Psychoanalytic Theories

by Peter Fonagy, Mary Target (Contributor)

Peter Fonagy Winner of the 2010 Sigourney Award! Psychoanalytic theory influenced many facets of 20th century culture, and shows every sign of continuing to have an impact in the 21st. However, in order to sustain this influence it has to adapt to the challenges of out current intellectual environment. This book attempts to build a bridge between psychoanalysis and a dominant perspective in modern psychiatry and psychology: developmental psychopathology. This perspective studies biological, psychological and social influences that act on individuals, shaping their pathways through life. While psychoanalytical perspectives are inherently developmental, this is often left implicit. This book highlights the developmental bases for psychoanalytical ideas, and examines their assumptions and claims in relation to observational and other data gathered within neighboring disciplines. The book reaches back to the work of Freud, and covers North American and European ideas including the Klein-Bion model, the British Object Relations tradition, the work of Kernberg and Kohut as well as modern Relational Psychoanalysis.

Genres: Psychoanalysis

418 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2002

Reviews

[Adam Shaeffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book probably accomplished what the authors intended, but I also think I am not their intended audience.

Glad to be done with this one.

[Vincent Arthurs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have reread this text many times and my highlighter was on overdrive.