Character structures underlie everyone's personality. When rigidly defended, they limit us; yet as they become more flexible, they can reveal sources of animation, renewal and authenticity. The Matrix and Meaning of Character guides the reader into an awareness of the archetypal depths that underlie character structures, presenting an original developmental model in which current analytic theories are synthesised. The authors examine nine character structures, animating them with fairy tales, mythic images and case material, creating a bridge between the traditional language of psychopathology and the universal realm of image and symbol.This book will appeal to all analytical psychologists, psychoanalysts and psychotherapists who want to strengthen their clinical expertise. It will help clinicians to extend their clinical insights beyond a strictly behavioural, medical or cognitive approach, revealing the potential of the human spirit.

Part I: Introduction, the Matrix From Which Character Emerges. Part II: Schizoid Character Structure, "Encapsulated in Ice." Counter-dependent Narcissistic Character Structure, "Independence in a Glass Coffin." Obsessive-Compulsive Character Structure; for the Perfectly Tidy, the Wolf Stands Hungry at the Door. Borderline Character Structure, "Agony and Ecstasy." The Dependent Narcissistic Character Structure, "Dependence in the Service of Connection." Hysteria, "The Golden Promise." Psychopathic Character Structure, "Culling the Herd: Dominance, Control, Predation." Alpha Narcissistic Character Structure, "On Top Yet Always Under Siege." Passive-aggressive Character Structure: "The Tar-Baby Beckons." Part III: Conclusion.