From Classical To Contemporary Psychoanalysis

To help make of the current pluralism in contemporary psychoanalysis, Morris Eagle sets out to critically reevaluate fundamental psychoanalytic concepts of theory and practice. He reintroduces€notions of€the mind, object relations, psychopathology, and treatment from first Freudian and then contemporary psychoanalytic perspectives. However, there is an underlying emphasis on identification and integration of converging themes, reemphasized and expanded in a final chapter. Clinical vignettes and relevant empirical research are used throughout, thus basic concepts are reexamined in the.

In Core Concepts in Classical Psychoanalysis, alongside its companion piece Core Concepts in Contemporary Psychoanalysis, Morris N. Eagle asks: of the core concepts and formulations of psychoanalytic theory, which ones should be retained, which should be modified and in what ways, and which should be discarded? The key concepts and issues explored in this book include: Unconscious processes and research on them - what evidence is there for a dynamic unconscious? Is there a universal Oedipus complex? The importance of inner conflict. The concept of defense. Unlike other previous discussions of these concepts, this book systematically evaluates them in the light of conceptual critique as well as recent research based evidence and empirical data. Written with Eagle’s piercing clarity of voice, Core Concepts in Classical Psychoanalysis challenges previously unquestioned psychoanalytic assumptions and will appeal to psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic psychotherapists, and anyone interested in integrating core psychoanalytic concepts, research, and theory with other disciplines including psychiatry, psychology, and social work.

In Core Concepts in Contemporary Psychoanalysis, alongside its companion piece Core Concepts in Classical Psychoanalysis, Morris N. Eagle asks: of the core concepts and formulations of psychoanalytic theory, which ones should be retained, which should be modified and in what ways, and which should be discarded? The key concepts and issues explored in this book include: Are transference interpretations necessary for positive therapeutic outcomes? Are the analyst’s countertransference reactions a reliable guide to the patient’s unconscious mental states? Is projective identification a coherent concept? Psychoanalytic styles of thinking and writing. Unlike other previous discussions of such concepts, this book systematically evaluates them in the light of conceptual critique as well as recent research-based evidence and empirical data. Written with Eagle’s piercing clarity of voice, Core Concepts in Contemporary Psychoanalysis challenges previously unquestioned psychoanalytic assumptions and will appeal to psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic psychotherapists, and anyone interested in integrating core psychoanalytic concepts, research, and theory with other disciplines including psychiatry, psychology, and social work.

Understanding Classical Psychoanalysis gives a clear overview of the key tenets of classical Freudian psychoanalysis, and offers a guide to how these might be best understood and applied to contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice. Covering such essential concepts as the Oedipal complex, narcissism and metapsychology, Fayek explores what Freud’s thinking has to offer psychoanalysts of all schools of thought today, and what key facets of his work can usefully be built on to develop future theory. The book will be of interest to psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in practice and training, as well as teaching faculties and postgraduate students studying Freudian psychoanalysis.

In Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Masterworks of Art and Film, Harry Trosman demonstrates that a psychoanalytic point of view can vastly enrich one's understanding and appreciation of works of art. Drawing on current psychoanalytic views of the importance of fantasy, attachment and individuation theory, preoedipal factors in development, and object relations, Trosman addresses the impact of psychoanalysis on the understanding of the visual arts, painting, and film. Velázquez's Las Meninas, Giorgione's The Tempest, Rembrandt's self-portraits, and Seurat's La Grand Jatte are among the paintings Trosman analyzes. He also considers such films as Antonioni's L'avventura, Welles's Citizen Kane, Hitchcock's Vertigo, and Fellini's 8 1/2. The result is an insightful and innovative perspective, integrating classical and contemporary psychoanalytic thought with art and film criticism.

This book provides a clear introduction to the main contemporary psychoanalytic theoretical perspectives. Psychoanalysis is often thought of as an obscure and outdated method, and yet those familiar with it recognize the profound value of psychoanalytic theory and technique. Part of the obscurity may come from psychoanalytic language itself, which is often impenetrable. The complexity of the subject matter has lent itself to a confusion of tongues and yet, at base, psychoanalysis remains an earnest attempt to make sense of and ease human distress. Introduction to Contemporary Psychoanalysis seeks to make this rich wealth of information more accessible to clinicians and trainees. Psychoanalytic clinicians from various schools here describe the key ideas that underlie their particular perspective, helping the reader to see how they apply those ideas in their clinical work. Inviting the contributors to speak about their actual practice, rather than merely providing an overview, this book helps the reader to see common threads that run across perspectives, but also to recognize ways in which the different lenses from each of the perspectives inform interventions Through brief vignettes, the reader is offered an experience-near sense of what it might be like to apply those ideas in their own work. The contributors also note the limits or weaknesses of their particular theory, inviting the reader to consider the broader spectrum of these diverse offerings so that the benefits of each might be more visible. Introduction to Contemporary Psychoanalysis offers readers the richness and diversity of psychoanalytic theory and technique, so that the advantages of each particular lens might be visible and accessible as a further tool in their clinical work. This novel, comparative work will be an essential text for any psychoanalyst or psychoanalytically inclined therapist in training, as well as clinicians and those who teach psychoanalytic theory and technique.

Understanding Classical Psychoanalysis gives a clear overview of the key tenets of classical Freudian psychoanalysis, and offers a guide to how these might be best understood and applied to contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice. Covering such essential concepts as the Oedipal complex, narcissism and metapsychology, Fayek explores what Freud’s thinking has to offer psychoanalysts of all schools of thought today, and what key facets of his work can usefully be built on to develop future theory. The book will be of interest to psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in practice and training, as well as teaching faculties and postgraduate students studying Freudian psychoanalysis.

Although attachment theory was originally rooted in psychoanalysis, the two areas have since developed quite independently. This incisive book explores ways in which attachment theory and psychoanalysis have each contributed to understanding key aspects of psychological functioning--including infantile and adult sexuality, aggression, psychopathology, and psychotherapeutic change--and what the two fields can learn from each other. Morris Eagle critically evaluates how psychoanalytic thinking can aid in expanding core attachment concepts, such as the internal working model, and how knowledge about attachment can inform clinical practice and enrich psychoanalytic theory building. Three chapters on attachment theory and research are written in collaboration with Everett Waters.