Introducing Psychoanalysis

Introducing Psychoanalysis brings together leading analysts to explain what psychoanalysis is and how it has developed, providing a fascinating overview of the wide variety of psychoanalytic ideas that are current in Britain today.

The ideas of psychoanalysis have permeated Western culture. It is the dominant paradigm through which we understand our emotional lives, and Freud still finds himself an iconic figure. Yet despite the constant stream of anti-Freud literature, little is known about contemporary psychoanalysis. Introducing Psychoanalysis redresses the balance. It introduces psychoanalysis as a unified 'theory of the unconscious' with a variety of different theoretical and therapeutic approaches, explains some of the strange ways in which psychoanalysts think about the mind, and is one of the few books to connect psychoanalysis to everyday life and common understanding of the world. How do psychoanalysts conceptualize the mind? Why was Freud so interested in sex? Is psychoanalysis a science? How does analysis work? In answering these questions, this book offers new insights into the nature of psychoanalytic theory and original ways of describing therapeutic practice. The theory comes alive through Oscar Zarate's insightful and daring illustrations, which enlighten the text. In demystifying and explaining psychoanalysis, this book will be of interest to students, teachers and the general public.

Introducing Psychoanalysis asks important questions like: Why was Freud so interested in sex? How does analysis work? Psychoanalytic terms such as Ego, libido and neurosis have become a part of our everyday vocabulary. But what is modern psychoanalysis? This book introduces psychoanalysis as a unified theory of the unconscious with a variety of different approaches. It is one of the few books to connect psychoanalysis to daily life and common understanding of the world.

The need for a concise, comprehensive guide to the main principles and practice of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy has become pressing as the psychoanalytic movement has expanded and diversified. An introductory text suitable for a wide range of courses, this lively, widely referenced account presents the core features of contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice in an easily assimilated, but thought-provoking manner. Illustrated throughout with clinical examples, it provides an up-to-date source of reference for a wider range of mental health professionals as well as those training in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy or counselling.

Since its inception, psychoanalysis has been hailed as a revolutionary theory of how the mind works, whilst some of its ideas such as the Oedipus complex have become part of everyday conversation. In Psychoanalysis: A Very Short Introduction, Daniel Pick offers a lucid, lively, and wide-ranging survey of psychoanalysis. This book offers the reader a flavour of what it might be like to enter treatment, and suggests the possible surprises that can await both analyst and patient, as well as the potential benefits. Yet whilst Freud's writings have shaped the way many of us understand dreams, desires, and destructiveness, as well as anxieties, blunders, and guilt, numerous critics have warned of the dangerous methods and time-bound assumptions of psychoanalysis, doubted the efficacy of its drawn-out methods, and dismissed its core claims as pseudo-science. Looking at modern ideas of the self, exploring the nature of unconscious aspects of relationships, and considering how psychoanalysis has evolved, Pick ponders the particular challenges now facing the analytic profession, and shows why psychoanalysis remains an important resource for investigating the mind, its creative functioning and many afflictions. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Electronic Inspection Copy available here "The best simply got better. The first edition of this book was already quite simply the best introduction to psychoanalysis ever written and has been appropriately extremely popular with teachers and students alike. The thoroughly updated second edition retains all the powerful features of the first including its remarkable clarity and accessibility. The field will be greatly indebted to these authors for many years." - Professor Peter Fonagy, University College London A Short Introduction to Psychoanalysis offers a user-friendly introduction to arguably the most misunderstood of all the psychological therapies. This fully updated and revised second edition explains what psychoanalysis really is and provides the reader with an overview of its basic concepts, historical development, critiques and research base. Demonstrating the far reaching influence of psychoanalysis, the authors - all practicing psychoanalysts - describe how its concepts have been applied beyond the consulting room and examine its place within the spectrum of other psychological theories. The text is enlivened by numerous clinical examples. New to this edition, the book o discusses parent infant psychotherapy and mentalization-based therapy (MBT) o further investigates psychotherapy in the NHS and the IAPT programme, with more on the debate between CBT and analytic approaches o includes more on dreaming and attachment theory, with added examples o includes new research studies and addresses the new field of psychosocial studies. This down-to-earth guide provides the ideal `way-in' to the subject for new trainees. For anyone thinking of becoming a psychoanalyst, the book also provides information on the training process and the structure of the profession.

The science of psychoanalysis is now more than a century old. During this period, it has been established as the instrument offering the most profound understanding of the human mind, and as the most effective tool for treating psychic suffering we have at our disposal. A Short Introduction to Psychoanalysis offers readers an introduction to this extraordinarily interesting discipline. In this short volume, Giuseppe Civitarese and Antonino Ferro explore psychoanalysis, which is at the same time a theory of unconscious psychic processes, a technique for investigating these, and a method for curing various forms of psychic suffering, by explaining some of its main themes and ideas. As the only introductory text to the increasingly popular post-Bionian theory of the analytic field, A Short Introduction to Psychoanalysis examines the theory of dreams, the concept of the unconscious, the psychoanalytic clinic, the analysis of children and adolescents, and the history of psychoanalysis. In seeking to give a broad idea of what psychoanalysis is, what it has become, and the direction it may take in the future, this book will appeal to all those curious about this fascinating discipline, and is particularly aimed at students of psychology, the humanities, and of psychoanalytic institutes, as well as qualified psychoanalysts and psychotherapists.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.