The Psychoanalytic Craft

This fascinating window into everyday analytic work makes compelling reading for practitioners in their various roles: as assessors, therapists, supervisors - and patients. Destined to be essential reading for all self-scrutinising psychoanalytic and counselling training programmes.' - Prof Jeremey Holmes MD FRCPsych, University of Exeter, UK

The psychoanalytic theory base for therapeutic practice is highly developed but the literature is thin when it comes to identifying practitioners' implicit knowledge base and developing more expert skills. This clear and vividly written book addresses the needs of practitioners moving beyond beginner level to more skilled and attuned practice.This book identifies and explores what is missing in therapy practice, namely the 'craft' aspects of skilled psychoanalytic work: how theories and models are actually used in practice, what kind of reasoning is employed in conducting a session, and how interventions are composed and evaluated. The text shows how these features of clinical thinking, which normally operate below the level of awareness, can be identified and explored in clinical practice, in supervision and in teaching. This clear and vividly written book addresses the needs of practitioners and trainees moving beyond beginner level to more skilled and attuned practice.