Introduction to the Practice of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

This is so much more than an introductory text; it holds fast to an open, reflective and critical stance, setting out psychoanalytic ideas and their practical application in a way that is remarkably clear,authoritative and demystifying. The revision extends and updates the original, making psychoanalytic concepts even more accessible and - more importantly - applicable. This book deserves a wide audience, and I strongly recommend it.Tony Roth, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University College LondonThis is a practice-oriented textbook which aims to demystify psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Teaching and learning psychoanalytic therapy is a less clear-cut process than for other therapies, and it is easy for students to feel overwhelmed. This accessible guide is based on the author's own long experience of teaching trainee practitioners, and is built on the core premise that psychoanalysis is not so much skill-based as dependent upon development of the analytic attitude, guided by principles of technique that are used in the clinical situation. The book provides step-by-step guidance and useful pointers in key areas such as how to make interpretations, how to carry out assessments, how to formulate cases in psychodynamic terms and how to approach endings. It presents critical information in an accessible way with case studies and practice guidelines, explaining the processes which underpin psychoanalytic psychotherapy as clearly and simply as possible. The Second Edition is updated throughout, with notable new material on findings from neuroscience and the increasing evidence base for psychoanalytic psychotherapy, the US relational school and the development of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy, and recent studies in transference.