The Collapse of the Self and Its Therapeutic Restoration is a rich and clinically detailed account of the therapeutic restoration of the self, speaking to the healing process for analysts themselves that follows from Rochelle Kainer's sensitive integration of heretofore dissociated realms of psychoanalytic theory. Kainer brings new insight to bear on the healing of the self while contributing to healing the historic split in psychoanalysis between Kleinian theory and self psychology. Extensive case illustrations bring refreshing clarity to elusive theoretical concepts.
Key Features
- Detailed exploration of the therapeutic restoration of the self.
- Integration of psychoanalytic theory with extensive case illustrations.
- Introduction of the term "imaginative empathy" for analytic healing.
- Nuanced description linking imaginative empathy and projective identification.
- Comprehensive understanding of various clinical phenomena.
Additional Information
Kainer's distinction between normal and pathological identifications is of special note. This work is a sophisticated yet accessible read, gracefully written, that elaborates a relational theory of thinking, creativity, identification, and the formation and healing of psychic structure. Kainer's ability to bring the often dissonant voices of different psychoanalytic schools into theoretical harmony conveys both the breadth of intellectual engagement with colleagues and the depth of clinical engagement with patients that inform her project from beginning to end.
