Nancy McWilliamsReseñas

There aren’t many textbooks that you can sit and read (except, perhaps, my own), but this 1994 textbook was written for psychotherapists who trained without getting a basic foundation in the psychoanalytic model, and it has many features that made it an enjoyable read for me. It begins with a basic introduction to classical Freudian drive theory and some subsequent modifications, then the developmental levels of personality structure, and the levels of psychopathology that may occur within a particular type of character organization. The author then reviews the basic types of defensive processes, dividing them into primitive and higher-order. The second part of the book comprises a chapter for each of nine personality types, psychopathic, narcissistic, schizoid, paranoid, depressive and manic, masochistic, obsessive and compulsive, hysterical, and dissociative. Each chapter is organized into sections discussing drive, affect and temperament; defensives used; object relations; the self; transference and countertransference; therapy; and differential diagnosis. The author is unusually clear with frequent comments relating various older and more modern theories to each other. All of these comments are referenced. Finally, she includes many anecdotes about cases she has seen or heard of and diagnostic and therapeutic tips from her career and from other authorities.

This second edition incorporates current advances in neuroscience and infant research, and reflects the effect of the ‘relational turn’ in contemporary psychoanalysis. It is a dependable resource for beginning therapists, a valuable teaching tool, and a comprehensive reference for seasoned clinicians.

McWilliams does an amazing job of discussing not only the history of the psychodynamic psychoanalytic movement, but of describing and discussing rarely-addressed issues that a young therapist (or physician) may encounter. of particular interest: includes helpful sections on maintaining boundaries.