book passes that test with flying colors. I now see my patients in a different light and I have changed my approach with beneficial results." -Samuel L. Bradshaw, Jr. The Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic A Jason Aronson Book

Written for the student and beginning therapist, this book makes readily understandable the basic clinical concepts, practices and principles of psychoanalytic object relations therapy, without sacrificing the breadth of scope or depth of interest. Basic concepts, technical considerations in therapy, the treatment process and clinical case examples are discussed.

In Psychoanalytic Object Relations Therapy, Althea Horner explores the clinical implications of developmental object relations theory. She considers the importance of finding the interpersonal metaphor embedded in the patient's material, the various kinds of interventions made by the therapist, and the multiple ways the patient uses the therapist, such as a selfobject, a container, and an object for identification. Eight case presentations demonstrate Horner's theoretical contributions.