Everyday Life and the Unconscious Mind: An Introduction to Psychoanalytic Concepts

An increasing number of people are seeking to develop an understanding of psychoanalytic concepts in order to apply them to the ordinary situations that they encounter as they go about their work, family and social lives. Some of these people are students just leaving college and going on to university, some are managers seeking to understand the dynamics of work place relationships and some are the friends or families of people who suffer with emotional distress or mental health issues.

Everyday Life and the Unconscious Mind is written for students, for those who work in the care sector, or in management, and for those who love someone who is struggling emotionally. It explains and clarifies some of the concepts that address the way in which the unconscious mind works and how it seeks to manage its feelings.

It includes chapters on trauma and defence mechanisms, which are to do with how we cope with events that act like a psychological blow to our self esteem or our identity. It also discusses transference and countertransference, concepts which have traditionally been confined to the consulting room, but which can be mobilised in a number of different sorts of relationships, and if understood can contribute to the moment-by-moment decisions that we make in our everyday relationships. The book also clarifies what is meant by 'projective identification', a fundamental concept in understanding the profound nature of communication between people and absolutely invaluable in work with people in distress or with mental health difficulties.