Description
Book SynopsisNarrative and Meaning examines the role of both in contemporary psychoanalytic practice, bringing together a distinguished group of contributors from across the intersubjective, relational, and interpersonal schools of psychoanalytic thought.
The contributions propose that narratives or stories in a variety of non-verbal and verbal forms are the foundation of mind, creativity, and the clinical dialogue. From the beginning of life, human experience gains expression through the integration of perception, cognition, memory and affect into mini or complex narratives. This core proposal is illustrated in chapters referencing creativity, psychoanalytic process, gesture, and sensory-motor activity, dreams, music, conflicting narratives in couples, imaginative stories of adopted children, identity, and individuality.
Including a major revision in theory based upon an expanded definition of narrative, this book is an essential read for any contemporary psy
Trade Review
"This book is surely among the most important and innovative contributions to psychoanalysis this year. The chapters range in topic, but share in common a focus on the capacity of narrative in whatever form to create a more holistic lived experience from infancy on, for the individual, for the couple, and for the therapeutic dyad. The contributions are wonderfully diverse, beginning with the clinical situation, and moving on to encompass such subjects as music as narrative; the dream narrative; the narrative of the adoptee; the broader context from which clinical narratives emerge; types of clinical narrative; and the science-based narrative. The beginning and ending chapters by Joe Lichtenberg are superb. I would love to describe and elaborate on the multiple merits of each, but must be content with recommending as strongly as I can: do not miss this significant collection!"-Estelle Shane, training and supervising analyst and faculty at ICP and NCP; founding member, Past president and board member of ICP; adjunct faculty, UCLA School of Medicine.
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Narrative & Meaning Joseph D. Lichtenberg, MD
Chapter 2 The Dialogic Nature of Narrative in Creativity and the Clinical Exchange Joseph D. Lichtenberg, MD
Chapter 3 Resilience, Seeking, and Narratives about the Self Joseph D. Lichtenberg, MD
Chapter 4 Music as Narrative Frank M. Lachmann, Ph.D.
Chapter 5 The Dream Narrative James L. Fosshage, Ph.D.
Chapter 6 Narrative Tradition: Placing the Clinical Narrative within a Broader Narrative Tradition Daniel Goldin
Chapter 7 Storying Suffering of Every Conceivable Sort Richard Tuch and J. Mark Thompson
Chapter 8 The Ghost Kingdom: The Secret Narrative of the Adoptee’s Birth and Origins Linda Gunsberg, Ph.D.
Chapter 9 At the Edge of the Knowable: Personal Reflections on How Far Narrative Takes Us Joseph D. Lichtenberg, MD
Chapter 10 Narrative Contributions to the Core Sense of Self, Identity, and Individuality Joseph D. Lichtenberg, MD
