Review of Rediscovering psychoanalysis: Thinking and dreaming, learning and forgetting.

Reviews the book, Rediscovering psychoanalysis: Thinking and dreaming, learning and forgetting by Thomas H. Ogden (see record 2009-01395-000). Ogden has deepened our understanding of how to make therapeutic use of strong emotional reactions to our patients as much as any contemporary psychoanalytic writer. In his most recent book is an enjoyable work that is capable of affecting readers in both intellectually challenging and emotionally resonant ways. This book consists of eight chapters that may best be thought of in two parts. In the first part, we see the author looking back and sharing his vast experience as clinician, teacher, supervisor and lifelong student of psychoanalytic practice. In the second part, the chapters are more consistent with earlier works and what many readers have come to expect from Ogden’s deep engagement with the canon of psychoanalytic theory. It should be said that this book may reach its best audience with relatively seasoned psychoanalytic practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Relational theory and the practice of psychotherapy.

Reviews the books, Relational theory and the practice of psychotherapy by Paul L. Wachtel (2009). Paul Wachtel has done it again. After writing for many years about integrating psychoanalytic, behavioral and family approaches to psychotherapy in addition to cultural issues, Wachtel has returned to his psychoanalytic origins to explicate his ideas about cyclical psychodynamics from the perspective of contemporary relational psychoanalysis. This book is an excellent way for psychotherapists unfamiliar with how psychoanalysis has changed since Freud to familiarize themselves with recent developments from a writer who does not get lost in the jargon that distances many who find psychoanalytic language lacking in clarity. Psychoanalysts will find some critiques of traditional views and expansions of ways of looking at the clinical situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The foundations of psychoanalysis: A philosophical critique.

Reviews the book by A. Grünbaum, a work of importance in the current, apparently ever-widening, debates about the "scienticity" of psychoanalysis. Grünbaum makes it clear that the inquiry moves toward a verdict of unproven with respect to the scientific claims of psychoanalytic clinical theory, perhaps even the stronger verdict of unprovable in the terms in which it is traditionally cast. Yet Grünbaum is not hospitable to the promiscuous reconstructions that set psychoanalysis apart from the mainstream of scientific endeavor, whether on subjectivist or phenomenological or hermeneutical grounds. As Grünbaum sees it, Freud rightly claimed that psychoanalysis was to be judged as a science in its study of human processes. Grünbaum's respect for Freud is given body by examining how Freud at various stages of his development formulated the logic of his own position and the structure of objections which he was setting out explicitly to answer. The first third of the book deals with broader philosophical foundations, the remainder with the specific critique of psychoanalytic clinical theory. Grünbaum's critique taps the deeper issues of the comparison of the sciences of nature and those of man, of the relation of science and the humanities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The anatomy of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, The anatomy of psychotherapy by Lawrence Friedman (see record 1988-97848-000). The authors' aim is to clarify the various theories of psychoanalysis from Freud to the current and to examine in depth the personal features of the analyst in the context of his/her work. With a knowledge of the entire range of psychoanalytic literature rare with most theorists or practitioners, the author reviews the philosophical developments of Freudian theory. He includes in this review some of the frictions, disputes and subtle disagreements within the classical analytic tradition. He then proceeds to describe the most significant of the contemporary deviations from classical theory (e.g., object relations, interpersonal theory, self psychology, action language) and compares and contrasts them with each other. Friedman has long been a commentator on contemporary psychoanalytic developments and he has adapted his many articles into this work. The book itself is organized into six sections, focusing on the personal and theoretical. It is well written but quite dense. Much concentration is needed. I believe that one must have an interest in psychoanalytic theory as well as a rather sophisticated appreciation of it to truly enjoy this book. It is long and detailed and I imagine difficult to get through without an intrinsic interest in the "anatomy" of psychoanalysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment to the therapist.

This study examines the ways in which therapists function as attachment figures for patients. Patients in long-term psychoanalytic therapy answered questionnaires about their feelings about their therapists and their closest personal relationships. Components of attachment prominent in the therapeutic relationships were looking up to the therapist and feeling the therapist was responsive to emotional needs. Stronger attachment to therapists was associated with greater frequency and duration of therapy, a stronger working alliance, and greater security of the patients' attachment style, as well as with the gender of the patient and therapist. Using attachment theory to understand psychoanalytic relationships emphasizes the unique importance of a therapist to a patient and can offer new perspectives on both therapeutic and attachment processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Clinical interaction and the analysis of meaning: A new psychoanalytic theory.

Reviews the book, Clinical interaction and the analysis of meaning: A new psychoanalytic theory by T. Dorpat and M. Miller (see record 1992-98407-000). This text views psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the perspective of the newly proposed concept of "Meaning Analysis." The authors purport to advance psychoanalytic theory and technique by taking a fresh perspective on two important aspects of analytic encounter: the interaction between the analyst and analysand (therapist and patient) and how interactions in this relationship affect transference and countertransference. This book also examines the analysis of meaning and how treatment can assist in the understanding and reconstruction of client beliefs. The authors present a reanalysis of Freud's theory and the goal of the book is to elucidate the "flaws" in his work. The reviewer believes that many readers will be intrigued by the criticisms of Freud and the blending of more recent research into analytic models. This book is recommended for both analytically oriented therapists and interested readers who want to learn more about analytic treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The ability to mourn: Disillusionment and the social origins of psychoanalysis.

Reviews the book, The ability to mourn: Disillusionment and the social origins of psychoanalysis by Peter Homans (see record 1989-98118-000). Within the broadly defined goal of investigating the social origins of psychoanalysis, this book undertakes a series of strikingly original and thought-provoking explorations into the history of the psychoanalytic movement, its place in the traditions of Western culture, and its possible role in defining a more satisfactory relationship to modernity. In addition to providing a sociological study of one of the most influential movements of our time, the book also attempts to put forward a new psychoanalytic theory of culture capable of overcoming the limitations of Freud's cultural theories. The book is divided into three parts, the first two of which are devoted primarily to the origins and early development of psychoanalysis while the third takes up the contemporary cultural significance of psychoanalysis and the author's own theory of culture. The underlying thesis of the first two parts of the book is that psychoanalysis arose from a centuries-long process of mourning dating as far back as the 14th century. In his search for a theory of culture appropriate to the problems of modernity, as in his explorations of the history of the psychoanalytic movement and the origins of psychoanalysis, Homans provides an unusually creative and original perspective on issues of fundamental importance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revolutions in psychoanalytic theory of lesbian development: Dora to dykes and back again.

Nowhere is the therapeutic action in psychoanalytic theory, away from Freud and back again, more striking than in the realm of homosexuality. Theories of lesbian development have evolved to appreciate the complexity of sexuality and gender as expressed in sexual object choice, foregrounded within psychoanalysis by proponents of relational and intersubjectivity theories. In this article, I argue that it was not until psychoanalysis came to embrace this complex and contextualized understanding of homosexuality that therapists could become curious with patients about conflict-based aspects of their homosexual selves without risk of pathologizing. I elaborate the ways in which contemporary psychoanalytic theories of lesbian development have provided a theoretical context from which therapists may allow ideas of drive, conflict, and object relations to inform and to advance work with their lesbian patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development.

Reviews the book, A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development by John Bowlby (see record 1988-98501-000). This volume consists of nine lectures given over the last decade by the author, an eminent child researcher and psychoanalyst. Seven of the lectures have been published elsewhere. Each lecture, slightly rewritten in chapter form, further illuminates specific aspects and implications of Bowlby's theory of attachment. These include: the relationship between family violence and early attachment experiences; the central features of sensitive, caring parenting and the unique roles of fathers; the origins of depression in childhood experience; and the relationship between attachment theory and the therapeutic process. The reviewer believes that the book should serve as "a secure base" for those eclectic therapists seeking to integrate and extend Bowlby's ideas in their clinical work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment theory and research and the psychoanalytic process.

Attachment theory, along with relevant research, is reviewed in terms of its usefulness as a developmental theory for conceptualizing aspects of the psychoanalytic process. Because of its emphasis on the development of relationships through the process of dyadic interaction, attachment theory offers an alternative conceptualization for understanding the relationship aspects of the clinical psychoanalytic process. Manifestations of early attachment behavior can be understood as being recreated in the course of psychoanalysis and can contribute to a developmental understanding of the process. Because many psychiatric problems can be attributed to difficulties in the development of an attachment relationship, it is also possible that attachment theory may be helpful in providing further understanding of the etiology of deviations in development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Recent developments in psychoanalysis: A critical evaluation.

Reviews the book, Recent developments in psychoanalysis: A critical evaluation by Morris N. Eagle (see record 1987-98252-000). This is, I believe, one of the most important books of psychoanalytic scholarship to emerge in the last few years. Morris Eagle has written a book that reviews and attempts to bring clarity to some of these newer speculations, while simultaneously seeking to maintain those aspects of historical scholarship that can withstand the test of time and prove relevant today. Eagle critically assesses the contributions of object relations theory, instinct theory, the psychoanalytic theory of therapy, problems of metapsychology and psychoanalytic epistemology, self psychology, the role of evidence in the formulation of clinical theory, the structural model of the mind, and the psychoanalytic theory of anxiety; that he is able to do so succinctly and coherently is a testimony to the focused intensity of much of the thinking in this provocative book. In conclusion, whether one agrees or not with Eagle's points, this book may be profitably read by students, psychologists, and psychoanalysts interested in the contemporary psychoanalytic scene. It joins a growing body of recent critical scholarship seeking to render psychoanalysis as a more humane, tough, and thoughtful discipline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychoanalytic participation: Action, interaction, and integration.

Reviews the book, Psychoanalytic participation: Action, interaction, and integration by Kenneth A. Frank (see record 1999-04095-000). Frank's book is an extremely timely, well-written, and scholarly book that integrates the recent developments within the two-person, relational perspective in contemporary psychoanalysis with an active, pragmatic approach that includes many cognitive and behavioral technical innovations. This book initially appears to be directed toward a psychoanalytic audience that is on the cusp of appreciating an expanding repertoire of active, cognitive, and behavioral approaches. However, Frank's presentation is so comprehensive and thoughtful that the book is also an excellent text for nonpsychoanalytic therapists (and students) to develop an understanding of the contemporary two-person, relational approaches to psychotherapy. Frank presents a deeply integrative approach that appears to be guided by a particular set of values that emphasize both a commitment to a pragmatic approach of helping patients reach their life goals and the therapist's self-understanding of the complexity, the interpersonal impact, and the meaning of all therapeutic events and interventions on both participants. This is an excellent book either for the psychoanalytic therapist who is ready to be more active and engaged with patients or for the cognitive and behavioral therapist who is ready to integrate a more dynamic, two-person approach to the transference-countertransference relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A memorial essay on Merton Max Gill (1914-1994).

Reviews the book, Psychoanalysis in transition: A personal view by Merton M. Gill (see record 1994-98473-000). Merton Gill's final book, subtitled A personal view, may aptly be understood from a retrospective perspective as a fitting presentation of his intellectual memoirs. From that vantage point, Gill's final book conveys a wish that his personal legacy be understood by the public in terms of his evolving contributions to change and new perspectives in the history of psychoanalytic theory and technique, rather than through other details of his personal life. First, in terms of Gill's intended audience, it is clear that he succeeded in his intention to create a work that would be enlightening to both students and beginning clinicians, as well as to the more experienced practitioner. It is also plausible that Gill was writing this book for a third audience, not made explicit, but of great importance to him. This third audience could be understood to be comprised mostly of those who have known him personally, those who have collaborated with him, and the many others who are already familiar with his work and its course of evolution. Psychoanalysis in transition (1994) can be understood as a further examination of Gill's stated basic aim of his earlier monographs on transference in at least two ways: (a) It continues his dialectical effort to examine and synthesize dichotomies in psychoanalytic theory and practice and (b) it extends his views about the need to be alert to here-and-now interactions in the analytic situation and presents an elaboration of Gill's subsequent new metatheory and metapsychology, which he sees as supplanting Freud's "natural science physicoenergic framework." In conclusion, Transitions in psychoanalysis stands as an evocative and insightful final statement of Merton Gill's perceptions of the broad landscape of ongoing, major psychoanalytic controversies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment Disorganization: The Reunion of Attachment Theory and Psychoanalysis.

The author investigates the psychoanalytic implications of recent attachment research on the disorganized attachment category in infants and the unresolved for trauma and loss adult attachment classification with which it has been associated. The author first reviews empirical findings on attachment disorganization and then explores the ways in which they are consistent with and illuminated by psychoanalytic concepts. The focus is on linkages between disorganized attachment and Freud's theory of strain trauma and traumatic anxiety, Klein's theory of projective identification and the interplay between paranoidschizoid and depressive anxieties in development, and Blatt's theory of psychological development as resulting from the interplay of anaclitic and introjective developmental lines. In so doing, this article contributes to the reunion between attachment theory and psychoanalysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reviews of Psychoanalyses/feminisms; That obscure subject of desire: Freud's female homosexual revisited; and Who's that girl? Who's that boy? Clinical practice meets postmodern gender theory.

Reviews the books, Psychoanalyses/feminisms by Peter L. Rudnytsky and Andrew M. Gordon (see record 1999-04403-000); That obscure subject of desire: Freud's female homosexual revisited by Ronnie C. Lesser and Erica Schoenberg (see record 1999-04164-000); and Who's that girl? Who's that boy? Clinical practice meets postmodern gender theory by Lynne Layton (1999). The three books reviewed herein are examples of these crosscurrents. The first, Psychoanalyses/Feminisms, comes out of literary studies, where feminism and psychoanalysis have found particularly fertile ground. Almost all the writers here are professors of English, and although without clinical experience or case material, their discussions of Freudian theory are knowledgeable and thought-provoking. Freud looked to literature for his insights, and he was himself a powerful story teller. All of these modern day theorists put his feet to the fire that he did not challenge sufficiently in his stories, the cultural biases and assumptions of the society in which he was immersed. The second book, That Obscure Subject of Desire: Freud's Female Homosexual Revisited, is a collection edited by Ronnie Lesser and Erica Schoenberg. Many of the contributors are gay and lesbian psychoanalysts. Established psychoanalysis has had difficulty in openly accepting homosexual psychoanalysts and in addressing fully their concerns about current psychoanalytic theory as it pertains to the treatment of persons with a homosexual orientation. The rage some of these writers feel toward established practice or toward Freud is evident; and hopefully, just as feminist rage helped to alter our psychoanalytic understanding of women, this will help to alter our understanding of homosexual development in our culture. The last book reviewed, Who's that girl? Who's that boy? Clinical practice meets postmodern gender theory, is by Lynne Layton and has aspects that are inspiring for their insights into a "postmodern" (to my mind, an unfortunate term) way of thinking about gender issues. The book—actually a collection of articles by Layton—deals both with analysis of aspects of modern culture as well as clinical material. What Layton wants most to show are the ways in which psychoanalysis has enshrined as "normal" in the very essence of its theories, from the Oedipus complex through concepts of masculinity and femininity to acceptable sexual practices, the tremendous biases of our culture. She wants to provide a bridge between deconstruction thinkers and psychoanalytic thinkers. These three books are compelling examples of the changes that are taking place so rapidly in contemporary psychoanalytic attempts to understand gender and sexuality within the matrix of our culture, and they are a testament to how psychoanalysis is vibrant, challenging, and very much alive today. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Assault on Truth: Freud's Suppression of the Seduction Theory.

The reviewer contends that this book deserves admiration for its masterly review of historical events in the development of psychoanalysis. It should be read by psychoanalysts not only for its enormous fund of skillfully assembled information about the formative years of Freud's thinking, but for its story of how new information was treated by some leaders of the psychoanalytic establishment. In the guise of protecting psychoanalysis, this information was dismissed as harmful. It is precisely such a well-meaning upholding of psychoanalytic doctrine that can throttle its growth. Although some of Masson's interpretations are made in the best Freudian style, Lewis remains unconvinced that, in what Masson calls a "failure of courage," Freud suppressed the truth. Nor did Freud's abandonment of the seduction theory lead to the present-day "sterility" of psychoanalysis, as Masson believes. Rather, the spurious need to defend psychoanalysis that Masson encountered during his investigations has also made many institutes sterile places. Masson thus confounds the limitations of some parts of the psychoanalytic establishment with the future of psychoanalysis itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on Natterson (2003).

The author views J. M. Natterson's (2003) article as a return to Freud's emphasis on the centrality of love in psychoanalysis freshly conceptualized within a contemporary intersubjective perspective. Natterson's definition of love is viewed by the author as consisting of 3 independent components (attachment, recognition, and mutuality) that may harmonize or conflict. The author notes the rarity of Natterson's intimate disclosure of the specifics of his own subjectivity to the reader, and their value in advancing the understanding of psychoanalytic process and theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)