Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Therapies

Initially founded on the principles and practice of Sigmund Freud, these therapies and psychoanalytic theory have been developed and elaborated over the past century by a variety of theorists, clinicians, and researchers.

There are many different approaches to psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy, but they all tend to share features in common, such as a focus on the exploration and expression of feelings and efforts to avoid painful feelings and experiences; exploration of clients' ambivalence about changing; identification of self-defeating patterns of feeling, thinking, and relating; exploration of wishes and dreams; and exploration of the therapeutic relationship.

Safran presents and explores this influential, practical, and thoughtful approach, its theory, history, therapy process, primary change mechanisms, and the empirical basis for its effectiveness. He also examines developments that have refined the theory and expanded how it may be practiced.

This essential primer, amply illustrated with case examples featuring diverse clients, is perfect for graduate students studying theories of therapy and counselling, as well as for seasoned practitioners interested in understanding how this approach has evolved and how it might be used in their practice.