There couldn't be a more appropriate method for illustrating the dynamics of psychoanalysis than the vehicle of story. In this book, Kerry L. Malawista, Anne J. Adelman, and Catherine L. Anderson share amusing, poignant, and sometimes difficult stories from their personal and professional lives, inviting readers to explore the complex underpinnings of the psychoanalytic profession and its esoteric theories. Through their narratives, these practicing analysts show how to incorporate psychodynamic concepts and identify common truths at the root of shared experience. Their approach demystifies dense material and the emotional consequences of deep clinical work. The book covers psychodynamic theory, the development of ideas, various techniques, the challenges of treatment, and the experiences of trauma and loss. Each section begins with a brief memoir by one of the authors and leads into a discussion of related concepts. Overall the text follows a developmental trajectory, opening with stories from early childhood and concluding with present encounters. The result is a unique approach enabling the absorption of psychodynamic concepts as they unfold across the life span.

AcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: Theory 1. PoppedAnalysts Reflect on Screen Memories2. Play with MeAnalysts Reflect on Symbolic Representation3. The CallingAnalysts Reflect on Magical Thinking4. New FurnitureAnalysts Reflect on Superego Development5. WoodbridgeAnalysts Reflect on Dream Theory6. Wearing My Tutu to AnalysisAnalysts Reflect on Transference and EnactmentPart II: Development 7. Ode to a TissueAnalysts Reflect on Transitional Objects and Phenomena8. Mommy Broke It!Analysts Reflect on Castration Anxiety9. Bumps and AllAnalysts Reflect on Early Adolescence10. First PartyAnalysts Reflect on Emergent Adolescent Sexuality11. Custodial CareAnalysts Reflect on the Transition to Adulthood12. NestledAnalysts Reflect on Motherhood as a Developmental PhasePart III: Technique 13. Graham CrackersAnalysts Reflect on Beginning the Treatment14. In My EyesAnalysts Reflect on the Holding Environment15. How to Save a LifeAnalysts Reflect on Interpretation and Insight16. Friends of the HeartAnalysts Reflect on TerminationPart IV: Treatment Challenges 17. Joining the PainAnalysts Reflect on Countertransference18. The TaxiAnalysts Reflect on Race and Racism19. My Best Friend, FionaAnalysts Reflect on Boundary Violations in TreatmentPart V: When the World Shatters 20. Into the KitchenAnalysts Reflect on a Patient's Memory of Trauma and Betrayal21. The Bird BoxAnalysts Reflect on Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma22. Phantom LimbAnalysts Reflect on Immediate Loss23. The QuestionAnalysts Reflect on Memory and GriefConclusionReferencesIndex