Elusive Elements in Practice (Paperback)

The third volume in the Practice of Psychotherap series, "Elusive Elements in Practice," brings together a collection of papers examining the ideas and theories more commonly regarded as off-centre, or indeed elusive, in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The papers in this volume concentrate on the religious and spiritual dimensions of the therapeutic encounter, the "aesthetic experience," creativity, and mysticism. These "moments of relatedness," or meetings of minds, are discussed and examined with the help of clinical examples. This is an innovative collection that demonstrates that the theories and experiences on the margins of practice can further develop our ultimate understanding of the entire process."'[psychotherapists] tend to agree on what is just too eccentric and is to be regarded with reserve and suspicion. These ideas are left on the margins and, getting less attention, they are more elusive. They will not get concentrated consideration either in the consulting room or in the study. This is one reason why they are more elusive. But such neglect may cause potentially good ideas to be lost, as well as ridiculous ones." -- From the Introduction"The therapeutic elements this collection deals with may be elusive, but they are also eminently practical. Steven Mendoza (following Bion) writes on 'faith', Josephine Klein on the importance of true 'recognition' for the patient; others write on the consequences of the baby's experience of the mother's beauty. These therapists venture to look into a more affirmative territory, most of it impeccably psychoanalytic but hitherto obscured, perhaps, by Freud's celebrated pessimism. The result is a courageous and original collection of papers, which offer a great deal of 'food for thought'." -- David M. Black, British Psycho-Analytical SocietyContributors include Patricia Allen, Bernardine Bishop, Faye Carey, Nathan Field, Angela Foster, Josephine Klein, Steven Mendoza, Victoria O'Connell