Psychodynamic Approaches in Health and Social Care: Applying Classic Psychoanalytic Work to Contemporary Settings
Book Details
- Publisher : Routledge
- Published : December 2025
- Pages : 174
- Category :
Forthcoming - Category 2 :
Psychoanalysis - Catalogue No : 98315
- ISBN 13 : 9781032879529
- ISBN 10 : 1032879521
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Psychodynamic Approaches in Health and Social Care sees experienced psychoanalysts, psychotherapists and educationalists analyse classic psychoanalytic papers and accessibly apply them to a contemporary Health and Social Care setting.
In each chapter, practitioners and educators analyse a classic paper to support a better understanding of and resolution to the complex, pervasive and multi-faceted challenges facing contemporary Health and Social Care provision. The papers include works from some of psychoanalysis’ most important thinkers.
The novel approach in this book will make for an illuminating read for those working in a Health and Social Care settings with limited prior knowledge of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic approaches, and for practicing analysts and therapists looking to apply their knowledge in contemporary health and social care.
Reviews and Endorsements
What a wonderful and creative idea for a book! Psychodynamic Approaches in Health and Social Care offers readers an exploratory yet highly relevant and practical approach to working through and thinking about key psychoanalytic concepts in health and social care practice. It does this through a process of thinking with key texts that offer readers a range of fertile and provocative insights when working in mental health care. Providing case vignettes and relevant examples from practice, the book provides a compelling and timely assertion of the relevance and centrality of psychoanalytic concepts for everyday practice. Too often in recent years, psychodynamic approaches have been consigned to an unread repository of supposedly antiquated knowledge, but this book reawakens an interest in a vital tradition and returns readers to the source texts with a renewed vigour and relevance. I hope it will be read and discussed widely in all areas of mental health scholarship and practice.
Alastair Morgan, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health at the University of Manchester UK, author of Continental Philosophy of Psychiatry: The Lure of Madness
This book calls for an honest dialogue between individual care workers and their teams so as to improve the quality of their work. The failures of past educators and managers who dwelt solely on the performative aspects of health and social care, whilst disregarding its emotional and relational components, are now obvious. Drawing on the classic works of psychodynamic theorists, each chapter presents the essence of their thinking and how their ideas can be assimilated into practice. This engaging book has the power to revolutionise caring environments and merits a place on multiple reading lists and in all relevant workplaces. I highly commend it.
Dr Peter Nolan, Professor of Mental Health Nursing (Emeritus), The University of Staffordshire York
This book will be invaluable to mental health nurses and allied practitioners, illuminating a deeper understanding of the relational dynamics of everyday practice. A psychoanalytic perspective is the most sustained and tested body of knowledge that informs a trauma informed approach to practice.
Professor Gary Winship, Education, Trauma & Mental Health, School of Education, University of Nottingham, Editor-in-Chief, British Journal of Psychotherapy
This book is an essential, accessible guide for health and social care professionals, at all levels, introducing key psychoanalytic knowledge and practice insights. Through gathering classic papers and skilfully bringing concepts to life with illustrative case examples, the editor reveals how useful and applicable psychoanalytic concepts are in helping make sense of contemporary practice dilemmas and realities. I strongly recommend this straightforward and enjoyable book for practitioners and students across any practice disciplines who are keen to explore what psychoanalytic theory and practice has to offer.
Dr Helen Hingley-Jones, Associate Professor, Middlesex University
The professions and occupations within social work, nursing, and health and social care have been beset by the comings and goings of a range of different theoretical perspectives in the last fifty years; some helpful, some less so. Ideas informing practice derived from psychoanalysis have bubbled along under the surface, occasionally coming up for air. So, what a pleasure to have this new contribution addressing the usefulness of such ideas to inform practice, with the hope of improving the circumstances of those in receipt of services and interventions, and those providing them.
Dr Helen Cosis Brown, Fostering and Adoption Panel Chair and Fostering Service Decision Maker, previously Professor of Social Work at the University of Bedfordshire
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Remembering, Repeating & Working Through (Freud,1914) promoting curiosity and remaining engaged
2. Mourning and Melancholia (Freud,1917) in contemporary Health and Social Care
3. Making space in Health and Social Care for Hate in the Countertransference (Winnicott,1949)
4. To be or not to be, detached or emotionally involved, that is the question of Heimann's 'On Counter-Transference' (1950)
5. The Unspoken in Health and Social Care Meetings: Group Dynamics: A Re-View (Bion, 1952)
6. Leading, following and mentoring through the lens of Envy and Gratitude (Klein, 1957)
7. How our adult world and its roots in infancy (Klein, 1959), affects our abilities to make use of contemporary health and social care services
8. Bion’s (1962) A psychoanalytic study of thinking: understanding how the mind of the other produces and sustains the capacity to ‘think under emotional fire’ for young people and staff within residential care environments
9. Going Beyond Notes on Infant Observation (Bick, 1964) promoting sensitivity & attunement in Health and Social Care
10. On meeting our Ghosts in the Nursery (Fraiberg, Adelson, & Shapiro, 1975)
Conclusion
About the Editor(s)
Shelly Allen is Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing and Psychological Therapies at the University of Manchester, UK and a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist in independent practice.
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