Description
Book SynopsisVamık D. Volkan recounts the story of Judy, a woman attempting to solve her early life deprivations through non-chemical addiction. He provides an understanding of the psychology behind such an addiction and also illustrates pertinent therapeutic concepts and issues which arose in Judy’s case. These include built-in transference, twinning, interpretation, dreams, hoarding, acting out, and therapeutic play. By paying attention to such things, it is possible to gain a greater understanding of the internal worlds of patients with preoedipal deprivations, conflicts, and fixations.
For this case, Dr Volkan undertook the role of supervisor to an analyst in training. The topics of the psychoanalytic supervisor–supervisee relationship and the supervisor’s emotional reactions toward the patient, whom the supervisor never meets, are rather ignored in the psychoanalytic literature. This book gives an open and frank overview of the relationship, reporting not only what was said but also what lay behind the words.
Written in Dr Volkan’s characteristically accessible style, this book will be enjoyed equally by those under supervision as those providing it, and provides an excellent overview of work with addiction.
Trade Review‘The author’s approach and style result in a clear explanation of the key points while maintaining interest for the reader. This is not a dry read and is best suited to reading from cover to cover. […] This is an enjoyable read and a good starting point to delve deeper into the concepts offered within. I found Volkan’s book to be a good addition to my library.’
-- Beverly Neeson, student member of BACP, ‘Therapy Today’ March 2022
'In his latest book, Vamik Volkan, esteemed psychoanalyst, scholar and prolific author, takes up the phenomenon of sexually compulsive behaviour [...] The story is one that describes the layered, at times daunting, analytic journey of Judy, Dr Rowan and Volkan, and reminds us of the power of analytic treatment and its usefulness with some of the most complicated and entrenched repetitive behaviours and destructive patterns.'
-- Drew Tillotson, The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 103:2, 2022
Table of ContentsAbout the author
About this book
Chapter 1
A “hunter” of men
Chapter 2
Psychoanalytic perspectives on addictions
Chapter 3
Built-in transference
Chapter 4
Twinning
Chapter 5
Judy’s analysis begins: Establishing a psychoanalytic foundation and linking interpretations
Chapter 6
The first dream and Judy’s first year of analysis
Chapter 7
Animals, birds, fish, or insects “on the couch”
Chapter 8
Judy’s dog
Chapter 9
Analysands’ actions
Chapter 10
Therapeutic play
Chapter 11
Therapeutic neutrality and countertransference
Chapter 12
Reaching P and renovating a new house
Chapter 13
Finding R
Chapter 14
What happened to Judy after I stopped working with Dr. Rowan?
References
Index
