Thinking For Clinicians

by Donna M. Orange

Thinking for Clinicians provides analysts of all orientations with the tools and context for working critically within psychoanalytic theory and practice. It does this through detailed chapters on some of the philosophers whose work is especially relevant for contemporary theory and clinical Emmanuel Levinas, Martin Buber, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Hans-Georg Gadamer. Orange presents the historical background for their ideas, along with clinical vignettes to help contextualize their theories, further grounding them in real-world experience. With a hermeneutic sensibility firmly in mind, Thinking for Clinicians rewards as it challenges and will be a valuable reference for clinicians who seek a better understanding of the philosophical bases of contemporary psychoanalytic theory.

Genres: Psychology, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Donna M. Orange, Ph.D., Psy.D., holds two doctorates: one in Philosophy from Fordham University and the other in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University. A faculty member of the Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity and a supervisor at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, she maintains a private practice in New Jersey.

Reviews

[Hiu Ching · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book with a lot of expectation as a person who loves psychology, psychotherapy, and philosophy.

She did a great job in summarizing and synthesizing different philosophers' thoughts into clinical context. However, it takes me a month to actually digest it as this seems a bit difficult for readers who do not have prior knowledge/ foundation on philosophy.

This book gives a general overview of these concepts and can be approached with mental preparation that you would need to do a lot of extra reading in order to get the most out of it.

It is fair to say this is neither therapeutic and philosophical given how short the book is. However, will recommend after all as a starting point.

[Susan Boulware · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear amd concise articulation of the humanistic, phenomological philosophical,foundation s of c9 temporary psychoanalysis.

[Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very brief overview of phenomenologist philosophy as it might undergird certain psychoanalytic clinical technique. A good get acquainted with Buber, Levinas, Gadamer, Merleau-Ponty, and Wittgenstein. It neither gives enough philosophy nor psychoanalysis (or psychotherapy) to be truly satisfying. Dr. Orange does provide helpful further readings.

[Larry]

Excellent book
Provides the philosophical grounding of relational forms of education and psychology