The Theory and Practice of Psychoanalytic Therapy: Listening for the Subtext outlines the core concepts that frame the reciprocal encounter between psychoanalytic therapist and patient. It takes the reader into the psychoanalytic therapy room and provides detailed examples of how the interaction between patient and therapist takes place. The book argues that the therapist must capture both nonverbal affects and unsymbolized experiences, proposing a distinction between structuralized and actualized affects.
Key Features
- Comprehensive Understanding: Covers key topics such as transference, countertransference, and enactment.
- Focus on Unconscious Meaning: Emphasizes the unconscious meaning in the here-and-now.
- Integration of Perspectives: Combines object relational and structural perspectives through relational oriented character analysis.
- Detailed Clinical Examples: Packed with detailed clinical examples that illustrate key concepts.
- Target Audience: Appeals to psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, and clinical psychologists in practice and training.
Additional Information
The book highlights the need for affirmation to support more classical styles of intervention. It argues that the patient’s ways-of-being constitute relational strategies carrying implicit messages – a "subtext" – and provides detailed examples of how to capture this underlying dialogue. Displaying a unique interplay between clinical observation and theory, this wide-ranging book is an essential resource for professionals in the field.
