Mutuality, Recognition, and the Self: Psychoanalytic Reflections

Mutuality, Recognition, and the Self examines emerging trends in contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice, highlighting intersubjective and relational models of the mind. It presents vivid and extended clinical vignettes that demonstrate the analyst’s use of the self in building clinical momentum and continued development. The author highlights the importance of mutuality and recognition in the development of the self, illustrating the impact of family, the larger group context, and the contribution of the analytic encounter.

This book is divided into three sections: First, the contribution of family to development, including some relatively neglected topics, such as the importance of fathers in female development, the role of siblings, the experience of “only” children or singletons in the family, and the impact of the extended family (including grandparents) upon the individual. A second section examines the influence of unconscious group processes upon individual development and functioning, and includes papers that highlight the contribution of group psychotherapy as a form of treatment. The last section of the book focuses upon challenging cases in which there has come to be a transference-countertransference impasse, illustrating the author’s approach to enabling both patient and analyst to work through these daunting moments, resulting in renewed therapeutic action.