Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process

Rating:
Summary: Excellent outline of ideas on psychostructures
Review: In conjunction with Kernberg's Severe Personality Disorders and the quickie DSM-IV, this is an excellent (albeit, of course, involved) resource for even the layperson who desires to gain a deeper understanding of human beings. Not everyone is material for therapy, yet all of us may employ any number of the conditions and defense mechanisms outlined in the book, to SOME degree. It is, of course, the extreme, debilitating examples that can really bring such dynamics to a brighter light for analysis. Thus, I have been able to subtly apply some of these ideas in my everyday relationships, in terms of my understanding and processing of them.

In "Psychoanalytic Diagnosis", I find particularly helpful the brief, theoretical mapping of the defense mechanism buffet as presently known to man, laid across a few chapters in order of primary and secondary usage. Of course, much of the ideology presented is speculative ~ but interesting, nonetheless.

I also appreciate the occasional, juxtaposed variety of interpretational approaches offered for individual phenomenon. Given the organic and sometimes elusive nature of our subject matter, this presentation of several angles of the same behavior can prove to be beneficially revealing.

In sum, it is exploring these "extreme" case studies that offers insight into the universal structure of the human soul ... beneficial for anyone seeking such knowledge, and desiring to understand and improve their relationships.

For more info on transferences between client and therapist - (which, despite the book's perspective, the dynamics of such need not be limited to the psychotherapist's couch, but potentially *any* relationship (as deemed relevant)) - I recommend the Kernberg work initially cited.

Rating:
Summary: Thank You Nancy McWilliams!
Review: This book is without a doubt the finest psychoanalytic text I have come across. If you desire only one psychoanalytic work in your library, make it this one. Ms. McWilliam's book is beautifully and clearly written, intelligent, informative, and affords both a useful overview of most concepts that any practitioner (or interested layperson) might need, AND the history and development of whatever she discusses. She is smart, does not take herself or the field too seriously, and explains things better than nearly anyone else writing in the field. BUY THIS BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Soon to be a classic...
Review: This text should be a staple item in the library of any aspiring dynamic therapist. Lucidly written and well-organized.