Core Concepts in Contemporary Psychoanalysis ― Clinical, Research Evidence and Conceptual Critiques

In Core Concepts in Contemporary Psychoanalysis, alongside its companion piece Core Concepts in Classical Psychoanalysis, Morris N. Eagle asks: of the core concepts and formulations of psychoanalytic theory, which ones should be retained, which should be modified and in what ways, and which should be discarded?

The key concepts and issues explored in this book include:

• Are transference interpretations necessary for positive therapeutic outcomes?
• Are the analyst’s countertransference reactions a reliable guide to the patient’s unconscious mental states?
• Is projective identification a coherent concept?
• Psychoanalytic styles of thinking and writing.

Unlike other previous discussions of such concepts, this book systematically evaluates them in the light of conceptual critique as well as recent research-based evidence and empirical data.

Written with Eagle’s piercing clarity of voice, Core Concepts in Contemporary Psychoanalysis challenges previously unquestioned psychoanalytic assumptions and will appeal to psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic psychotherapists, and anyone interested in integrating core psychoanalytic concepts, research, and theory with other disciplines including psychiatry, psychology, and social work.

Morris N. Eagle, PhD, is Distinguished Education-in-Residence at California Lutheran University, Professor Emeritus at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, and is in part-time private practice. He is the author of From Classical to Contemporary Psychoanalysis: A Critique and Integration and many journal articles. He is former President of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association and recipient of the Sigourney Award, 2009.