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Object Relations Individual Therapy

Emphasizing the transformational possibilities that grow out of their relational model of therapy, David E. and Jill Savege Scharff invite us into the territory of interactive journeys with individual patients. A contemporary classic.

 

Part history, part review of theory, part casebook, this masterful work will long stand as the definitive text on object relations and its role in mental health and mental illness. An invaluable contribution to our understanding of the theory and its use in clinical practice, Object Relations Individual Therapy is one of those rare finds―a volume that belongs in every practitioner’s library. — Theodore J. Jacobs, M.D., New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute

Arguably the finest contemporary teachers of object relations theory, Drs. Jill and David Scharff have put their teaching in writing in what must certainly be the most comprehensive text to date. It is thoughtfully organized and strikes a fine balance between theory and practice; readers can trust the Scharffs’ accounts of others’ work. Perhaps the heart of the book is a chapter on chaos theory and ‘fractals’―yep, fractals―that is deeply interesting and suggestive. The book’s unparalleled accomplishment, however, lies in the quality of the clinical writing, especially in these authors’ accounts of their own passing states of mind―or countertransferences―in work with their patients. A truly fine book. — Christopher Bollas, PhD, British Psychoanalytical Society

Tuning the Therapeutic Instrument: Affective Learning of Psychotherapy

This book shows how the therapist’s use of the self, the key ingredient of successful treatment, can be developed into a sensitive instrument for therapy. With firsthand accounts of experiencing affective learning, the Scharff’s take us through their work with clinicians studying dynamic psychotherapy in a group setting. They demonstrate how the group process brings a depth and richness to the clinical material and transforms the therapist’s way of thinking and working with emotional experience. Intellectual understanding and emotional responses to clinical material are integrated and this enhanced learning is brought into clinical practice. The internal object relations of patient and therapist are clarified through the transference; the same awareness occurs as therapists learn together in the affective learning group. This here-and-now examination of object relationships is highly effective and growth enhancing. Relevant to mental health professionals at all levels of expertise, this book is written for therapists invested in their own learning, teaching, and practice. Only by being open to ourselves, the Scharff’s show, can we truly be responsive to our patients.