Psychoanalytic Theories: Perspectives from Developmental Psychopathology

Peter FonagyWinner of the 2010 Sigourney Award!

Psychoanalytic theory influenced many facets of 20th century culture, and shows every sign of continuing to have an impact in the 21st. However, in order to sustain this influence it has to adapt to the challenges of out current intellectual environment. This book attempts to build a bridge between psychoanalysis and a dominant perspective in modern psychiatry and psychology: developmental psychopathology. This perspective studies biological, psychological and social influences that act on individuals, shaping their pathways through life. While psychoanalytical perspectives are inherently developmental, this is often left implicit. This book highlights the developmental bases for psychoanalytical ideas, and examines their assumptions and claims in relation to observational and other data gathered within neighboring disciplines. The book reaches back to the work of Freud, and covers North American and European ideas including the Klein-Bion model, the British Object Relations tradition, the work of Kernberg and Kohut as well as modern Relational Psychoanalysis.